Posted: February 24, 2005

Multisport: XTERRA News

The Nissan Xterra USA Championship Series is presented by Paul Mitchell & XTERRA Gear

THIS WEEK: Prize money for the XTERRA Global Tour approaches the half-million dollar mark, a look at XTERRA’s debut in the sunny Southern California (maybe not this week) spot of Temecula, honors for XTERRA Czech, and an age-grouper-turned-pro success story.

XTERRA MONEY: Each year racing in the XTERRA Global Tour becomes a more lucrative proposition for the world’s best multisport athletes. In 2005, nearly $500,000 in cash will be awarded to XTERRA’s best. The Nissan Xterra Championship Series in the U.S. will dish out $190,000, the XTERRA European Tour will award close to the equivalent of $100,000, Saipan, New Zealand, South Africa, and Japan will combine for another $57,000, and the Nissan Xterra World Championship in Maui alone is worth $125,000 (plus $5,000 for the Hawaiian Airlines Double).

CAMP’N’RACE: When XTERRA comes to Temecula on May 14-15 competitors, spectators, friends and family are being encouraged to camp and relax for the weekend at Vail Lake Resort.

It’s the first time that Temecula, located between Los Angeles and San Diego, will host the Nissan Xterra West Championship and accompanying festival.

“It was important that we found a venue where the XTERRA Tribe could come together,” said TEAM Unlimited President Janet Clark. “Vail Lake is that place, and is destined to become one of our greatest venues.”

Great because there are 9,000 acres of countryside trails that serve as the ideal setting to run, mountain bike, go fishing, ride horses, or pitch horseshoes. There are hundreds of campsites, for RV’s and tents, with full hook-ups and water. The Village has a grocery store, cocktail lounge, game room, miniature golf course, swimming pools, and barbeque areas.

“We’ve got the urban experience in Richmond, the altitude high in Keystone, the Rim Trail in Lake Tahoe, and now we have a gathering place in Temecula,” said XTERRA managing director David Nicholas.

“This venue is likely to become the model for the next generation of big XTERRA races,” said Nicholas. “Vail is the perfect spot for a family weekend and I think with all our competitors camping and hiking and enjoying the atmosphere together – it’ll be a one-of-a-kind experience.”

The weekend schedule will include XTERRA’s first-ever duathlon (3k run, 15k mtb, 5k run), open to athletes of all ages and skill levels, the XTERRA Vail Lake Scramble 5k and 10k trail runs, free XTERRA University clinics, an expo area with music and displays, and the ever-popular Nissan Kids Base Camp (free bike and running races, Climbing Wall, safety clinics, obstacle courses, prizes, and more). On Sunday a half-distance race titled XTERRA Sport, perfect for newcomers, will precede the main event, and relay teams are welcome.

The XTERRA Sport race features a half-mile swim, 8.5-mile mountain bike, and 3-mile trail run. The $20,000 Nissan Xterra West Championship boasts a 1.5k swim, 30k mountain bike, and 10k trail run. Both races will be limited to 400 competitors and registration is available on-line at www.xterraplanet.com.

RV and tent camping reservations can be made by e-mailing patriciamartinez@verizon.net or calling her at 951-551-3219.

CZECH THE BEST, AGAIN: The internationally renowned E.ON XTERRA CZECH, held annually in Hluboka nad Vltavou, was recently named event of the year for the third straight season at the prestigious ‘Triatlonista Roku’ awards in the Czech Republic.

Sports journalists and representatives from all the triathlon clubs in the Czech Republic voted on the award.

The 2004 event hosted close to 400 racers, including a stacked pro field with Olivier Marceau, Nicolas LeBrun, Jan Rehula, David Henestrosa, Justin Thomas, Stephan Perg, and more for the men - plus Jamie Whitmore, Anke Erlank, Ute Schaffer among others for the women. According to XTERRA Global Tour managing director David Nicholas, after the race the “Czech hospitality shined long into the night with fabulous, flavorful Pivo (beer), fantastic Goulash and hammering rock ‘n roll. At around 11pm the fireworks lit up this perfect town and stamped a marvelous end to a great week of racing.”

This year the XTERRA Czech Championship kicks off the XTERRA European Tour on June 19th.

KRAUSE HAD A KILLER YEAR: XTERRA pro newcomer – and former age-group superstar - Greg Krause, was recently named USA Triathlon’s elite rookie of the year.

This season in XTERRA Krause finished 19th in his pro debut at Richmond, was 7th in Keystone, 5th at Big Bear, and 9th overall in Tahoe (2nd American). He placed 6th in the competitive XTERRA U.S. Pro Series, and outside of XTERRA he also placed sixth at Memphis in May, and eighth at Wildflower.

The amazing part is the 27-year-old’s first ever triathlon was just over two years ago…

“At my first triathlon ever (Keystone 2002) I borrowed a wetsuit thinking any old one would do, turned out to be some kind of diving wet suit and I about sank, swimming 1000m in like 26 minutes.”

A year after that in 2003, the Denver, Colorado native won the Nissan Xterra USA and World Championships in his age group, won the Hawaiian Airlines Double Award (finishing Kona in 9:28:42 and Maui in 2:53:42 for a combined time of 12:22:24), and was the top amateur at Tahoe (14th overall), Big Bear (9th overall) and Keystone (16th overall). Jumping to the pro ranks was an easy decision, and proved to be the right one. Now he’s rising, not sinking.

NOTE: XTERRA News is a weekly release designed to provide the media with helpful information regarding XTERRA events and athletes throughout the season. To unsubscribe from this service simply reply to this e-mail with "unsubscribe" as the subject.

For more information contact:

Trey Garman
TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA
500 Ala Moana Blvd., 2-302
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
808-792-2603 (office)
808-216-8606 (cell)

www.xterraplanet.com