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Tapalpa
2012
WELCOME TO XTERRA - THE WORLD’S LEADING OFF-ROAD TRI
In 1996 mountain biking and triathlon met in a duel of the
fittest on the island of Maui. The race consisted of an openocean swim, a mountain bike race, and a trail run. It
represented a bold new racing format that attracted
outdoor enthusiasts, adventure seekers, mountain bikers
and triathletes. The mountain bikers brought their laid-back
style and bold self-assurance. The triathletes brought their
hard-core training and avid dedication. They soon
discovered a common spirit and attitude that pulled them
together.The relationship would become an internationallyrecognized brand called XTERRA.
Since that day, XTERRA has grown into the world’s leading
off-road triathlon with more than 100 races in 15 countries,
including the XTERRA Mexico Championship in Tapalpa.
A typical XTERRA is comprised of the following:
1.5 kilometer (0.93-mile) swim in an ocean, lake, or river
30 kilometer (18.6-mile) mountain bike on off-road trails
10 kilometer (6.2-mile) trail run on a variety of surfaces
2012 marks the 17th consecutive year of XTERRA racing.
The XTERRA Mexico Championship is the ninth major
XTERRA World Tour event, and offers up $15,000 in prize
money for pros and 40 qualifying spots into the XTERRA
World Championship for amateurs.
XTERRA World Tour Media Contact :
Trey Garman - 808.216.8606 // [email protected]
This guide will provide more information on the XTERRA
World Tour and introduce you to the professional athletes
that will race in the world’s premier off-road triathlon in
Tapalpa, state of Jalisco, on August 4, 2012.
Tapalpa
2012
XTERRA MEXICO RETURNS TO TAPALPA
The XTERRA Mexico Championship returns to Tapalpa – an
alpine town south of Guadalajara surrounded by forests,
lakes and streams – on August 4. The rave reviews shared
by all who went last year should be enough to inspire every
XTERRA athlete with a taste for adventure and love of good
food and good times to make it to Mexico at least once in
their career.
“Just booked my ticket back to XTERRA Mexico,” posted
Mr. XTERRA Will Kelsay on his Facebook in May.
Kelsay was third last year behind Branden Rakita and Seth
Wealing, and will compete for the top spot again this season.
“I had the quintessential Mexican experience last year,"
Kelsay said. "I can't say enough good things about the race,
the organization, and the entire experience. To anyone out
there thinking about doing it, don't hesitate, this is your
chance to experience an international race at the expense of
a domestic one. Seriously, that’s one of the things that
surprised me, how easy it is to get there. Guadalajara is
easier to fly to than the Northeast (from Denver anyways).
Get there and the organizers pick you up for a picturesque
drive from the airport to 6,700ft above sea level through the
Taquila region of Mexicoit’ll take your breath away.”
XTERRA Managing Director Dave Nicholas, who’s been to
just about every XTERRA venue on earth, couldn’t get over
what he experienced in Tapalpa last summer either.
“Unbelievable. The awards ceremony and after party alone
were enough to make the trip worthwhile. The entire village
square of Tapalpa was transformed into XTERRA Village.
About 7:30pm the announcer started awards and every
category from kids to sport to champ racers took the podium
with literally thousands of people cheering. The final awards,
given at dusk, were to the elites and the roars were
unbelievable. Shonny Vanlandingham is the new Rockstar of
Mexico. After she stepped off the podium she was
surrounded by hundreds of admirers taking photos, signing
autographs, shaking hands,” wrote Nicholas after the race.
“In the center of the square was this huge metal tower which
turned out to be a 50-foot high fireworks display. After about
an hour of signing autographs and drinking Jalisco’s much
better version of a Margarita (served in clay mugs) the locals
fired up this monstrous display. Even more impressive was
a 16-piece Mexican band that played wild music to the
fireworks display. The best part was the final and top display
which had two cyclists that had fireworks rockets propelling
them round and round the huge tower – except the rockets
were in wrong and the cyclists went backwards!! We all
thought this was the end – but NO. immediately after, on
the upper level of the plaza a huge XTERRA fireworks display
burned and lit up the town. Whew, we all thought, that was
spectacular. No sooner did we think we should get
something to eat but a 10-minute aerial display went off, and
exploded right above our heads.
