XTERRA Elites Showcase Speed, Skill in Short Track Showcase
August 22, 2022
Professional XTERRA athletes from around the world put on an incredible show over two days of Short Track and full-distance off-road triathlon racing in Zittau, Germany on August 19-20.
August 22, 2022/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Professional XTERRA athletes from around the world put on an incredible show over two days of Short Track and full-distance off-road triathlon racing in Zittau, Germany on August 19-20.
“It was really spectacular racing and so fun to watch,” said XTERRA Europe director, Nico Lebrun. “This is exactly the kind of action we envisioned for Short Track racing to showcase the skill and speed of XTERRA athletes to a worldwide audience.”
Watch the Show on XTERRA’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQtBeWg2G00
XTERRA Short Track Germany Recap
Alizee Paties (FRA) and Felix Forissier (FRA) won the third round of the XTERRA Short Track off-road triathlon series with winning times of 36:45 and 32:24, respectively, in Zittau, Germany on Friday, August 19, 2022.
The race combined two 200-meter swim laps with four 1.5km mountain bike laps complete with jumps and berms, and two 1.3km run loops.
In the women’s race Anna Gazzari (ITA) was first out of the water with Samantha Kingsford (NZL) and Maria Calleja (ESP) right behind.
Once on the bike, Paties quickly took the lead and never looked back, posting the fastest bike split of the day and holding off a flurry of challenges from the sport’s biggest stars on the run to take the win.
“I gave everything, 150% today. I come from mountain biking so these obstacles are fun for me and I took advantage of all the jumps and berms to stay in front,” said Paties, who finished second in the previous two Short Track races.
Loanne Duvoisin (SUI), who won round 1 in France, passed Sandra Mairhofer (ITA) and Solenne Billouin (FRA) on the run to finish second.
“I didn’t have my best legs but pushed as hard as I could on the run. I wasn’t even thinking about tomorrow’s race,” said Duvoisin, who will try to win her first full-distance race of the season tomorrow at XTERRA Germany.
Billouin (FRA) had a brilliant race and finished third for the third time in a row in Short Track racing this year.
“At least I’m always on the podium,” she smiled. “Really though, I’m happy because I took the A-line every time and did the jumps and that was one goal. And it was a great battle with the girls, now it’s time to recover for tomorrow.”
Kingsford finished fourth for the second time this season, and Mairhofer rounded out the top five.
Women’s Results
Place – Name, NAT (Final Time) Points
1 – Alizee Paties, FRA (36:35) 100
2 – Loanne Duvoisin, SUI (36:59) 90
3 – Solenne Billouin, FRA (37:16) 82
4 – Samantha Kingsford, NZL (38:05) 75
5 – Sandra Mairhofer, ITA (38:45) 69
6 – Jindriska Zemanova, CZE (38:58) 63
7 – Helena Karaskova, CZE (39:19) 58
8 – Carina Wasle, AUT (39:57) 53
9 – Segolene Leberon, FRA (40:17) 49
10 – Amanda Felder, USA (40:30) 45
Fastest swim: Anna Gazzari (6:29)
Fastest bike: Alizee Paties (18:19)
Fastest run: Loanne Duvoisin (9:55)
In the men’s race Michele Bonacina (ITA) had the fastest swim for the second week in a row in 5:41 just ahead of American up-and-comer Keller Norland.
Bonacina led the first of four laps on the bike with countryman Federico Spinazze on his wheel, but by the end of the second lap there was a frenzy of action with Bonacina, Spinazze, Maxim Chane (FRA), and Francois Vie (POR) tire-to-tire going around the spectacular berm over the water.
Seconds later, a chase pack of seven that included Sam Osborne (NZL), Felix Forissier (FRA), Ruben Ruzafa (ESP), Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DEN), Franco Pesavento (ITA), and Arthur Serrieres (FRA) weaved their way through the obstacles and over the jumps like a centipede on the prowl.
