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Pros Gather for XTERRA West, Land Rover G4 Challenge Nevada Passage Ready to Roll

MAY 18TH XTERRA WEST CHAMPIONSHIP PRO PREVIEW
By the managing director of the XTERRAGlobal Tour, Dave Nicholas...We head into the 12th year of the XTERRA America Tour with our traditional mid May start in California.   The points series is well underway, but the West is where the pro’s break out their new bikes, uniforms and strut their stuff.

As has been the case since 2002, the men must get by Conrad “the Caveman” Stoltz if they want the top step on the podium.  His biggest challenge could come from     countryman Dan Hugo.  Hugo, who is only 23, would love to beat his mentor and let’s not forget in his very first international XTERRA last year at Vail Lake he was 6th and he got his first taste of victory just last month winning XTERRA South Africa.

Brian Smith keeps getting better and better with a brilliant 3rd at Maui and won the first XTERRA Winter World Championship.  Brian gets faster every year and is sure to create some havoc at the front. You can go to the betting window that Mike Vine, Seth Wealing and Josiah Middaugh will be somewhere on the podium. They have all won XTERRA National events and are ready to win again.

We’ll have 21 pro men at West, making a very deep field.  Veterans Andrew Noble (winner in Saipan and Guam this year) Jimmy ”the Rock” Archer and Dom Gillen are always in the hunt and young bucks like Ryan Ignatz, “Mr. XTERRA” Will Kelsey, Brian “Halloween” Astell, Craig Evans, Ryan “Meatface” DeCook and Jim Vance are steadily improving and ready to move the old guys out.

Oh, did I fail to mention that legendary Cyclist and XTERRA and Ironman winner Steve Larsen is back? His name always strikes fear wherever he goes.  Read on...

Download the 2008 XTERRA West Championship Press Guide here

TENTATIVE PRO START LIST FOR XTERRA WEST

Pro Men
USA - Jimmy Archer,  Brian Astell, Andrew Biglow, Ryan DeCook, Craig Evans, Dominic Gillen, Ryan Ignatz, Brandon Jessop, Will Kelsay, Steve Larsen, Josiah Middaugh, Branden Rakita, Brian Smith, Jim Vance, Cody Waite, Seth Wealing
AUSTRALIA - Andrew Noble
CANADA - Mike Vine
SOUTH AFRICA - Dan Hugo, Conrad Stoltz
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Pro Women
USA - Candy Angle, Linda Gallo, Emma Garrard, Lisa Isom, Amber Monforte, Jenny Tobin, Shonny Vanlandingham
AUSTRALIA - Michellie Jones
CANADA - Christine Jeffrey, Danelle Kabush, Melanie McQuaid
GERMANY - Marion Summerer
NEW ZEALAND - Jenny Smith

GENNARI, KUMMER WIN IN GEORGIA

Two-time XTERRA Southeast Regional Champion and stellar swimmer Bruce Gennari from Tennessee took top honors among amateurs at XTERRA Ft. Yargo in Winder, GA on Saturday.  Chris Scott from Morrison, IL was just 27 seconds back in 2nd, and XTERRA ambassador and 2005 World Champ Casey Fannin was 3rd.

Erin Kummer came all the way from Boulder, CO to win the women’s race, followed by South Carolina’s Cynthia Fowler and Tennessee’s Lucia Colbert.

XTERRA Pro Craig Evans took home the overall title.

O'BRIEN, KINROSS-WRIGHT WIN IN ARIZONA

Tom O’Brien outlasted Alaska’s Andrew Duenow to take the amateur title at the XTERRA Arizona Xtreme on Saturday.  Garrett Ford was third.  In the women’s race Cary Kinross-Wright edged reigning XTERRA 35-39 USA and World Champ Lisa Lieb.  Windy Marks finished third.

XTERRA Pro Shonny Vanlandingham won the overall women’s division, and pro Ben Hoffman won the overall men’s division (a minute ahead of XTERRA pro Cody Waite).

LAND ROVER G4 CHALLENGE NEVADA PASSAGE STARTS TUESDAY, MAY 6

The four-day multistage competition thru southern Nevada, which lasts through Friday, May 9, is the United States’ sole qualifying event for the prestigious international G4 Challenge.
Learn more here.