Tapalpa
2012
XTERRA MEXICO RETURNS TO TAPALPA
you through town and had me smiling the whole way. If you
ever want to feel like a rock star, go race in Mexico! Starting
the second lap of the run and coming into the finish line, there
were people 4 deep lining the streets. Andale! Arriba! The
crowds shouted as we sprinted past. It’s a great way to finish
any race!
This is a fabulous event. The organizers are first rate all the
way. The goody bag has loads of great things, the city of
Tapalpa is unbelievably charming and classic Mexico.
Jalisco is perhaps the most prosperous State in the country
and Guadalajara is beautiful and very safe.
XTERRA athletes must put this on their calendar and come
early and enjoy the fabulous culture and the unbelievable
great deals on hotels rooms, cabanas (or little tourist houses)
food and souvenirs. After the celebration in the plaza – 12 of
us went to Paulina’s a great little restaurant above the
plaza and drank dos Equis beer and ate like kings.
Kelsay described the experience in much the same way, and
embellished on the course itself, saying “the bike course
didn’t disappoint. The forest was pleasant and quiet, no
sound whatsoever, and I realized that I am very lucky to be
traveling the world, experiencing amazing sights, sounds,
smells and tastes. One thing that really made the trip
memorable were the people we met. Our hosts for this race
kept making our stay better and better by showing us a great
time in town and providing us with the most amazing home
stay possible with fresh fruits, vegetables as well as an
assortment of goodies to keep us going every day.
Kelsay added, “the race itself was exactly what I expected –
AWESOME! The turnout was amazing, with people lining the
hillside above the swim and crowds swarming the streets
along the run and T2 (there were remote transition areas).
The run was a 2 loop course with super steep (I’m talking
walk city) hills, beautiful forests, and lots of stairs that lead
At the awards ceremony, what felt like thousands of people
filled the square, as athletes were given medals and pros
were handed checks. All of the pros were asked for
interviews and photos, to sign autographs, give high 5’s and
were treated to “amazing enthusiasm for triathlon” as Shonny
put it. It was so cool to see the excitement the Mexican
people shared for racing, a very different experience than
what we see in the States. The post awards fireworks and
fiesta was nothing like we had ever seen before at a triathlon.
It felt like the whole city was there for the party and the energy
was through the roof!”
Tapalpa
2012
MEET THE PROFESSIONALS
The professionals competing at the XTERRA Mexico
Championship are among the best triathletes and
mountain bikers in the world - including Olympians and
World Champions.
Pro Men : Rank - Name - Age, Hometown
Branden Rakita - 31, Manitou Springs, Colorado, USA
Will Kelsay - 30, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Francisco Serrano - 32, Monterrey, NL Mexico
Pro Women : Rank - Name - Age, Hometown
Shonny Vanlandingham - 43, Durango, Colorado, USA
Renata Bucher – 34, Lucerne, Switzerland
Christine Jeffrey - 39, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Fabiola Corona - 32, Mexico City, Mexico
Shonny
Renata
Fabiola
Christine
Francisco
Branden
Branden
Will
Tapalpa
2012
FRANCISCO “PACO” SERRANO
FRANCISCO SERRANO
Monterrey, Mexico
2006 XTERRA Mexico Champion
PERSONAL: Born May 4, 1980.
RACING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Represented Mexico at the
Olympic triathlon event at 2008 Games in Beijing.
XTERRA EXPERIENCE: Since 2004 when he finished 8th in
his first-ever XTERRA at the East Championship in Richmond, Virginia. He finished 8th at the XTERRA USA Championship in 2004 as well.
