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XTERRA U.S. Pro Series: Waco

The traveling band of die-hard XTERRA pros are headed to Waco, Texas for the second race in the nationwide XTERRA U.S. Pro Series next Sunday, May 23, at Cameron Park. The men’s field includes nine of the top 10 in the Series, minus only third-ranked Brian Smith who ruptured his pectoralis major tendon while weight training a few days after his third place finish at the XTERRA West Championship. (Note: Smith had successful surgery to repair the torn pec but is still expected to miss the rest of the season).

The headliner is none other than Conrad “the Caveman” Stoltz (pictured). The three-time XTERRA World Champion got off to a blazing start in the heat of Nevada by posting the fastest bike split and winning the first race of the year in the Las Vegas desert on April 25.  Right behind him is America’s best chance at victory in Josiah Middaugh – who proved off-season surgery to remove a bursa sac in his IT band was successful by posting the second fastest run time in Vegas.   Middaugh might come into this one a little sleep deprived, however, as his wife Ingrid gave birth to their third child, a baby girl, just last night.

Another American threat is Seth Wealing, who is on a path to represent the USA in the triathlon event at the London Olympic Games in 2012. Nico Lebrun from France, a three-time XTERRA European Tour Champion and former World Champ, was 5th at the West Champs but has proven to get consistently faster as the year progresses.

PRO MEN BY COUNTRY/ALPHA

USA - Matt Boobar, Ryan DeCook, Craig Evans, Scott Gall, Trevor Glavin, Brandon Jessop, Will Kelsay, Josiah Middaugh, Branden Rakita, Cody Waite, Seth Wealing
FRANCE - Nico Lebrun
SOUTH AFRICA - Grayson Keppler, Conrad Stoltz

The women’s race boasts four women that could win on any given day. The local favorite is Shonny Vanlandingham (pictured), an Arlington native who played basketball at East Texas State before becoming the most successful rider in NORBA mountain biking history and spending seven years on the U.S. National Mountain Biking team.  Vanlandingham, who will turn 41 on May 29, just keeps getting faster and has been the top American woman in the sport for three years since switching her focus from strictly mountain biking to off-road triathlon.  Shonny V won the first race of the year despite coming out of the swim nearly dead last among pros.

Canadian Melanie McQuaid is her most accomplished foe, having won three XTERRA World titles and the U.S. Pro Series in each of the last two seasons.  Scotland’s Lesley Paterson is just in her third year in the sport, but made a major impact by placing second at Worlds last year and has finished in the top 3 in each of the past five big XTERRA races she’s entered. Certainly not to be overlooked is Renata Bucher from Switzerland, a four-time XTERRA European Tour champ who has already won races in Saipan, Guam, and Portugal this season.

While there is quite a bit of uncertainty about the challenge the new Waco course will present, and who it might favor, the constant is fast and furious racing among some of the finest multisport athletes on the planet.

PRO WOMEN BY COUNTRY/ALPHA

USA - Emma Garrard, Shae Rainer, Brandyn Roark Gray, Sara Tarkington, Tracy Thelen, Shonny Vanlandingham
AUSTRALIA - Christie Sym
CANADA - Christine Jeffrey, Melanie McQuaid
NEW ZEALAND - Jenny Smith
SCOTLAND - Lesley Paterson
SWITZERLAND - Renata Bucher