GUERNSEY’S Alan Rowe won yesterday’s Jersey Ogier Triathlon but Jersey won the inter-insular team event because a Guernsey athlete misread the course.

Following a tremendous swim and, potentially, a tremendous bike ride, Damien Thacker, who has already met the times for Commonwealth Games selection for his island, was well in front half-way through the second discipline when he carried on towards Corbière instead of turning towards the Five Mile Road.

‘He ignored the marshall and lost a good half hour before he came back and rejoined the race,’ said Jersey Triathlon president Gary Jones.

‘By missing the turn-off at St Brelade, he cost Guernsey the overall team title.’ Jersey’s Tim Rogers, who finished fourth and first vet, was also puzzled when, during the run from West Park to St Aubin and back, he never saw Thacker who, until then, he believed was way in front of him.

‘He had a tremendous swim and was very fast away on his bike so, not unnaturally, I expected to see him running past me while I was running the other way on the last discipline,’ he said.

‘So I was really surprised not to see him in front of me.

Instead Alan Rowe came from behind to win, overall.

He overtook four triathletes during the road race – but then he is an exceptionally good runner.’ Rowe, by finishing first and inside the time Guernsey have set for Commonwealth Games possible selection now seems certain to be part of a three-man team who, like Jersey, may travel to Melbourne.