Reserva Play Conchal, Costa Rica – Karl Shaw from Great Britain and Myriam Guillot from France won the elite races at the inaugural XTERRA Pan American Tour season-opener on a steamy day at Reserva Play Conchal, Costa Rica on Sunday, March 20.

It’s the first career XTERRA win for Shaw, who had a one-minute lead out of the swim, was seconds in front of last year’s XTERRA Costa Rica Champion Rom Akerson and reigning XTERRA World Champion Josiah Middaugh coming off the bike, and responded to a late surge from Middaugh with one of his own in the deep sand just 2K from the finish to take the tape in 2:05:52.

Middaugh came in 17 seconds later, followed closely by Akerson just 9 seconds back.

“I would’ve been happy with 3rd so to come away with the win is great, especially mentally to start the season,” said Shaw. “I’ve just come off 2-3 months of good training, and two weeks of camp here in Costa Rica with my friends, and girlfriend, so it’s just been really good.  Costa Rica is a lovely country, very good course, hot, and hard on the legs. It’s a beautiful place and I’ll be back next year to defend the title.”

For Middaugh, a late crash on the last downhill on the bike could’ve been the difference.

“I had closed to about five seconds behind Rom and Karl, and after that crash it was more like 30 seconds.  It was tough racing today,” said Middaugh. “Every year its hard here. I thought I was feeling a little more fit and would have an easier time catching that front group, and I worked so hard on the bike and never quite got it. I came close but not quite close enough.”

Middaugh had a good swim and was not too far back but in front of him on the bike Shaw, Akerson, and Francois Carloni worked together to hold him off as long as they could.

“We rode together just about the whole ride, and I gave it all I had.” said Akerson.   “We knew we had to do it with Josiah behind us just waiting to go into Beast Mode.”

Middaugh said, “I was surprised with Karl. I knew he was strong on the bike, but I didn’t know he would be that strong on the mountain bike, but he was. He did a very smart race, and they were able to work together and he raced really strong.  It was hot this year, a little dryer and a little faster and I was really worried about the heat but it seemed okay. I felt I managed it okay.”

This is the third straight runner-up for Middaugh in Costa Rica, and when reminded that it took him 15 years to win Worlds, he said “Well, you don’t learn anything from winning and second keeps you hungry so I’ll be back.”

Next stop for Middaugh is XTERRA Argentina, the 2nd stop on the Pan America Tour, this weekend.

Last year’s XTERRA European Tour runner-up Francois Carloni finished 4th, followed by Frederico Venegas from Costa Rica in 5th and Greg Schott from the USA, racing his first pro race, placed 6th.

EMOTIONAL WIN FOR GUILLOT

Two years ago here in Costa Rica Myriam Guillot was on top of the world having just won the adventure racing world championship. It was a special moment and her Dad was in Costa Rica to see it happen.

And then sadness…

“I have many memories here,” explained Guillot. “When I won the World Champs of adventure racing two years ago my Dad was very sick and he came here for holidays. When he took the flight to go back he passed away.   It was the last time I saw him, here in Costa Rica, and the first time I’ve been back since. This one is for my Dad. I thought of him out there today. We were at the same place.”

With tears in her eyes Guillot said she could feel her Dad with her today and it made her confident, and happy. “So happy, and I’m sorry to share this, normally I keep it to myself, but it’s a bit overwhelming.”

Guillot dominated the women’s elite race. She came out of the water together with Kara LaPoint from the U.S. and Sabrina Gobbo from Brazil, and the three of them caught IM star Cait Snow early on the bike.   Guillot pulled away from the rest of the bike from there and finished strong in 2:34:48, nearly 15 minutes ahead of LaPoint in 2nd, and Gobbo in third.

Guillot will now head to Argentina and chase for the XTERRA Pan America Tour title this season.

“The race today was better than I expected,” said Guillot. “It was an amazing swim, everybody would dream to swim here and the run is really exciting. I enjoyed the course, it has so much variety and it’s such a good way to experience Costa Rica.”

For LaPoint, the adventure of racing in Costa Rica mixed with a career-best runner-up performance left her with a big smile.

“It feels amazing now that I’m not dying,” said LaPoint. “The last two miles of the run were one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I was so tired, it was so hot, and I knew Sabrina was doing great behind me. Having to run on the sand was such a challenge. I did everything I wanted to do here today and I’m very happy with that.”

LaPoint was 2nd out of the water “but 4th out of transition, doh!” but was able to get past Gobbo and Snow and rode in 2nd until about mile 15 when Gobbo passed her back and came into transition 2nd. LaPoint then caught her on the run at about mile two and held on until the finish.

“It’s been a really fun experience, doing a new race I’ve never seen before, everything was new.   Water was great, course was awesome, everything was neat. It’s been a blast to be here. I was literally thinking to myself in Spanish the whole race,” said LaPoint, who impressively also did her TV interviews in Spanish.

Gobbo said she tried to go with LaPoint when she passed her on the run, but “she was running really fast and I couldn’t keep up.”

Snow finished smiling in fourth in her XTERRA debut, and said “XTERRA is awesome, just a hair-bit dirtier. I had a blast, and even though I came off the bike so many times, I was able to laugh about and that is the key.”

Caroline Colonna posted a career-best 5th place showing, and Rebecca Blatt followed in sixth.

