Press and Media Center

XTERRA Kicks Into High Gear, Italy Next

This weekend the ever-growing XTERRA population in Europe gets its first taste of racing on the southern shores of Italy, there are XTERRA points series races in West Virginia, North Carolina, and Arizona, and a 15km trail run in South Carolina.

Then comes June and the inaugural XTERRA Malaysia, the Czech Championship, a trio of XTERRA Cup Series races in Idaho, Richmond, and North Little Rock, and dozens of smaller off-road tris, trail runs, and training camps all across the U.S.

It is, in short, time to "Live More"

XTERRA ITALY GREETS EUROPE'S BEST

Olivier Marceau and Sibylle Matter are back in the Gulf of Orosei to defend their XTERRA Italy Championship titles on Sunday while a host of Europe's best triathletes have come to steal it away.

Matter will be up against three-time Euro Tour Champ Renata Bucher and defending XTERRA Czech Champ Carina Wasle.  Marceau will have his hands full with Euro Tour runner-up Ronny Dietz, Saipan champ Sam Gardner, fellow countryman Franky Batelier, the young gun Francois Carloni (who won amateur XTERRA World Title last year), Felix Schumann (who was third in Italy last year), Czech stars Zarel Zadak and Jan Kubicek, mountain bike phenom Rob Barel, and a cast of others.  See the full start list here.

The race is in its third year at Cala Ginepro and the natural park of Biderosa, and sold-out well in advance this year.  The event will double as the cross triathlon championship for the European Triathlon Union and has attracted athletes from nearly every country in Europe and around the world (even Russ Quinn from Saipan!).

Learn more about the race and the place at www.xterraitaly.it.

XTERRA MALAYSIA JUNE 7

If the race turns out half as good as their website, great things are in store for participants in the inaugural XTERRA Malaysia off-road tri next Sunday, June 7.

The first-ever XTERRA in Southeast Asia has attracted a wide variety of athletes from all around Europe, Japan and Singapore, as well as some of XTERRA’s most noted pros including the reigning XTERRA USA Champion Mike Vine, XTERRA Japan Champ Sam Gardner, Swiss’ great Renata Bucher, Saipan’s own Mieko Carey, and the Kiwi Scott Thorne.

The exotic off-road tri on the beachfront of Teluk Cempedak in Kuantan has also registered nearly 40 teams to the competition.
The race combines a 1.5km swim in the pristine calm, clear, and warm waters of the South China Sea, followed by a 30km mountain bike in the surrounding forested hills, and a 10km sandy beach then thick jungle-strewn trail run.

Kuantan is a 2.5 hour drive from Kuala Lumpur (or a 45-minute flight).  The host hotel is the luxurious Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia.

The state of Pahang Darul Makmur, located in the East side of Peninsular Malaysia, is known for its lush rainforest jungle and is also home to the country’s National Park. There are many tourist attractions and “Pahang opens its arms to travelers in search of sun and surf, jungle trekking and white water rapids, romantic beaches and sunset strolls, or even the tranquility of the cool climates and green sceneries.”

Check out their website for more…

STEVE LARSEN, 1970-2009

A website (www.rememberstevelarsen.com) and memorial fund have been started for the Larsen family.  XTERRA athletes are encouraged to share their stories and pictures on this website, so that his friends and family can fully appreciate the impact Steve had on our community.  There is also a place to donate on the site, or checks can be made to the Steve Larsen Memorial Fund and sent to:

Steve Larsen Memorial Fund
Umpqua Bank
390 SW Century Drive
Suite 100
Bend, OR 97702

We pulled up some old footage of Steve racing in Tahoe and Maui (pictured here) back in 2003 and put together a video tribute that's up now on WWW.XTERRA.TV.

UPCOMING CAMPS AND CLINICS

Next week (June 1-4) the good folks at Endorphin Fitness are hosting a training camp specifically designed to prepare racers for the XTERRA Atlantic Cup in Richmond, Virginia on June 14 (check out highlights from last year's race)

In Portland, Oregon Will Kelsay (pictured here at Richmond last year) and Erin Kummer will speak at the Portland Tri Club June 1 at 7 p.m., the Gecko Tri Club June 2 at 7 p.m., and will lead a training run with Team Ironheads Multisport June 3 at 6 p.m.  Kelsay (who did a fun video on the recent XTERRA Midwest Cup) and Kummer will be explaining the difference between road and off-road triathlons and the history and tradition of XTERRA triathlons.  They will also describe the XTERRA Portland (Aug. 15) mountain bike course around Hagg Lake in Forest Grove while showing fresh video coverage from their pre ride. Interested athletes can find out more by logging onto: www.pdxtriclub.org, www.geckotriclub.com, and www.ironheadsmultisport.com.

FREEDOM FEST HAWAII JULY 4-5

The girl in the cast marries that "crazy kitesurfer dude".  A true XTERRA-style romance, Hawaii's Amy Bennett (pictured here before racing XTERRA Worlds in a great big pink cast) is getting hitched to Erik Eck (famous for this kitesurfing mishap) at Kualoa Ranch (same place as where the old Hawaiian Mountain Tour races and this year's XTERRA Trail Run World Championships were held) and putting on a 10k trail run, 20k mountain bike, and an off-road triathlon at the same time!

And, they are inviting everyone to come join them at "Freedom Fest Hawaii" and camp out in the valley and race with them before they get married.  Classic.