The passing was frenetic, with nobody more brazen on the moves than Sloth Nielsen – who ended up with the fastest bike split of the day to move from 16th place and 45-seconds back out of the swim to first into the bike-to-run transition just ahead of Chane (pictured).
“That was hectic, I owe beers to some of the guys for my overtaking out there, but I didn’t crash any of them and I’m still in one piece so I think it’s okay,” said Sloth Nielsen.
Chane beat Sloth Nielsen out of transition and had the lead on the run for just a bit, as more intensity was on display – this time from Felix Forissier – who was sprinting up hills and bounding down stairs like a cat.
Forissier was third out of transition but caught up to both Nielsen and Chane at the start of the run and pulled away to take the tape with six-seconds to spare over Sloth Nielsen.
“The level of competition is so high with all these guys. I’m just impressed how close everyone is and I’m happy to battle with them,” said Forissier, who won the XTERRA France full-distance race last month.
Sloth Nielsen held on for second, and Arthur Serrieres posted the fastest run of the day to move past Chane into third-place.
“Pretty insane to do all this racing in a row, but I have to say I was watching the women’s coverage on TV before our race and it’s really pretty good. I hope the fans are enjoying it,” laughed Serrieres.
Chane held on for fourth, and Osborne was solid all around to finish fifth.
Men’s Results
Place – Name, NAT (Final Time) Points
1 – Felix Forissier, FRA (32:24) 100
2 – Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen, DEN (32:30) 90
3 – Arthur Serrieres, FRA (32:43) 82
4 – Maxim Chane, FRA (32:49) 75
5 – Sam Osborne, NZL (32:55) 69
6 – Arthur Forissier, FRA (33:18) 63
7 – Franco Pesavento, ITA (33:26) 58
8 – Michele Bonacina, ITA (33:38) 53
9 – Scott Anderson, GER (33:46) 49
10 – Federico Spinazze, ITA (34:02) 45
Fastest swim: Michele Bonacina (5:41)
Fastest bike: Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (16:05)
Fastest run: Arthur Serrieres (8:35)
PATIES, SERRIERES/CHANE ATOP STANDINGS AFTER 3
With today’s win, Alizee Paties took the lead in the women’s standings with 280 points heading into the XTERRA Short Track season finale in Trentino, Italy on October 2, the day after XTERRA Worlds.
Top 10 Women
Place – Name, NAT (Points)
1 – Alizee Paties, FRA (280)
2 – Loanne Duvoisin, SUI (265)
3 – Solenne Billouin, FRA (246)
4 – Jindriska Zemanova, CZE (195)
T5 – Sandra Mairhofer, ITA (169)
T5 – Carina Wasle, AUT (169)
7 – Amanda Felder, USA (161)
8 – Samantha Kingsford, NZL (150)
9 – Segolene Leberon, FRA (94)
10 – Beatriz Ferreira, POR (84)
In the men’s chase, Arthur Serrieres and Maxm Chane are tied for first with 247 points, setting the stage for a spectacular final round in the Dolomites.
Top 10 Men
Place – Name, NAT (Points)
T1 – Arthur Serrieres, FRA (247)
T1 – Maxim Chane, FRA (247)
3 – Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen, DEN (230)
4 – Felix Forissier, FRA (195)
5 – Arthur Forissier, FRA (183)
6 – Michele Bonacina, ITA (171)
7 – Sam Osborne, NZL (167)
8 – Ruben Ruzafa, ESP (159)
9 – Francois Vie, POR (154)
10 – Federico Spinazze, ITA (123)
Useful links:
Everything you need to know about Short Track
2022 XTERRA Short Track Champions
Date (Location) – Men’s Winner/Women’s Winner
July 2, 2022 (Xonrupt, France) – Panagiotis Bitados/Loanne Duvoisin
August 14, 2022 (Prachatice, Czech Republic) – Lukas Kocar/Sandra Mairhofer
August 19, 2022 (Zittau, Germany) Felix Forissier/Alizee Paties
XTERRA Germany Full Course Recap
August 20, 2022 – Arthur Serrieres from France and Sandra Mairhofer from Italy captured the 19th annual XTERRA Germany off-road triathlon with winning times of 2:40:35 and 3:06:55, respectively, on a rainy yet amazing day in Zittau.
