Forissier, Duvoisin win XTERRA Short Track Italy Lake Garda

In the women’s race Alessia Orla established a strong lead after an impressive swim over the 400m distance, however, Sandra Mairhofer and Loanne Duvoisin were quick to reel her in on the bike, working their way to the front before the end of the first of four 1.7km bike lap.  

Those two were neck-and-neck going into the run, sprinting out of transition stride for stride, with Eleanora Perconinci chasing hard less than one-minute behind. The steep sections of the run course pushed athletes to their limits, with Duvoisin finding an extra gear to eventually pull away to take the lead and cross the finish line in first place.  

“It was a great battle with Sandra,” said Duvoisin. “It was very hard on the bike and then during the run I stayed closed to her on the first part. On the uphill my legs were good, and I was able to push forward and take the lead.”

Top 5 Women
Name (NAT) – Time
Loanne Duvoisin (SUI) – 0:39:56
Sandra Mairhofer (ITA) – 0:40:31
Eleonora Peroncini (ITA) – 0:41:20
Marta Menditto (ITA) – 0:41:43
Alessia Orla (ITA) – 0:42:08

Elite Women full results: https://bit.ly/3vWmVA9

The men’s race proved just as close with plenty of fast-paced action and lead changes throughout. After a fast swim, a strong lead pack made up of Bonacina, Pesavento, Kocar, Serrieres, and Forissier pushed the limits on the bike as they navigated around the tight corners and over man-made obstacles.

After a win in the qualifying race, it looked like Lukas Kocar could be set to repeat his performance in the main event. The Czech athlete was leading into the third lap of the bike by 11 seconds on Arthur Forissier before a mechanical issue saw him lose time and drop positions.

“I was probably forcing the pace and tried powering over the obstacles which resulted in me dropping my chain on the third loop,” said Kocar. “I tried to fix it quickly but lost about one minute. I felt really strong out there today, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

New leader Arthur Forissier was first out on the run, with only a small gap separating him and his closest rival, Arthur Serrieres. There was suspense all the way to the finish line, but Forissier managed to hold onto the lead and be crowned the new champion of the first XTERRA Short Track in Lake Garda.

“I was feeling really good,” said Forissier. “The plan was to push and give everything that I have and that was exactly what I did. I am just happy that it worked out for me on the day.”

Top 5 Men
Name (NAT) – Time
Arthur Forissier (FRA) – 0:34: 09
Arthur Serrieres (FRA) – 0:34:12
Lukas Kocar (CZE) – 0:35:11
Michele Bonacina (ITA) – 0:35:30
Francois Carloni (FRA) – 0:35:39

Elite Men full results: https://bit.ly/3yYrZWu

Watch the replay of both races here: 
https://www.facebook.com/xterraeurope/videos/833437777273856 
Viewing Notes:
Women's Pre-Race Coverage starts at 0:05:04, Race Starts at 0:20:30
Men's Pre-Race Coverage starts at 2:01:05, Race Starts at 2:15:50

More photos and videos will be posted shortly at Facebook.com/xterraeurope.

About XTERRA Short Track
XTERRA Short Track is a short course race concept that debuted in Czech Republic in 2019.  An elite-only event where athletes have to qualify during the full distance event or in a preliminary short track race to claim the best starting position in the final grid. The course is made up of a two-lap 400m swim with an Australian exit, a very technical four-lap 6km bike circuit littered with jumps, rock gardens, root infested single track and a couple of flat-out pedaling sections. The run will then be contested over two-laps using a slightly shortened course.

The 2021 XTERRA Short Track series will feature events in Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, and France. The biggest advantage of this format is that athletes race multiple laps on a very tight course which makes it perfect for live TV coverage and a thrilling atmosphere for spectators.

The next event on the XTERRA Europe calendar is XTERRA Czech Republic on June 19-20, featuring the first full-distance race open to amateurs and professions, as well as another action packed Short Track race.

All four Short Track events will be streamed live on TriathlonLive.tv, and Facebook.