XTERRA World Cup in Belgium this weekend

June 9, 2023

The third of seven stops in the inaugural XTERRA World Cup takes place Saturday, June 10, as the Citadel of Namur hosts the XTERRA European Championship race for the first time.

/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The third of seven stops in the inaugural XTERRA World Cup takes place Saturday, June 10, as the Citadel of Namur hosts the XTERRA European Championship race for the first time. Then on Sunday, June 11, the World Cup continues with the second of five invite-only XTERRA Short Track events that will be streamed live on xterraplanet.com.

With €30.000 euros and 130 points up for grabs, the weekend set has attracted a stellar line-up featuring 90 elites from 20 countries including the world’s top five ranked men and women and the reigning XTERRA World Champions, Arthur Serrières and Solenne Billouin.

The pinnacle event on the 2023 XTERRA European Tour is the second of three continental championships on the World Cup. Arthur Forissier and Alizée Paties won the first one at the XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship in Taiwan in April, and could put themselves in perfect-score contention with another victory in Namur.

In the chase for the Cup, elites add their best four scores from the first six full-distance races with their best three-of-five Short Track scores, and whatever they get (or don’t get) at the XTERRA World Championship.

The highest points’ scorers at the end of the year will be the first to ever lift the XTERRA World Cup, and will take home the lion’s share of the series’ €350.000 in prize money.

In the women’s race, Paties will wear the gold leader’s swim cap and don the customized bib on her bike after winning the first two full-distance races and placing second in the XTERRA Short Track race at Oak Mountain last month.

“Keeping my golden cap is the goal for this one,” said Paties. “I love this kind of battle and will do my best here in this beautiful place which is the first World Cup race in Europe. It’s my first time in Namur, so I’m very excited to discover the race.”

The XTERRA European Championship indeed kicks off the European swing of the World Cup, as four of the next five stops are in the EU. XTERRA Czech (August 12-13) and XTERRA Germany (August 18-19) are up next. Round six heads to the Rockies in Avon, Colorado for the XTERRA USA Championship (August 26), and the Cup concludes in Trentino, Italy with the final XTERRA Short Track race on Sept. 21 and then the World Championship on Sept. 23.

Women’s Elite Start List

XTERRA World Rank – World Cup Position – Name, NAT

1 – 6 – Solenne Billouin, FRA

2 – 1 – Alizée Paties, FRA

3 – 8 – Sandra Mairhofer, ITA

4 – 3 – Loanne Duvoisin, SUI

5 – 2 – Marta Menditto, ITA

9 – NR – Helena Karásková Erbenová, CZE

13 – 13 – Carina Wasle, AUT

16 – 4 – Suzie Snyder, USA

17 – 5 – Elizabeth Orchard, NZL

18 – NR – Ségolène Léberon, FRA

21 – NR – Daisy Davies, GBR

22 – NR – Carole Perrot, SUI

24 – NR – Emma Ducreux, FRA

27 – NR – Beatriz Ferreira, POR

32 – 12 – Carolyne Guay, CAN

33 – 14 – Georgia Grobler, RSA

34 – NR – Camille Jobard, FRA

36 – NR – Solene Marnoni, FRA

38 – NR – Kerri-Ann Upham, GBR

39 – NR – Bonnie Van Wilgenburg, GBR

43 – NR – Štepánka Bisová, CZE

47 – NR – Katerina Ježková, CZE

48 – NR – Lorena Erl, GER

49 – 19 – Irena Ossola, USA

50 – NR – Pauline Vie, POR

58 – 22 – Katja Krenn, AUT

61 – NR – Marine Echevin, FRA

NR – NR – Maisie Aubrey, GBR

NR – NR – Charlène Clavel, FRA

NR – NR – Mandy Dammekens, BEL

NR – NR – Anna-Lena Theisen, GER

In the men’s elite race, all eyes are on Arthur Serrières who swept the full-distance and XTERRA Short Track races at Oak Mountain and has won the last three XTERRA European Championships.

“The European Championship is always a bit different,” said Serrières. “With so many strong guys it will be a good battle, and I have extra motivation because I won three times in a row, and I’m hungry for more and happy to be here to defend my title.”

The current XTERRA World Cup leader, Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen, says he’s also ready for the challenge and eager to keep his spot atop the standings.