For Mairhofer, it’s her fifth XTERRA World Tour win, second in-a-row on this course, and second in a week following last Saturday’s successful title defense at the XTERRA European Championship in the Czech Republic.
It’s the 20th career XTERRA World Tour victory for Serrieres, his sixth this season, third straight in Czech, and third win in as many weeks after claiming his third XTERRA European Championship title last Saturday, and the XTERRA Nouvelle-Aquitaine title the weekend before that.
In the men’s elite race, home country hero Jens Roth set the pace out of the 1.5km swim in the iconic Olbersdorfer Lake per tradition at this event through the years.
Roth was out of the water in 19:29, a full-minute ahead of the rest of the contenders, but his lead on the bike was short lived as the level of mountain bike talent on the XTERRA World Tour right now is simply extraordinary.
The chase pack heading out onto the tough, hilly, 37K bike course, which was made even harder by a driving rainstorm that made the roots and rocks rather treacherous, was nine-men deep with Michele Bonacina (ITA), Keller Norland (USA), Francois Vie (POR), Sam Osborne (NZL), Federico Spinazze (ITA), Franco Pesavento (ITA), Maxim Chane (FRA), Serrieres, and Felix Forissier (FRA) all together.
Several swimmers even further back made their way into the mix on the bike, notably Arthur Forissier (FRA), Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen from Denmark (who ended up with the day’s best bike split, 1:35:55), and Sebastien Carabin (BEL).
After a grueling battle on the bike, Chane and Sloth Nielsen were first into the bike-to-run transition, with Arthur Forissier, his younger brother Felix Forissier, and Arthur Serrieres together about 45-seconds back.
From there, Serrieres strode away from the bunch, posting the fastest 10K run time in 39 minutes, which was nearly three minutes better than everyone but Carabin, who ran a 41:43.
“I wasn’t in my best shape today and it was really tough with the conditions during the bike, but I didn’t have any issues,” said Serrieres, who has positioned himself as the man to beat heading into XTERRA Worlds on October 1 in Trentino, Italy.
“I was in the front group on the bike but was losing a few meters at every corner, always costing energy to get back on the wheels. Then I had a good battle with Felix Forissier and it took until the end of the first run lap to get into the front, but once I was there, I controlled my effort and brought it home for the win.”
It was Arthur Forissier who made the big move on the run to jump into the runner-up position, crossing the finish line three-minutes back in second place.
“In Czech, I had a puncture and was beaten by better athletes in the short track, so here in Germany I was determined to really show what I could do,” said Arthur Forissier.
“I avoided any technical problems and felt great today so I am proud of this 2nd place,” he added. “With the level of competition you need a pretty perfect race to reach the podium. The depth is so good, the sport is growing and this is really good for the sport of XTERRA. This result is good for the mind and gives me a lot of energy and good vibes to focus ahead to Trentino.”
The race for the last podium spot was intense, with four men running down the dream. In the end, Sloth Nielsen finished third with Chane 17-seconds back in fourth, Felix Forissier another 29-seconds later in fifth (he got lost on the second lap of the run and dropped three positions), and Osborne 12-seconds behind him in sixth.
“I went so fast on the bike, I was surprised how quickly I was catching people after a bad swim,” said Sloth Nielsen, who was two minutes and 30-seconds behind Serrieres out of the water. “I caught the front group before the last climb on the bike, and pushed hard on the downhill with Chane to enter T2 ahead of the fast running French guys. I made a mistake choosing to run in race flats rather than in trail shoes, so it was super slippery on the downhills, and I was descending like an old woman!”
The Dane walked away feeling confident of his chances at the season finale in Italy, adding “I’ll have my last big party tonight in Zittau before preparing for the World Championships in Molveno. I truly believe that on that course I have what it takes to beat Serrieres, so I am looking forward to seeing what I can achieve.”