BEST XTERRA YEAR, 2005: Placed 6th t the XTERRA West
Championship in Temecula, had his best-ever XTERRA performance at the Midwest Championship in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - placing 2nd, then finished 8th at the XTERRA
Mountain Championship in Keystone, Colorado, was 5th at
the XTERRA USA Championship in Nevada, and 5th in the
final XTERRA U.S. Pro Points Series standings. Placed 13th
at the XTERRA World Championship
XTERRA MEXICO HISTORY: Won the first-ever XTERRA
Mexico Championship held in Puerto Vallarta in 2006, upsetting XTERRA legend Mike Vine of Canada. He finished third
at the 2009 and 2010 races held in Valle de Bravo. Did not
race last year in Tapalpa.
Francisco
Tapalpa
2012
BRANDEN RAKITA
BRANDEN RAKITA
Colorado Springs, Colorado
2012 XTERRA U.S. PRO SERIES RANK: 5
PERSONAL:
Born March 25, 1981...from Durango,
CO...earned degree in civil engineering at Colorado State
University...works as a sales associate/bike fitter at Pro
Cycling when he’s not racing.
WEBSITE: brandenrakita.com
TWITTER: @btrakita
SPONSORS: 2XU, Pro Cycling, First Endurance, Sidi, SRM,
Rudy Project, Ergon, Rotor USA, The Colorado Running
Company, and Effetto Mariposa/Caffelatex.
SHOE: Inov-8
XTERRA EXPERIENCE: Fifth year.
BEST XTERRA FINISH: 3rd at XTERRA West Champs
2011, and 5th at XTERRA USA Champs 2008
FAVORITE XTERRA: XTERRA USA in Lake Tahoe and
XTERRA Mountain Champs in Keystone.
2008: Finished 14th at the XTERRA West Champs, 12th at
the Southeast Champs, 16th at the East Champs, 6th at
Mountain Champs, a career-best 5th at the XTERRA USA
Championship and 18th at XTERRA Worlds.
2009: Finished 10th at West Cup, 8th at Midwest Cup, 8th at
Southeast Cup, 4th at Northwest Cup, 7th at Northeast Cup,
5th at Mountain Cup, 6th at USA Championship, and 20th at
XTERRA Worlds.
2010: Placed 10th at XTERRA West Champs, 7th at South
Central Champs, 5th at XTERRA Amazon (Brazil), 6th at
East Champs, 4th at Mountain Champs, 3rd at XTERRA
Canada, 7th at USA Champs, and 15th at XTERRA Worlds.
2011: Placed 3rd at the XTERRA West Champs, 5th at the
XTERRA South Central and Pacific Champs, 8th at ITU
Cross Tri Worlds, 7th at the Southeast Champs, 4th at the
East Championship, 5th at the Mountain Championship, 2nd
at XTERRA Mexico and 4th at XTERRA Canada, 6th at
XTERRA USA Champs, and 20th at the XTERRA World
Championship.
2012: Placed 4th at XTERRA Guam, 5th at XTERRA
Philippines, 7th at XTERRA Saipan, 5th at XTERRA West
Championship, and 9th at the ITU Cross Tri World
Championships/XTERRA Southeast Championship in
Shelby County, AL on May 19, 5th at the XTERRA East
Championship, and 8th at the Mountain Championships.
XTERRA MEXICO HISTORY: Finished second behind Seth
Wealing last year in Tapalpa.
Branden
Tapalpa
2012
“MR. XTERRA” WILL KELSAY
WILL KELSAY
Boulder, Colorado
2012 XTERRA U.S. PRO SERIES RANK: 6
PERSONAL: Born August 5, 1981...attended the University
of Colorado where he raced on the national championship
tri team and earned a degree in mechanical engineering.