Pos Name, NAT Time S B R Points 1 Karl Shaw, GBR 2:05:52 18:40 1:09:52 35:27 100 2 Josiah Middaugh, USA 2:06:09 20:22 1:08:37 35:23 90 3 Rom Akerson, CRC 2:06:18 19:43 n/a 35:48 82 4 Francois Carloni, FRA 2:11:21 19:45 1:09:41 39:54 75 5 Federico Venegas, CRC 2:25:25 19:48 1:22:51 40:51 69 6 Greg Schott, USA 2:26:07 21:02 1:21:14 41:29 63 Pos Name, NAT Time S B R Points 1 Miriam Guillot-Boisset, FRA 2:34:48 24:56 1:24:37 42:31 100 2 Kara Lapoint, USA 2:49:20 24:14 1:33:25 48:01 90 3 Sabrina Gobbo, BRA 2:51:29 25:57 1:33:20 51:02 82 4 Caitlin Snow, USA 2:56:01 23:58 1:46:52 43:35 75 5 Caroline Colonna, USA 2:58:35 30:09 1:40:52 46:19 69 6 Rebecca Blatt, USA 3:06:38 29:49 1:37:32 57:52 63

FULL RESULTS | PHOTO GALLERY

THE OFF-ROAD TO UTAH

XTERRA Costa Rica was the first of ten races in the 2015-2016 XTERRA Pan American Tour. The inaugural series for both amateur and professional athletes started at XTERRA Costa Rica and concludes September 17 with the XTERRA Pan American Championship race in Ogden, Utah.  In between are two majors in the U.S., two in Canada, and one each in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.

The XTERRA Pan American Tour features Gold and Silver level events, where Gold events award points on a 100-point basis and Silver races award points on a 75-point basis.

The XTERRA Pan American Championship race in Utah will offer $20,000 USD for the race and distribute an additional $60,000 USD in prize money to the top 10 men and women in the final XTERRA Pan American Pro Series rankings.

Next up on the XTERRA Pan American Tour is XTERRA Argentina (March 26, 2016).

XTERRA PAN AMERICAN TOUR ELITE STANDINGS, tentative after 1 event

Pos Name, NAT CR AR BR OAK MOM VIC BC DO MX UTAH Total 1 Karl Shaw, GBR 100 100 2 Josiah Middaugh, USA 90 90 3 Rom Akerson, CRC 82 82 4 Francois Carloni, FRA 75 75 5 Federico Venegas, CRC 69 69 6 Greg Schott, USA 63 63 Pos Name, NAT CR AR BR OAK MOM VIC BC DO MX UTAH Total 1 Miriam Guillot-Boisset, FRA 100 100 2 Kara Lapoint, USA 90 90 3 Sabrina Gobbo, BRA 82 82 4 Caitlin Snow, USA 75 75 5 Caroline Colonna, USA 69 69 6 Rebecca Blatt, USA 63 63

2016 XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

XTERRA Costa Rica was the fifth of 37 events where the fastest amateur athletes from around the world could qualify to race at the 21st annual XTERRA World Championship at Kapalua, Maui on October 23.

DATE WORLD TOUR EVENT LOCATION or WINNERS
7-Feb XTERRA Philippines Brad Weiss/Lizzie Orchard 21-Feb XTERRA South Africa Brad Weiss/Flora Duffy 5-Mar XTERRA Motatapu Olly Shaw/Mary Gray 12-Mar XTERRA Saipan Brodie Gardner/Carina Wasle 20-Mar XTERRA Costa Rica Karl Shaw / Miriam Guillot 26-Mar XTERRA Argentina Dique Ullum, San Juan 3-Apr XTERRA Malta Majjistral Nature Reserve 16-Apr XTERRA New Zealand Rotorua, North Island 17-Apr XTERRA La Reunion La Reunion Island 23-Apr XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia 7-May XTERRA Malaysia / XTERRA Asia-Pacific Tour Championship Langkawi 7-May XTERRA Brazil Ilhabela, São Paulo 7-May XTERRA Greece Vouliagmeni 14-May XTERRA Tahiti Papeete 21-May XTERRA Oak Mountain State Park Pelham, Shelby County, AL, USA 21-May XTERRA Portugal Golega 11-Jun XTERRA Belgium Namur 25-Jun XTERRA Switzerland Vallee de Joux 25-Jun XTERRA Mine over Matter Milton, Ontario, Canada 3-Jul XTERRA France Xonrupt 10-Jul XTERRA Victoria Victoria, B.C., Canada 16-Jul XTERRA Beaver Creek Beaver Creek, CO, USA 23-Jul XTERRA Parry Sound Ontario, Canada 31-Jul XTERRA Italy Lago Di Scanno 31-Jul XTERRA Dominican Republic Barahona 6-Aug XTERRA Mexico Tapalpa 7-Aug XTERRA Poland Krakow 13-Aug XTERRA Sweden Hellsgaarten, Stockholm 14-Aug XTERRA Canmore Canmore, Alberta, Canada 20-Aug XTERRA Germany – XTERRA European Championship Zittau 27-Aug XTERRA Sleeping Giant Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada 27-Aug XTERRA Korea Daeahn Reservoir, Wonju City 3-Sep XTERRA Japan Hokkaido 4-Sep XTERRA Denmark Mons Klint 4-Sep XTERRA Quebec Quebec City, Quebec 11-Sep XTERRA Woolastook New Brunswick, Canada 17-Sep XTERRA USA / Pan Am Championship Ogden, Utah, USA 23-Oct XTERRA World Championship Kapalua, Maui

The post Shaw, Guillot win XTERRA Costa Rica appeared first on XTERRA.

Source | Back to News