Men’s Results
Place – Name, NAT (Final Time)
1 – Arthur Serrieres, FRA (2:40:35)
2 – Arthur Forissier, FRA (2:43:25)
3 – Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen, DEN (2:44:09)
4 – Maxim Chane, FRA (2:44:26)
5 – Felix Forissier, FRA (2:44:55)
6 – Sam Osborne, NZL (2:45:07)
7 – Sebastien Carabin, BEL (2:45:49)
8 – Francois Vie, POR (2:47:09)
9 – Petr Soukup, CZE (2:48:19)
10 – Jens Roth, GER (2:49:38)
Fastest swim: Jens Roth (19:29)
Fastest bike: Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (1:35:55)
Fastest run: Arthur Serrieres (39:00)
In the women’s race Samantha Kingsford had the fastest swim (22:06) with Amanda Felder (USA), and Maria Calleja (ESP) right behind.
The contenders – Loanne Duvoisin (SUI), Mairhofer, Alizee Paties (FRA), Solenne Billouin (FRA), Lizzie Orchard (NZL), and Carina Wasle (AUT) – came out of the swim together a little more than two-minutes back.
Once on the bike, Mairhofer took over, absolutely dominating the rest of the day and posting the best bike time (1:50:59) to take an insurmountable lead into the run and take the tape with more than seven-minutes to spare on the runner-up, Paties.
“I really love it here in Germany, with the bike course being so difficult with so much climbing and so many technical parts, it really suits me,” said Mairhofer, who like Serrieres in the men’s field, has positioned herself as the woman to beat in Trentino.
“I felt awesome during the bike, and was fortunate to know I had a really good gap starting the run, so I pushed hard on the first lap, but backed it off to save the legs a little for some training preparations ahead of Molveno after that. The big goal is the World Championships, I cannot wait to race,” she said.
After an amazing performance on Friday afternoon to win the XTERRA Short Track Germany race, Paties was impressive again in the full-distance today.
“It was so hard, I tried to avoid any mistakes in the slippery conditions and when I could push I went to my maximum effort to hold my position,” said Paties, who had the second best bike split. “Sandra was incredible on the bike, so I focused on my own race and to be in good shape for the tough run leg. Molveno is only six weeks away, so once my position was secured, I focused on good form to help with preparation for the world championships.”
Perhaps the most incredible performances in the women’s race came from two XTERRA veterans, Wasle and Helena Karaskova Erbenova (CZE), who came in third and fourth.
“I’m so surprised, I can’t believe it,” exclaimed Wasle, the 2019 XTERRA Asia-Pacific Tour Champion who has traveled to more international races than any other athlete over her 18-year career.
“I honestly think I had the race of my life! I had an amazing swim and could start the bike at the front of the race. I held my place on the bike, and I think experience paid off a bit today with the tough muddy conditions and so I had some good run legs, overtaking Samantha Kingsford just before the finish. I’m so happy to be back on the podium with XTERRA.”
For Karaskova Erbenova, the former Olympian and five-time XTERRA European Tour Champion who was inducted into the XTERRA Hall of Fame after her “retirement” in 2019, even a six-minute gap wasn’t enough to keep her out of the top five after posting the day’s third-best bike split.
Kingsford rounded out the top five, with Orchard in sixth, and Duvoisin in seventh after recording the day’s fastest run time (48:52). Of note, Billouin got a flat on the bike while riding in third position that ended her day.
