Brownlee enjoying his time in spotlight (From Wharfedale Observer)

Jonny Brownlee makes it back-to-back World Series wins with Spanish flier

5:54pm Sunday 27th May 2012 in Other Sport By Sports Desk

Jonny Brownlee is not about to make himself Olympic favourite just yet but he is enjoying being the top dog after another dominant performance to win the World Triathlon Series race in Madrid.

In the absence of world champion brother Alistair, who is back training hard after an Achilles injury and is on schedule to return for the next race in Kitzbuhel next month, the 22-year-old eased to victory in San Diego two weeks ago for his first major win over the Olympic distance at senior level.

And he was even more commanding today, helping a group of nine to a big lead on the tough bike course around Casa de Campo park and then rapidly pulling away from his rivals on the ten-kilometre run.

Javier Gomez, who is likely to be the brothers’ main rival at the Olympics this summer, also missed his home race through illness, giving Bingley Harriers star Brownlee the chance to hone his front-running skills.

“It’s completely different racing without Alistair and Gomez – especially not having Alistair here because we do everything together,” he said.

“But I’ve quite enjoyed having a bit more pressure and it not just being ‘Alistair’s going to win and I’ll come second if I’m lucky’.

“It’s been good to have to try to take the race to people instead of having Alistair do that and then me follow. Coming first is obviously good because you want to teach yourself to win. It’s a skill in itself.

“I think I have developed as an athlete without Alistair but I’ll go home and he’ll probably beat me on the track on Tuesday then I’ll be back to normal!”

The pattern for the race was set in the swim, when the Russian contingent pushed the pace and forced a split in the pack.

The field fractured even more as the athletes set off on their bikes, with British duo Will Clarke and Stuart Hayes – who had been towards the front after the swim – missing the front group.

That quickly proved costly as the leaders pulled away and by the time they started the ten-kilometre run, they had an advantage of almost two-and-a-half minutes.

Brownlee was never likely to be challenged by any of his fellow breakaway riders and he quickly pulled away, eventually winning by 40 seconds from Russian duo Alexander Bryukhankov and Dmitry Polyanskiy.

Brownlee said: “I couldn’t ask for anything more really. All I can do is win and that’s what I’ve done.”