WEBSITE: willkelsay.com
TWITTER: @WillKelsay
HEIGHT: 6-3
SPONSORS: Timex, Quintana Roo/Litespeed, PowerBar,
Rudy Project, Holy Crap, Challenge Tires, mix1, Champion
System, Shimano, LifeSport Chiropractic
BIKE/SHOE: Litespeed Cohutta 29er/New Balance MT110
XTERRA EXPERIENCE: 10th year. Named Mr. XTERRA
after going on a 12,630-mile, 12-week, 12-race, x-country
road trip in a beat-up RV to share his love for XTERRA. In
2011 he went on a six-week, six-country XTERRA road trip.
BEST XTERRA FINISH: 2nd XTERRA Japan 2011, 3rd
XTERRA Mexico 2011, 9th XTERRA USA Champs 2010
FAVORITE XTERRA? Japan. Hands down! Super
technical. A real adventure and the true definition of
XTERRA's motto - Live More!
2006: Finished 11th in California, 11th in Alabama, DNF in
Richmond, was a career-best 9th in Milwaukee, 10th in Utah,
17th at USA Championship and 114th in Maui.
2007: 14th at XTERRA West Champs, 10th in Alabama, 14th
in Richmond, 8th at Mountain Champs in Utah, his best
career finish. Was 13th at USA Champs & 64th in Maui.
2008: Finished 18th in Temecula, 19th in ‘Bama, 14th in
Richmond, 12th in Utah, and 12th at the XTERRA USA
Championship. Placed 16th overall in the Pro Series.
2009: Finished 14th at XTERRA West and Midwest, 9th at
Southeast, 11th at Northwest Cup, 9th at Atlantic and South
Central, 8th at Northeast Cup, 10th at Mountain Cup, 10th at
USA Championship, and 25th at XTERRA Worlds.
2010: Placed 17th at the XTERRA West Champs, 8th at
South Central, 6th at Southeast Champs, 7th at the East and
Mountain Champs, 9th at the USA Champs, and DNF at
XTERRA Worlds.
2011: Finished 19th at XTERRA West Champs, 14th at the
South Central Championship, DNF at East Champs, won the
XTERRA Forest Drive point series race, was 3rd at XTERRA
Mexico, 15th at XTERRA Czech, 10th at the XTERRA European Championship/XTERRA Germany, 2nd at XTERRA
Japan, and 11th at the USA Championship. Finished 20th in
XTERRA U.S. Pro Series and 18th on XTERRA Euro Tour.
Will
2012 XTERRA RACES: Finished 7th at XTERRA Guam, 7th
at XTERRA Philippines, and 8th at XTERRA Saipan on
consecutive weekends in March, was 6th at the ITU Cross Tri
World Championships/XTERRA Southeast Champs, a U.S.
Pro Series race career-best 4th at the XTERRA East
Championship, and 10th at the Mountain Champs.
XTERRA MEXICO HISTORY: Finished third last year and
vowed to return saying “After the fun times, unforgettable
memories, and wonderful friends I made last year, it's easy
to understand why I'm returning.”
Tapalpa
2012
SHONNY VANLANDINGHAM
SHONNY VANLANDINGHAM
Durango, Colorado
2010 XTERRA World Champion
2008-11 XTERRA USA National Champ
2012 XTERRA U.S. PRO SERIES RANK: 9
PERSONAL: Born May 29, 1969...earned her degree in
nutrition and played NCAA I basketball at East Texas State
Universityroasts her own coffee at her second home on
the Big Island of Hawaiiin 1993 she was leading bike tours
in Maui that eventually spurred her professional racing
career.
WEBSITE: teamlunachix.com
SPONSORS: Luna Pro Team, Clif Bar, Orbea, Orca, Avia,
Mavic, Maxxis, Lazer, Fox, Selle Italia, Camelbak, Pedros,
Genuine Innovations, Shimano, Vetta, Squadra, Chariot,
Sock Guy, High Sierra, Selle Italia, Kicker, Cytek, Planet Sun,
KonaRed, Dedicated Athlete.
