Posted: June 9, 2005

Multisport: RXT, World's Fastest Off-Road Iron-Triathlon

Europe's small village of Riba-roja is occupied by the adventure's triathlon spirit

It was on Saturday, it was in the south of Europe and it was a hard day.

62 triathlete-raiders coming from all over Europe meet in the Riba-roja's sailing club, before 7 AM, they've to leave their stuff already into the transition boxes to do a, not necessary fast transition, after swimming 3.8 km in Ebre river, what they couldn't imaging was how many alga plants do they've to fight to, to get trough the river until reach the sailing club. In fact the alga plants were extremely big because it's been the driest winter in Catalonia for so many years.

Local and national authorities had announced special actions to prevent this situation on next editions.

RXT is also a relays competition

First man out of the water was former swimmer Albert Cassà in 47'45" and 1h17'37" was the time needed by Ysuar Cesar the last one to reach the damp in the sailing club.

Half of the competitors were trying to complete the hold race alone, like in any other IRONMAN distance triathlon, bud the other half were teams of two, so the were faster and had to change every time they like into the authorized areas.

The relays competition is always a tactical one, so for the third consecutive year the winners were the fastest team that used most of the opportunities to make a relay, instead of the second team, that once more used the tactic of one swimmer-runner and one cyclist for the 180 km on mountain bike and over 2.000 m positive elevation.

The relays winners were fighting together until the last 800 meters, when the Majorcan, that was doing the complete marathon, was taken by the Barcelona's team runner.

The final sprint gives one minute advantage to the winners, in a time of 10h54'04".

In the mixed relays teams the winner were a father and his daughter Barnard Dorvil and Paloma Dorvil, she was also the youngest person to take part in such an event as the RXT, because she did only two relays, one in the swimming and one in the running, with nearly 12h between them.

There where also couples of brothers competing by relays, like the Parra brothers thirds overall, and the Mahamud brothers, who had the fair play to stop for a long time, in order to attend a French damaged triathlete who broken his femur, while he was mountain biking down hill at 55 km / hour.

There were also happy couples of friends like Richard Lloyd and Bruno Zindy, one from Barcelona and the other from Madrid, they team was named "L'entente Cordiale" referring to the soccer rivalry between the two Spanish biggest cities.

Santi Garcia-Gascón, a new start is born

Coming back to the real RXT competition, were every one most swim, mountain bike and run the total distance of 3.8 km, 180 km and 42.2 km. Santi Garcia-Gascón a catalan well known trails runner, show how much care did he take to prepare to the RXT, so he get out of the water in 3erd position and pick up his mountain bike to made the fastest time after a ride of 180 km alone between Mediterranean forests and vine trees, crossing small rivers, crossing small villages and crossing everything until the transition area. He got the support of his own family, because in the RXT you need a support vehicle to meet you in every village of the mountain bike par course, there they can touch you, give you food, drinks, sun cream, screams and any thing you need.

While Santi was starting the off-road marathon, he couldn't be sure of his victory, because the second one was just 15' after him an was an strong runner, specialized in ultra distance events, but that was Santi's day, so he run also the fastest time and throw the finish line in 12 hours 35 minutes and 32 seconds. It was a surprising good time, in fact the second fastest ever in such distance.

From Europe to USA's off-road iron triathlons

Now Santi is supposed to take part in USA's off-road iron triathlon, in Virginia, to try to conquer last years double of Eduard Barceló, the man who won both, Virginia's and Catalonia's off-road iron-triathlons in one year.

Spanish blind person finishes the RXT

Ricardo Perez from Madrid, is an strong person, but he can see more than 10%, so he manage to take part in the off-road iron triathlon, training in the place for weeks, he prepared the mountain bike harder than anyone, because that was the most difficult part of the event to him.

He started swimming, following his own support kayak, after that he did the 180 km ride, cycling faster than the others up hill and slower than nobody down hill, that was said by Italian triathlete Hugo Fabri, who was most of the time passing Ricardo down hill and looking how Ricardo clime's faster than him.

And finally the off-road marathon, throw a leafy forest, were the nigh comes and you find yourself in the dark. There Ricardo find the help of his family and friends support team, about 9 person who had traveled 700 km to cheer and help Ricardo and he run and he walk and he laugh of himself for the times he drop from his bike and he laugh for how much tired he feel wile running and finally he cry while receiving the public support and the organization special price.

That night a lot of hero's made the impossible, catalan Alvar Cassanova finished the RXT one week after completing one other IRONMAN, not to said he's recovered after a cancer.

French Jean Cristofe Margain did not finish, now he's recovering from a multi-broken femur and he's already thinking in next edition, "courage Jean Cristofe".

Belgian Marc Waithier, did not finish the swimming because of a health bad moment, bud he keep on cycling and running and recovered until the third position, what a pity that he did not finish the swim.

Spanish Cecilio Benito was the oldest person ever to finish the RXT.

If you like to try next year I'll see you in Riba-roja on the first Saturday of June.

Albert López
www.raidtriatlo.com