05cdssp1.jpg In this photo released by the International Triathlon Union, first placed Daniel Unger of Germany, center, second placed Matt Reed of the United States, left, and third placed Hendrik DeViliers of South Africa, right, third place, pose on the podium for the Men's event at the Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup, Richards Bay, South Africa, Sunday, May 4, 2008. (AP Photo/ITU, Silke Insel, HO)

So far this spring, life as a professional triathlete has been good for Boulder's Matt Reed.

First, Reed earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic triathlon team that's headed for the Beijing Games this summer when Reed won the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Trials in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on April 19.

Now, Reed has followed up that feat by winning the silver medal in South Africa at the Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup on Sunday, his first world cup podium since a bronze in Vancouver last June.

Despite leading for most of the run, Reed, who finished in 1:52:50, was edged out down the final stretch by world champion Daniel Unger (1:52:49) of Germany in a thrilling finish. But Reed was able to nip local favorite Hendrik DeVilliers (1:52:50), last year's winner, to hang on to the silver.

"I had a lot of confidence today and I really pushed the bike. It was a good day to have a great run after a tough bike like that," said Reed, who's still seeking his first world cup title. "All I could think about today on the run was getting my first world cup win. One day soon I might get it."

After trailing by just 12 seconds after the swim, Reed headed out onto the 40-kilometer bike course where most of the men came together to form a large lead group of 37 riders. Just past the midway mark of the bike, Reed's teammate Brian Fleischmann (Jacksonville, FL) pulled away on a solo break and held a 24-second lead after the fifth of eight laps. In the late stages, he was joined by Reed and the two rode into the second transition together.

Just after the first lap of the run, Reed pulled away but a group of seven men including Unger kept within striking distance. Halfway through the run Reed continued to lead but the chase pack shaved six seconds off the lead.

Reed took the bell lap with an 8-second lead but at the far turnaround he was caught by Unger and last DeVilliers. Up the final hill Unger pushed the pace and made a mad dash for the finish line to claim his first world cup title. Unger became just the third German man to win a world cup and the first since Maik Petzold won in Salford, England in 2004. Fleischmann faded in the run and finished in 33rd place. Matt Chrabot, who won the Pan American Championships last month, finished 19th in just his second world cup start.

Despite Reed's silver medal, the U.S. men have dropped in ITU's Olympic rankings. As it stands now, the U.S. will not qualify the maximum of three men as Russia's Dmitry Polyansky finished 7th and earned enough points to pull Russia ahead the U.S. Hampered with injuries for the past year, Hunter Kemper's Olympic ranking has dropped, allowing other countries who race more frequently to leapfrog the U.S. The final Olympic qualifying event will be the world championships in Vancouver from June 5-8.

In the women's race, Beijing hopeful Sarah Groff (Cooperstown, NY) led the women after the swim and in the early stages of the bike but was eventually brought back into the pack by the large chase group. The energy Groff expended riding solo was evident as she had little left for the run and finished in 14th place. Jillian Petersen (St. Louis, MO) joined Groff in the top-20, crossing the line 17th..