BIKE/SHOE: Orbea Alma 29er/AVIA Bolt XZR
XTERRA EXPERIENCE: Seventh year, fourth full season.
In her first-ever XTERRA at the World Championship in 2005
she posted fastest bike split and finished 7th.
RACING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: With 15 NORBA National
race wins and three NORBA Series Championship titles,
Vanlandingham is the most successful rider in NORBA
history. A 7-time U.S. National Mountain Bike Team Member,
3x (2004-06) NORBA National Series X-Country Champ &
2005 U.S. National Short Track Champ.
2006: Finished 9th (5th best bike split) at both the XTERRA
USA Championship in Tahoe and the XTERRA World
Championship in Maui (third-best bike).
2007: Placed 5th at Mountain Champs, 7th at XTERRA
USA, and 7th in Pro Series. Finished XTERRA-best 4th at
XTERRA World Champs and the fastest bike.
2008: Won the Southeast Champs (her firs XTERRA
victory), was 3rd at the East Champs, 2nd at the Mountain
Champs, 7th at the XTERRA USA Championship (Top
American), was also the top American in the U.S. Pro Series
(2nd overall) and finished 3rd at XTERRA Worlds where she
once again posted the fastest bike split.
2009: Had the fastest bike split and placed 3rd at XTERRA
Saipan behind Julie Dibens and Renata Bucher. Finished
2nd at XTERRA West Cup, 4th at the Midwest and
Southeast Cups, 2nd at the Atlantic Cup, won the XTERRA
South Central Cup in Arkansas, was third at the Northeast
Cup in Vermont, won the Mountain Cup, won XTERRA
Mexico, and was second at XTERRA USA Champs (and top
Shonny
American for the second straight year). Placed 5th at
XTERRA Worlds, her third straight year in the top 5.
2010: Placed 2nd at the XTERRA Saipan Championship and
XTERRA Guam in March. Won the XTERRA West
Championship on April 25, was second at the South Central
Championship, won XTERRA Southeast, was 2nd at
XTERRA East Championship, won the Mountain Champs,
won XTERRA Brazil, was second at XTERRA Mexico, third
at the USA Championship, and won the XTERRA World
Championship in Maui at the age of 41.
2011:
Won
the
inaugural
XTERRA Philippines
Championship on March 6 and the XTERRA Saipan
Championship for the second year in a row a week later.
Placed second at both the XTERRA West and South Central
Championship races in April, was 2nd at ITU Cross Tri
Worlds, was 4th at Pacific Champs, 2nd at Southeast
Champs, won the East and Mountain Championships, won
XTERRA Mexico, was 5th at XTERRA Czech and 2nd at the
XTERRA European Championship in Germany. Placed 7th
at the XTERRA USA Championship despite racing on torn
ACL. Finished 2nd in the XTERRA U.S. Pro Series.
2012: Placed 5th at the ITU Cross Tri World
Championships/XTERRA Southeast Championship, 4th at
XTERRA East Champs, and won XTERRA Brazil Chanmps.
XTERRA MEXICO HISTORY: Won the elite women’s title
last year and in 2009, while placing second to Fabiola
Corona in 2010.
Tapalpa
2012
FABIOLA CORONA
FABIOLA CORONA
Mexico City, Mexico
2010 XTERRA Mexico Champion
PERSONAL: Born April 7, 1980
XTERRA EXPERIENCE: Seventh year, finished 5th at the
XTERRA Saipan Championship in 2006.
RACING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Represented Mexico in
the triathlon event at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
2008: Placed 12th ath the XTERRA World Championship.
2010: Placed 12th at the XTERRA West Champs, 7th at the
Southeast Champs, 6th at the East Champs, won the
XTERRA Mexico Championship, was 11th at the XTERRA
USA Championship and finished 9th in the XTERRA U.S.
