XTERRA World Championship

FINAL 2009 XTERRA EUROPEAN TOUR RANK:  15

 

PERSONAL:  Born September 9, 1984.  Professional mountain biker.

 

XTERRA EXPERIENCE:  Second year, third race. Just started swimming two years ago.  In previous two XTERRA races he won Maui (last year) and placed second behind Franky Batelier at XTERRA Italy this year.

 

WEBSITE: rubenruzafa.com

 

SPONSORS: Orbea, Orca.

 

RACING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Won the 2008 Spanish Cross Triathlon Championship.  Finished in the top 20 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup standings this year and was second at the season finale in Schladming, Austria on Sept. 19, 2009.

 

LAST YEAR: At the ripe young age of 24 Ruzafa become the youngest XTERRA World Champ in race history, edging Michi Weiss by 34 seconds.  He came out of the water two minutes behind the leaders and surged past everyone in the field by mile 14 on the bike and never looked back.

 

THIS YEAR: Placed second at the XTERRA Italy Championship on May 31 in Sardinia.