“Feels good to be here as the World Cup leader, it’s a privilege,” said Sloth Nielsen. “There are a lot of guys coming to take the leader’s jersey from me, so I have something to fight for. It’s a physical demanding course because there’s a lot of elevation and climbs, but I’m ready to do it and racing in the Citadel is going to be iconic.”

Elite Men’s Start List

XTERRA World Rank – World Cup Position – Name, NAT

1 – 2 – Arthur Serrières, FRA

2 – 6 – Arthur Forissier, FRA

3 – 8 – Ruben Ruzafa, ESP

4 – 15 – Felix Forissier, FRA

5 – 3 – Sébastien Carabin, BEL

6 – 9 – Josiah Middaugh, USA

7 – 1 – Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen, DEN

8 – 16 – Maxim Chane, FRA

10 – 13 – Lukáš Kočař, CZE

15 – NR – Franco Pesavento, ITA

16 – 4 – Michele Bonacina, ITA

17 – 12 – Sullivan Middaugh, USA

19 – 17 – Xavier Dafflon, SUI

20 – NR – Sebastian Neef, GER

21 – NR – Jens Roth, GER

26 – NR – Scott Anderson, GER

27 – NR – Francois Carloni, FRA

29 – NR – Jules Dumas, FRA

32 – NR – Guillaume Meunier, FRA

33 – NR – Lucas Van Deynze, BEL

34 – NR – Mathias Cloostermans, BEL

35 – NR – Karel Dusek, CZE

38 – 19 – Dominik Wychera, AUT

42 – NR – Théo Dupras, FRA

45 – NR – Geert Lauryssen, BEL

48 – 17 – Keller Norland, USA

51 – NR – Tom Fisher, AUS

52 – NR – Jaroslav Kulhavy, CZE

54 – NR – Samuel Jud, SUI

55 – NR – Wouter Dijkshoorn, NED

56 – NR – Gaetan Vivien, FRA

61 – 21 – Andres Carnevali Del Castillo, ESP

69 – NR – Tomáš Strnad, CZE

71 – 24 – Branden Rakita, USA

75 – NR – Quinten Dewaele, BEL

77 – NR – Swiad Snieder, GER

78 – NR – Joeri Deleebeeck, BEL

79 – NR – Guillaume Desette, FRA

82 – NR – Quirijn Waaijenberg, NED

83 – NR – Gianfranco Cucco, ITA

85 – NR – Romain Loop, BEL

86 – NR – Tim Van Daele, BEL

87 – NR – Morgan Rhodes, GBR

89 – 27 – Pâris Fellmann, LUX

91 – NR – Matthias Gourgues, FRA

93 – NR – Thomas Sauser, SUI

96 – NR – Brian Tetard, FRA

99 – NR – Ruslan Farci, ITA

105 – NR – Lewis Williams, GBR

112 – NR – Bart Cooymans, NED

114 – NR – Colin Fleming, NED

120 – NR – Kris Coddens, BEL

NR – NR – Aaron Coppens, BEL

NR – NR – Thomas Epton, GBR

NR – NR – Joachim Libois, BEL

NR – NR – Anthony Pujades, FRA

NR – NR – James Shalvoy, USA

The competition has never been greater, and the showdown in Belgium is worthy of the hype.

All-time XTERRA European Championship Race Winners

Year Location – Men/Women

2006 Villacidro, Italy – Nicolas Lebrun/Renata Bucher

2007 Sardinia, Italy – Olivier Marceau/Eszter Erdelyi

2008 Sardinia, Italy – Olivier Marceau/Sibylle Matter

2009 Klopeinersee, Austria – Franky Batelier/Renata Bucher

2010 Sardinia, Italy – Franky Batelier/Melanie McQuaid

2011 Zittau, Germany – Olivier Marceau/Marion Lorblanchet

2015 Cranleigh, England – Ruben Ruzafa/Lesley Paterson

2016 Zittau, Germany – Ruben Ruzafa/Michelle Flipo

2017 Mons Klint, Denmark – Bradley Weiss/Brigitta Poor

2018 Zittau, Germany – Bradley Weiss/Brigitta Poor

2019 Prachatice, Czech Republic – Arthur Serrières/Morgane Riou

2021 Zittau, Germany – Arthur Serrières/Sandra Mairhofer

2022 Prachatice, Czech Republic – Arthur Serrières/Sandra Mairhofer

About XTERRA

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