Matty Wins, Potts Crashes

Matty Reed dominated on the bike to win the Chicago Triathlon.

Reed was down 45 seconds coming out of the water, but pumped out the best bike time of the race to take the lead. From there he never looked back, winning by close to a minute.

It was Reed's first Chicago Triathlon win and puts him on top of the Life Time Fitness Series standings.

Meanwhile, fellow Suunto athlete is recovering after a nasty wreck on the bike. Potts was going close to 35 mph when a slower age group competitor rode into his path. He was sent sliding along the pavement for 150 to 200 feet and suffered severe road rash.

Potts actually tried to get up and continue the race, only to find his bike was wrecked. While he was being examined by race staff, Potts passed out and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. After extensive tests Doctors say Potts has no broken bones or serious internal injuries, but he did receive a number of stitches on his elbow. He is still recovering in Chicago.

Potts was near the lead when the crash happened. He was also tied with Reed for the series points lead.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Andy.

For a full race recap and some pics: check out here

Showdown in Chicago

Matty Reed and Andy Potts face off for the lead in the Life Time Fitness Series in Chicago this weekend.

Reed and Potts are tied with 18,000 points apiece after 2 of 5 races in the series.

The first race in Minneapolis was a tight one. Reed out sprinted Potts to the line for a 1 second victory and a lead in the series points.

The standings tightened up considerably after the second race in New York. Greg Bennett finished first, with Potts in 2nd and Reed in 3rd. That leaves all three tied for the points lead heading into Sunday's race in Chicago.

The winner this weekend will take command of the series with two races left in Los Angeles and Dallas.

You can check out all the weekend's events here: http://www.chicagotriathlon.com/

Potts Wins Timberman 70.3, Sets New Record

Andy Potts dominated the field in New Hampshire, winning the Timberman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon on Sunday.


Potts was first out of the water and second off the bike before he put the hammer down and exploded to the lead on the run. Potts' run was the fastest of the field as he pulled away from the competition to win by more than 7 minutes. His performance was also a course record - 3:51:19.


Potts spoke with Triathlete Magazine after the race, you can read what he said here.


The victory joins an ever-growing list for Potts this year. So far he's won the Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead, St. Anthony's, the Wildflower and Escape from Alcatraz.


Next up: The Chicago Triathlon on Sunday Aug. 30th.


Thanks Andy Cooper for the great photo.

Big Weekend for Suunto Athletes

Matty Reed will defend his USA National title while Andy Potts looks to take the crown at the Timberman Ironman 70.3.

Reed races in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Saturday at USA Triathlon's National Championships.

"The national title is just that, and I respect it. I plan to bring my 'A' game and strength to Tuscaloosa," says Reed.

Meanwhile, Potts will hit the New Hampshire wilderness in his quest for yet another victory on Sunday. He takes on Lake Winnipesaukee and the Timberman 70.3.

Follow all the action on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/SUUNTOUSA

Matty Reed on the Cover of PSR

Suunto sponsored athlete Matty Reed is on the cover of the newest issue of Performance Sports Retailer.

PSR is the only monthly print trade publication dedicated solely to the running specialty and triathlon market. The magazine is mailed out to qualified running specialty shops and other apparel merchants.

You can also download it here: http://www.sportsonesource.com/news/psr/

Congrats Matty.

Rebecca Rusch Captures Leadville 100 Title

Rebecca Rusch battled brutal weather and intense climbs to win the Leadville 100 over the weekend. It took Rusch just eight hours and 15 minutes to complete the 100 mile course despite some sleet and stiff headwinds on the way to the finish.

“I could barely feel my hands or hold the bars at a couple of points,” explains Rusch, “The sideways sleet was stinging my legs and the only choice was to keep riding and try to keep the blood flowing.”

It was Rusch’s first time racing the Leadville 100 which is one of the biggest endurance mountain bike races in the world and she led the whole way. Being a rookie to the race she had to rely on course information from friends and other riders and even went so far as to tape a map to her bike.

Rusch also relied on her Suunto t6 during the race and logged an average heart-rate of 144 and climbed over 11,535 feet during the eight plus hours.

Besides taking the victory, Rusch also got another thrill – sharing the podium with Lance Armstrong. The seven-time Tour de France winner shattered the course record on the men’s side – riding the last few miles with a flat rear tire.

The win for Rusch is just another in a dominating year. Rusch won her third straight 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike World Championship title last month.

X10 Stars on the Military Channel

The Suunto X10 makes its television debut tonight (Aug. 13th) in a new series for the Discover Military Channel. The reality show is called Special Ops Mission and pits a former Army Ranger expert against half a dozen trained experts in a tactical warfare scenario.

Former Army Ranger and Air Force Para-Rescue expert Wil Willis wears the X10 as he tries to complete a Special Ops assignment in each episode. The battle is recorded on several different cameras, including one mounted on Willis’ gun.

The Suunto X10 helps Willis navigate whatever terrain he is dropped into and helps him complete the mission. The GPS watch also helps producers in post-production map out the route that Willis took to complete his objective.

The Special Ops Mission series airs at 10pm ET/PT on Thursday nights.

Check out a preview here: http://military.discovery.com/videos/special-ops-mission/

Andy Potts Wins in Michigan

Andy Potts used a late push to run down the competition and win the 2009 Ironman 70.3 Steelhead in Michigan over the weekend.

Potts was second out of the water and 5:30 back after the bike, but managed to chase down Andrew Starykwicz for the victory.
Potts finished with a time of 3:54:38, almost 2 minutes faster than Starykwicz.

It’s been a great season so far for Potts. This year he has won the St. Anthony’s triathlon, the Wildflower and the Escape from Alcatraz. He also finished second in the Ironman 70.3 California and the Life Time Fitness triathlon and finished fourth at the Washington D.C. Dextro Energy Triathlon.