DeSoto Repeats Coastal Triumph

It wasn’t much of a surprise to see Michellie Jones second out of the water overall after the first leg of the Pacific Coast Triathlon at Crystal Cove State Park Sunday. After all, she is the top-ranked female triathlete in the world.

She then slipped ahead of Michael Collins in the transition area and sped off on the 12-mile bike ride in first.

But when the 29-year-old Australian returned from the ride as the overall leader, the fascination began to grow.

But defending champion Emilio DeSoto of San Diego was able to run Jones down to win by six seconds.

DeSoto had began the three-mile run about a minute behind Jones in fourth place and finally reeled her in on the steep upgrade leading to the finish line.

“She knew she’d be able to hold me off on the swim and maybe, because of the distance she puts on me in the swim, hold me off on the bike,” said DeSoto, who finished in 1 hour 1 minute 47 seconds. “She knew if I was going to catch her anywhere it would be on the run. I just didn’t think it would take so long.”

Jones said it wasn’t the first time she’s held the overall lead in a triathlon, it was just one of the longer stretches.

“Normally in this type of race I’m with the guys coming out of the water and then I’ll be around a few guys on the bike,” she said. “So to lead the bike and lead that much of the race, it’s like one day I’m going to win one of these.”

Jones said the grueling hill that routed the 1,300 competitors up from the beach prevented her from out-sprinting DeSoto. “If I had made it over the top with a few more yards, it could have been mine,” she said.

DeSoto said he has passed Jones a few other times in the eight years they’ve competed together, but never so far into a race.

“I actually started to wonder if this might be the time that she would finally beat me, but it didn’t happen just yet,” DeSoto said. “I’ve got about 10 years of age on her, but she’s one of the best. Not only among female triathletes in the world, but one of the best triathletes in the world.”

Jones, who lives in Carlsbad, said she was impressed with the layout, which began in the water south of Crystal Cove, then took riders up and back on Pacific Coast Highway, before finishing with a run along the state park’s bike trail.

“I’ve heard a lot about this race and it’s very, very safe out there and that’s really, really important,” Jones said. “The police did a fantastic job. Obviously, the race organizing committee did a great job, and that in itself shows why there are so many people out here today.”