Hugo and Wasle crowned DueSouth XTERRA SA champions

Media Release / 26.02.2011

There's no place like home for XTERRA star Dan Hugo as the 25-year-old won the eighth running of the XTERRA South Africa Championship at the Grabouw Country Club in the Western Province for the third time in four years today. 
 
Hugo (pictured here courtesy oakpics.com), who's hometown of Stellebosch is less than an hour away from the course, finished the 1.5km swim, 25km mountain bike and 10km trail run in 2:15:30 - nearly four minutes ahead of runner-up Kent Horner. 
 
Hugo, who picked up his first XTERRA championship win in Grabouw in 2008, also won here last year. The sports rising star now has six championships to his credit, including three on his home course, plus XTERRA Mexico and Brazil championships last year, and the XTERRA Northwest Cup in Idaho in 2009. 
 
Hugo's biggest challenger on the day, four-time XTERRA World Champion Conrad Stoltz, pulled early due to illness. Stoltz spent much of the last few weeks laying low with bronchitis. "Besides feeling very disappointed, Conrad is doing fine and in good spirits," said XTERRA SA communications director Jacky McClean. 
 
According to Hugo (running picture courtesy Hendrik Steytler), winning on home ground in the company of family and friends is an awesome experience. "Today's event drew an epic crowed. 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," said Hugo. 
 
For the second straight year Kent Horner came in second, and Nico Pfitzenmaier from Germany finished third. 
2011 XTERRA South Africa Championship 
 
Men's Top 5 
Name Country Time 
Dan Hugo RSA 2:15:30 
Kent Horner RSA 2:19:22 
Nico Pfitzenmaier GER 2:22:13 
Lieuwe Boonstra RSA 2:26:31 
Justin Porteous RSA 2:26:34