Conrad Stoltz wins again

[gummibear]

Another XTERRA win for the Caveman :clap:

 

Stoltz, Kabush win XTERRA Mountain Championship

 

07/14/2012

 

XTERRA Photo Gallery | XTERRA Mountain Championship Results

(Beaver Creek Resort - Avon, CO) - Conrad Stoltz, 38, of Stellenbosch, South Africa and Danelle Kabush, 36, of Calgary, Canada won the XTERRA Mountain Championship at Beaver Creek Resort in Avon, Colorado this morning.

http://www.xterraplanet.com/uploadedimages/2012StoltzMtnFinish.jpgFor Stoltz, not altitude, not a bear, not even Josiah Middaugh - a mountain master on his home course - could disrupt his perfect 2012 season. Stoltz started the year with a win at the XTERRA South Africa Championship, then swept through the XTERRA regional championships in Nevada, Alabama, Virginia, & now Colorado to bring his unprecedented XTERRA all-time championship wins total to 47.

“I must admit it was a very pleasurable experience," said Stoltz, who raced here at the XTERRA Mountain Championships in Beaver Creek for the first time today. "I didn’t expect to come up here and have fun but it was a lot of fun. The course is beautiful, and I was amazed at all the spectators even out in the middle of the forest. I saw a black bear up there while I was racing. I heard some branches break and I could see it getting away and Josiah saw it too. So, it was very memorable. I was really surprised at my win. I thought Josiah was going to take it, because beating him on this course is really tough so I think I had a very special day. I have to thank Specialized who put a lot of time and effort into my bike."

Stoltz came out of the mile-swim in the 66-degree waters of Nottingham Lake on the heels of leader Craig Evans and Branden Rakita, with Ben Hoffman directly behind him and David Henestrosa and Middaugh a minute back.

By the three-mile mark, and after the first of nearly four-thousand feet of climbing from the lake which sits at 7,400-feet, Stoltz led by a minute with Hoffman and Middaugh chasing together. At mile 10, Middaugh moved into second but hadn’t closed the gap and by the bike-to-run transition Stoltz, who had the fastest bike split of the day in 1:09:46, had more than a two-minute lead.

“When you put together a good race and get beat it’s not because something went wrong, it’s just that you’re not fit enough,” said Middaugh, who has now finished runner-up to the “Caveman” in three of the last four races. “Conrad had an awesome race and kudos to him for having that fitness and power that I’m going to be looking for in the next few months.”

Ben Hoffman had an incredible race in his first major XTERRA, and by the looks of his post-race grin it seems certain not to be his last.

“It was awesome today, I’m fired up, had fun out there,” said Hoffman, who had quite the support crew with the Specialized team in full force. “I think most people hear XTERRA has a little more laid back vibe and fun atmosphere and being here definitely confirmed that for me. Seeing it firsthand; the volunteers are psyched, it’s a well-run race, well-marked course, and super challenging but fair, an honest course. There’s no hiding here, it’s what you got on the day.”

David Henestrosa from Spain, who is now living and teaching in Clearfield, Utah with his wife and two girls, won XTERRA Italy back in 2004 and last finished in the top 5 of a major XTERRA in the U.S. that same year at the Mountain Championships in Keystone, Colorado. Today, he finished fourth.

“I feel OK in the altitude. I grew up just outside of Barcelona at a little over 4,000-feet and now in Utah its similar and its very comfortable. I had a wonderful race, and am having so much fun racing XTERRA, it’s great to be here,” said Henestrosa.

Rounding out the top five podium was Cody Waite, posting his best finish of the season at one of the most grueling races in the Series.

Also of note, Ryan Ignatz – the overall amateur XTERRA National Champion last year – is back in the pro ranks where he belongs as proof of his sixth place finish. Brian Smith is back as well, and posted the fastest run to finish in seventh, with Branden Rakita (his dad David won the 60-64 division today) in eighth, newcomer Travis Macy in ninth, and Will Kelsay 10th.

 

http://www.xterraplanet.com/news/dsp_content.cfm?id=3338

[Azonic]

...and she's the sister of Geoff Kabush...

[gummibear]

that's correct....some families get all the genes.

[Brian Fantana]

...and she's the sister of Geoff "pork chop" Kabush...

 

Fixed. Have you seen the sideburns he has in some races?

 

One of the XCO legends, he must have given his sister lots of tips over the years.

Edited July 15, 2012 by 4M41_Jero

[jannosmit]

Can anything stop the Caveman?

[BigGuy]

World Champs today in MauI. Holding thumbs for the caveman to make it #5.

[Cycho]

@BigGuy - Thats if the race goes ahead! Currently under Tsunami evacuation!!!!!

['Dale]

Caveman feel no pain, no cold no wind...

[Swim.Bike.Run]

Go Caveman!

[Azonic]

Is this on tv?

[E-man]

Is this on tv?

 

Nope but here is live tracking: http://www.myathletelive.com/storage/races/2012/XTERRAworld/index.html

 

Conrad is in the lead (or Gomez dropped his gps unit) with 18km left on bike

[E-man]

Conrad 1st from T2

 

[tombeej]

Stoltz third behind Javier Gomez and Josiah Middaugh (both passed him on the run)

 

 

A tsunami warning for the Hawaiian Islands was canceled early on Sunday morning, and then Javier Gomez Noya and Lesley Paterson went out and stormed the competition at the 2012 XTERRA World Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua on the island of Maui.

 

Gomez Noya (pictured) was the overall winner, completing the course (1.5-kilometer swim, 30K mountain bike, 10K trail run) in 2 hours, 26 minutes, 54 seconds. The 29-year-old from Spain followed up his silver medal performance at the 2012 Olympics with an impressive victory in his inaugural XTERRA appearance.

 

"I didn't expect that," Gomez Noya said. "I had a really good swim ... but I knew these guys like Conrad (Stoltz) and the good mountain bikers, they are much better than me, especially on the technical sections, so my tactic was try to push really hard uphill because they you can go hard uphill and then on the downhill just not even try to go crazy fast, just try to recover and avoid crashing. It worked pretty well."

 

Gomez Noya swam to a significant lead, then lost it to Conrad Stoltz late on the bike, but regained the lead early in the run.

 

http://www.xterraplanet.com/news/dsp_content.cfm?id=3429

[BigGuy]

Feel sorry for caveman but realistically he needed at least a 5min lead into the run to hold off someone like Javier Gomez. Gomez is a class athlete and one of the best swimmers and runners out there. Also feeling a bit sorry for Middaugh; he is so close every time.

[Shebeen]

Looks like three debuts in the top six, maybe quite a few top triathletes will be working on mtb skills and the field will get way more competitive.