Monday, 28 February 2011 08:08
Hugo and Wasle show serious pace in Grabouw
Local multisport hero, Dan Hugo and Austrian XTERRA Warrior, Carina Wasle were the athletes to beat at the DUESOUTH XTERRA SA Championship presented by REHIDRAT® SPORT on Saturday, 26 February.
Completing the XTERRA Grabouw route in an impressive time of 02:15:30 and 02:41:47 respectively, Hugo and Wasle both walked off with the coveted title of 2011 DUESOUTH XTERRA SA Champion.
According to Hugo, winning on home ground in the company of family and friends is an awesome experience. “Today’s event drew an epic crowd. I had a good swim, exiting the water a head of Conrad Stoltz. I pushed hard to ensure a smooth transition onto the mountain bike discipline, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before Conrad closed in. I was saddened by the news of Conrad having to withdraw from the race due to illness, but that is the nature of the sport. I no longer had to push myself to the limit and just maintained a steady pace. The run discipline was great. Being welcomed home by the largest crowed that XTERRA Grabouw has ever attracted was just a memorable experience,” says Hugo. Kent Horner came in second, while Nico Pfitzenmaier (Germany) finished third.
For Wasle it was a bitter sweet victory. “I had a very good race today. After a great swim, I exited the water in second place behind Carla van Huyssteen. Managing to catch her within the first 5km of the mountain bike discipline, I kept a steady pace and basically lead until the finish. I enjoyed the run discipline the most as it included a lot of up-hill running. The DUESOUTH XTERRA Grabouw is one of my favourite events. It features extremely beautiful landscapes, while the people are really friendly. I am definitely going to try my best to be back next year,” says Wasle. Michelle Lombardi came in second, while Carla van Huyssteen finished third.
Event organisers were honoured to welcome Janet Clark (XTERRA USA/Team Unlimited) to the DUESOUTH XTERRA SA Championship. According to Clark it was impressive to see the number of first time competitors that took part in the XTERRA Lite on the day. “Over 40% of the Lite field were newcomers to the sport, this really made my day and once again proved that anybody can take part in XTERRA. The vibe experienced at the race, combined with the friendliness and the world class competition just proves that South Africa truly embodies the XTERRA Culture. I am proud to be in the middle of it,” says Clark.
Men's top 5:
1. Dan Hugo
2. Kent Horner
3. Nico Pfitzenmaier
4. Lieuwe Boonstra
5. Justin Porteous
Women's top 5:
1. Carina Wasle
2. Michelle Lombardi
3. Carla Van Hussteen
4. Susan Sloan
5. Tanya Rabie
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