Pro Series.
XTERRA MEXICO HISTORY: Finished 2nd at the inaugural
XTERRA Mexico back in 2006 in Puerto Vallarta, was 3rd in
2009 and won it all in 2010 in Valle de Bravo, and was
second last year in Tapalpa.
Fabiola
Tapalpa
2012
“THE SWISS MISS OF XTERRA” RENATA BUCHER
RENATA BUCHER
Lucerne, Switzerland
2012 Guam, Philippines, Saipan Champ
4-time XTERRA European Tour Champ
2012 XTERRA U.S. PRO SERIES RANK: 3
PERSONAL: Born May 30, 1977...attended the University
of Zuerich.
WEBSITE: renata-bucher.onlinetri.com
BIKE/SHOE: Cannondale Flash 29er/Asics Fuji Racer
XTERRA EXPERIENCE: Eighth year.
RACING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Has won 24 XTERRA
Championship races in 11 countries, the U.S. Territory of
Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan).
FAVORITE XTERRA: Saipan
2004: 9th at XTERRA Germany in first-ever XTERRA.
2005: Won XTERRA Saipan, and was second at Tagaman to
win the PIC Double with a combined time of 6:14:11. Was
3rd at Temecula, won XTERRA Czech (beating three World
Champs in Angle, McQuaid, and Whitmore in the process),
3rd at XTERRA Italy, 5th in Richmond, won XTERRA Austria, second at XTERRA Spain, and third at XTERRA Germany. Won the XTERRA European Tour and was 9th in the
XTERRA U.S. Pro Series. Placed 4th at World Champs in
Maui.
2006: Won everything she entered starting with XTERRA
Saipan, then a clean sweep in Europe with victories at
France, Italy, Czech, Spain, and UK. Won second straight
XTERRA European Title. Placed 5th at World Champs.
Placed 4th at Tagaman and was 2nd in the PIC Double
standings behind Whitmore.
2007: Won XTERRA Saipan Championship then injuries
kept her sidelined for the rest of the season.
2008: Won XTERRA Saipan for the fourth straight year, plus
the Tagaman Triathlon and Pacific Islands Club Double
award, placed 2nd at XTERRA European Championship in
Italy, won XTERRA France-Auron, was second at XTERRA
Austria, won XTERRA France-Mondelieu and her third
straight Euro Tour title. Also won XTERRA Japan, was 2nd at
XTERRA USA, and 4th at XTERRA Worlds.
2009: Won XTERRA Saipan for 5th straight year, the Tagaman road tri on Saipan a week later and the Pacific Islands
Club Resort Double award for having the fastest combined
time in the 2 races. Finished 4th at XTERRA West, 2nd at
Midwest, 3rd at Southeast Cup, won XTERRA Malaysia, won
XTERRA Italy, was 2nd at XTERRA Czech, won XTERRA
Renata
Northeast Cup (her first win in the U.S.), won XTERRA European Championship in Austria and the Euro Tour for the
fourth time, was 8th at XTERRA USA Champs, and 14th at
XTERRA Worlds.
2010: Won five races, starting with XTERRA Saipan for the
6th straight year, and the Pacific Islands Club Resort Double
award. Won XTERRA Guam, won inaugural XTERRA Portugal Championship, won XTERRA South Central Championship, placed 2nd at XTERRA European Championship in
Italy, placed 4th at the Southeast Champs, won the East
Champs, was 2nd at XTERRA France, won XTERRA Czech,
and was 2nd at XTERRA Switzerland. Finished in a points tie
for first with Marion Lorblanchet for the Euro Tour title, but
lost tie-breaker (position at last race). DNF at XTERRA
Worlds.
