XTERRA World Championships

Pro Prognostications at the XTERRA World Champs

Press Release / 23.10.2016

More than 70 elites representing 27 countries will be racing for their share of $100,000 prize money tomorrow.  Combined, this collection of elites won 50 of the 60 major XTERRA World Tour Championship races this year.

XTERRA World Tour managing director Dave Nicholas was on-hand for many of those, and here he brings us his thoughts on the big race…

Our 20th anniversary race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive ever.  Both the men and women have three very fast protagonists, any of whom could win.

The big three for the men are Josiah Middaugh, Ruben Ruzafa and Braden Currie.  Spain's Ruzafa is a three-time World Champ; American Middaugh is the reigning World Champ and New Zealander Currie has been so close.  Young Mauricio Mendez has won several big races this year in a breakout season and cannot be discounted.

For the women it has to be Flora Duffy, Lesley Paterson and first time Maui competitor Michelle Flipo.  Flora will be looking for three in a row, something that has never been done.  Paterson has two crowns and came with shouting distance of catching Duffy last year but ran out of energy.  Flipo is from Mexico but training and living in France.  She appeared first at the ETU/XTERRA Switzerland event and won easily in a total mudfest.  She returned for the XTERRA European Championship race in Germany and won again.  Both Duffy and Paterson are undefeated as well this year.  The way I see it is Flora swims faster than any of the women and had nearly 4 minutes on Lesley coming out of T1. Michelle Flipo is very fast and will not be that far behind.  Paterson is a phenomenal mountain biker but will be pushed hard to catch the other two women, but catch them she will.  The most difficult thing to know is how well will Michelle handle the long, sustained climbs and that final, technical last few miles. 

It is not far different for the men.  Braden should have a lead of a minute or more from Ruben and Josiah who are almost equal swimmers.  The two past champions will start the chase and have to catch and pass some strong contenders in Ben Hoffman, Francisco Serrano, Ben Allen and our 20-year-old challenger Mauricio Mendez.  Ruzafa is the strongest biker and should come into T2 in the lead.  Middaugh got close but never passed Currie last month in Utah. 

With three or four very fast athletes in each gender, I suspect it will all come down to the run.  Can Flora hold off Michelle and Lesley?  Can Ruben hold off Middaugh, Currie and Mendez? 

I hope I am not putting the Kahuna jinx on anyone, but until somebody beats Flora Duffy, she has to be the favorite.  Middaugh is a man who simply will not give up as witnessed by his photo finish at Utah as he beat Braden Currie by just .07 of a second.  But Ruzafa is healthy, he has limited his racing this season to make sure he comes here rested.  His bike is so strong that if Ruzafa is on his game, I think he wins his 4th.

One thing is for sure.  It is going to be one wonderful day. Tune into our webcast and watch it for yourself.