Frenchman Vidal, the world No 7-ranked triathlete, sprinted away during the 5km run to leave local favourite Dodds ruing a third-straight second in front of his home Wanaka crowd.
To add pique to the defeat, Dodds had put up $2000 of his own money - doubling the winner's prize cheque - as a challenge to anyone who beat him on his home turf.
While he was unsure what the figure amounted to in euros, he said Vidal's drafting tactics during the cycle had provided an edge come the run.
Vidal, Dodds, and New Zealand Olympic representative Kris Gemmell jockeyed for position during the 20km bike ride as they opened up a lead over the rest of the field.
Vidal said he let the Kiwis work during the bike and then played with Dodds when he almost caught him in the run.
"I let him get close and then put in a big surge to break him," Vidal said.
Dodds said the late burst put paid to his hopes of joining Samuels on the winning podium, after she had earlier seen off allcomers in the elite women's race.
"I got close to [Vidal], but he just took off. I've never felt anyone surge away so fast in my life."
Samuels never looked like she would be beaten in the women's race once she took the lead early in the bike leg.
She exited the water in second but quickly overhauled swim leader Penny Hayes within the first lap of the 20km cycle leg.
By the time she pulled on her running shoes to begin the 5km run to the finish line, Samuels held a buffer of almost 3min on the chasing pack.
Samuels was determined to avoid a repeat of last year when she was run down off the bike by top New Zealand triathlete Sam Warriner.
Cheered on by a vocal crowd, she increased her lead during the run and was followed home by North Shore's Sophie Corbridge, who came through the field to grab second in a breakthrough performance.
Promising Te Awamutu youngster Maddie Brunton claimed third.