Women’s Results
Place – Name, NAT (Final Time)
1 – Sandra Mairhofer, ITA (3:06:55)
2 – Alizee Paties, FRA (3:14:00)
3 – Carina Wasle, AUT (3:19:41)
4 – Helena Karaskova, CZE (3:21:19)
5 – Samantha Kingsford, NZL (3:22:36)
6 – Lizzie Orchard, NZL (3:25:25)
7 – Loanne Duvoisin, SUI (3:25:53)
8 – Jindriska Zemanova, CZE (3:26:47)
9 – Amanda Felder, USA (3:29:16)
10 – Segolene Leberon, FRA (3:30:38)
Fastest swim: Samantha Kingsford (22:06)
Fastest bike: Sandra Mairhofer (1:50:59)
Fastest run: Sandra Mairhofer (49:29)
| All-time XTERRA Germany Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Location | Men | Women |
| 2022 | Zittau | Arthur Serrieres | Sandra Mairhofer |
| 2021 | Zittau | Arthur Serrieres | Sandra Mairhofer |
| 2019 | Zittau | Arthur Serrieres | Helena Karaskova-Erbenova |
| 2018 | Zittau | Bradley Weiss | Brigitta Poor |
| 2017 | Zittau | Sam Osborne | Brigitta Poor |
| 2016 | Zittau | Ruben Ruzafa | Michelle Flipo |
| 2015 | Zittau | Ben Allen | Helena Karaskova-Erbenova |
| 2014 | Zittau | Ruben Ruzafa | Kathrin Mueller |
| 2013 | Zittau | Ruben Ruzafa | Jacqui Slack |
| 2012 | Zittau | Asa Shaw | Helena Karaskova-Erbenova |
| 2011 | Zittau | Olivier Marceau | Marion Lorblanchet |
| 2010 | Zittau | Cancelled due to flooding | |
| 2009 | Zittau | Franky Batelier | Renata Bucher |
| 2008 | Zittau | Ronny Dietz | Renata Bucher |
| 2007 | Titisee | Franky Batelier | Carina Wasle |
| 2006 | Titisee | Sebastian Kienle | Carina Wasle |
| 2005 | Titisee | Nicolas Lebrun | Carina Wasle |
| 2004 | Titisee | Olivier Marceau | Katrin Helmcke |
| 2003 | Titisee | Nicolas Lebrun | Jamie Whitmore |
| 2002 | Titisee | Ronny Dietz | Ute Schaefer |
Up next, XTERRA Dominican Republic in Samana on September 4, then the 26th XTERRA World Championship on October 1, followed by the XTERRA Short Track season finale on October 2.
2022 XTERRA ELITE SERIES RESULTS & UPCOMING RACES
| Date | Race | Location / Race Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Apr | XTERRA Greece | Panagiotis Bitados/Alizee Paties |
| 21-May | XTERRA Portugal | Arthur Serrieres/Solenne Billouin |
| 4-Jun | XTERRA Italy – Lake Garda | Arthur Serrieres/Jindriska Zemanova |
| 11-Jun | XTERRA Belgium | Arthur Serrieres/Marta Menditto |
| 12-Jun | XTERRA Whistler | Edmond Roy/Katie Button |
| 2-Jul | XTERRA Short Track France | Panagiotis Bitados/Loanne Duvoisin |
| 3-Jul | XTERRA France | Felix Forissier/Marta Menditto |
| 10-Jul | XTERRA Victoria | Brent McMahon/Katie Button |
| 16-Jul | XTERRA USA Championship | Sullivan Middaugh/Lesley Paterson |
| 17-Jul | XTERRA Italy – Lake Scanno | Maxim Chane/Alizee Paties |
| 6-Aug | XTERRA Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Arthur Serrieres/Juliette Duquesne |
| 13-Aug | XTERRA European Champs | Arthur Serrieres/Sandra Mairhofer |
| 14-Aug | XTERRA Short Track Czech | Lukas Kocar/Sandra Mairhofer |
| 19-Aug | XTERRA Short Track Germany | Felix Forissier/Alizee Paties |
| 20-Aug | XTERRA Germany | Arthur Serrieres/Sandra Mairhofer |
| 4-Sep | XTERRA Dominican Republic | Samana |
| 1-Oct | XTERRA World Championship | Trentino, ITA |
| 2-Oct | XTERRA Short Track Trentino | Trentino, ITA |
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