Weiss, Orchard rule Xterra

LEGAZPI, Albay, Philippines – South African pro Bradley Weiss pounced on Australian Ben Allen’s spill in the bike stage over a wet, slippery course to keep the men’s crown while New Zealand’s Lizzie Orchard rallied to snare the women’s diadem on her first try in the rain-hit Xterra Albay 2016 before a big crowd here yesterday.

The 26-year-old Weiss came out second to Allen in the 1.5km swim stage on the shores of Lidong at Mayon Rivera but surged ahead as his Aussie rival miscalculated a move and fell in one of the downhill sections of the 35km bike course from Sto. Domingo to the Cansagwa ruins, enabling the South African to take control en route to victory in 2:29:56.

Allen settled for second in 2:33:59 while another Aussie bet Brodie Gardner clocked 2:34:08 for third followed by Japanese Ogasawara Takahiro (2:41:04) and Guam’s Charlie Epperson (2:43:40) in the top off-road triathlon organized by Sunrise Events, Inc. and hosted by the Province of Albay.

Meanwhile, Sunrise Events donated $1,000 to David DeSantis, who joined Xterra Albay to kick off his 16-country tour to raise funds for challenged athletes. A melanoma-stricken triathlete who is now in remission, DeSantis was awarded the Xterra warrior honor in Maui last year for his courageous return to the sport.

“Ben (Allen) fell off in the bike portion that gave me the lead. The rain made the bike part very slippery and technical, but at the same time, the nice and cool weather also made it easier for me to defend my title as compared to last year when it was hot and humid,” said Weiss.

Rain poured midway into the bike race, rendering the course slippery and muddy and making it more difficult for Allen and the rest of the compact field to give chase.

Lone Filipino pro Joseph Miller suffered multiple flat tires on his hard-trail bike and struggled to finish ninth out of 10 in the pro division of the event sponsored by 2Go Express as the official logistics and courier partner, Columbia, Finisher Pix and David’s Salon and supported by Shotz Sports Nutrition, DOT/TPB, Cetaphil, Intercare, Human Heart Nature, Prudential Guarantee and Assurance, Inc. Coca-Cola Femsa (official hydration partner), and Tri Life Magazine, TV5 and The Philippine STAR (media partner) and Timex (official timer).

Ford Forza’s Miller said it was his worst finish since turning pro. He actually thought of quitting but the memories he had with his daughter Jocelyn who passed away last December due to dengue had kept him going.

“For my daughter Jocelyn, I kept going even if I had to beg for CO2 for those who passed me by after I consumed my supply due to the several flat tires,” said Miller in Cebuano.    

Like Weiss, Orchard also trailed Jacqui Slack of Great Britain but wrested control in the downhill portion midway in the run stage to snatch the women’s crown on her first try in 2:52:14.

“I have never seen such a huge crowd cheering at the course. The kids’ cheers made the bike part feel easy. It makes my first race here in Albay and in the Philippines very memorable, plus of course this is my first time to be a champion as a pro,” said the 30-year-old Orchard.

Slack finished second in 2:54:30 while Guam’s Mieko Carey came in third with a 3:07:35 clocking.  

Philippine triathlon team mainstay John Chicano shared the spotlight as he emerged as the first Asian elite champion since the country hosted Xterra in 2011.

It was actually a double victory for the 23-year-old Chicano, who also kept his Filipino elite title in 2:43:17. He finished fifth overall.

Jonard Saim finished second in 2:48:49 while Billy Biag, Emmanuel Comendador and Rosalito Dagoy took the next three spots in 2:48:50, 2:48:53 and 2:50:33, respectively.  – The Freeman Newspaper