Lucy Charles-Barclay admitted she had mixed emotions after her second-placed finish at the Singapore T100.
The Brit once again led out after the swim and then on the bike put more than five minutes between herself and chief rival Ashleigh Gentle.
But the Aussie would overhaul that gap, making the pass with 4km of the 18km run remaining before powering on to victory by more than a minute and a half.
‘Motivation for the next one’
It was a second successive T100 runner-up spot for LCB after the season opener in Miami and puts her into the lead in the overall series standings.
Charles-Barclay of course was second four times at Kona before her famous IRONMAN World Championship success there last October – and she’s now looking to make that next step in the T100.
Speaking on the live broadcast afterwards, she said: “I played my cards and came out with second today. I think it’s bittersweet being at the front all that time, but I felt really strong and I think I just want to build on each race.
“I definitely felt miles better than Miami but Ashleigh had me running scared – I knew she was coming. She’s so strong on that run.
“I had to really push it on that bike to see what I could do, and it wasn’t quite enough today, but it’s definitely motivation for the next one.”
Brits in tandem
And Charles-Barclay was also grateful for some company on the bike for a change, with Lucy Buckingham making the most of her wildcard as she produced a superb performance en route to fifth place.
LCB added: “Yeah, it was really nice. I think it’s great to have a fellow Brit as well that’s super strong on the bike, so you can just push that pace.
“As we saw the gaps getting bigger, I think it’s super motivating. Normally, I’m a bit lonely when I race, so it was good.”
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