2011: Finished 2nd at XTERRA Philippines, 3rd at
XTERRA Saipan, 2nd at XTERRA Italy, won XTERRA
France, was 7th at ITU Cross Tri Worlds, was third at
XTERRA Czech and Germany, and 5th at XTERRA Switzerland. Placed 2nd at the XTERRA Pacific Championship,
third at the Southeast Championship, and fourth at XTERRA
World Championship. Finished 2nd in the XTERRA European Tour and 11th in the U.S. Pro Series
2012: Won the XTERRA Guam, Philippines, and Saipan
Championship races on consecutive weekends - a clean
sweep of the XTERRA Asia Pacific triple crown, then won
the XTERRA West Championship. Placed 10th at the ITU
Cross Tri World Champs/XTERRA Southeast Champs, was
6th at XTERRA Italy, 2nd at the East Champs, 2nd at
XTERRA France, and 4th at XTERRA Mountain Champs.
XTERRA MEXICO HISTORY: First time.
Tapalpa
2012
CHRISTINE “BIG FISH” JEFFREY
CHRISTINE JEFFREY
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
PERSONAL: Born December 13, 1972...earned a degree in
landscape architecture from Arizona State University where
she was a four-time All-American swimmer...works as a landscape architect for LJ Designs in Tucson, Arizona.
WEBSITE: christinejeffrey.com
TWITTER: @chrisjeffrey
SPONSORS: Coach Gareth, Native Eyewear, Champion
System, Nineteen Wetsuits, Honey Stinger, Extreme
Endurance, Zipfizz, Maxxis.
BIKE: Full suspension 29er
XTERRA EXPERIENCE: Fifth year.
RACING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Won the 2005 Ixtapa ITU
Continental Cup, and 2007 Villarrica ITU Continental Cup.
2008: Finished 6th at XTERRA West Champs, 3rd at Southeast Champs, 12th at East Champs, 11th at Mountain
Champs, 11th at USA Champs and 5th at XTERRA Worlds.
2009: Placed 5th at the West Cup, 3rd at Midwest Cup, 3rd
at the Northwest Cup, 5th at the South Central Cup, 4th at
the Northeast Cup, 9th at XTERRA USA Championship, and
8th at XTERRA Worlds.
2010: Placed 4th at the XTERRA West Champs, 5th at
South Central Champs, 6th at Southeast, 5th at East
Champs, 2nd at XTERRA Canada, 5th at USA Champs, and
4th at XTERRA Worlds.
2011: Finished 3rd at both the XTERRA West and South
Central Championship races in April, was 6th at the Pacific
Champs, 4th at the Southeast Champs, 4th at the East
Champs, and 7th at the Mountain Champs.
2012: First race coming back from broken shoulder suffered
last September.
XTERRA MEXICO HISTORY: First time.
Christine
Tapalpa
2012
2011 XTERRA MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW
August 6, 2011 (Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico) - Americans
Seth Wealing and Shonny Vanlandingham won the XTERRA
Mexico Championship in Tapalpa on Saturday. It's the third
straight year Wealing won the Mexican title, and it's the
second title in three years for Vanlandingham.
XTERRA Managing Director "Kahuna Dave" Nicholas was
on site for the race and brings us this report...
The day started early with three separate full swim/bike/run
kids races. What a treat to see so many young boys and girls
truly involved in the sport. At 10:00am the elites took off from
the swim start peninsula on their two, 750-meter lap swim.
They were followed by all males 16-34 and shortly thereafter
by everyone else. Local road pro Irving Perez burned everyone with a fantastic swim and easily led over the cable and
wood plank bridge. Seth Wealing and Branden Rakita were
tight on his heels and quickly passed him on a tight, steep
technical climb just past the bridge. After that it was a case
of Seth leading, then Branden leading, then switching back
again. Lots of fun missing corners and Seth getting to a
locked gate and having to back track. Will Kelsey was having a great ride, maybe the strongest yet of his career, to
make up a swim that put him four minutes behind the leader.
Rakita made it back into the town of Tapalpa to thousands of
spectators and mariachi bands followed in seconds by
Wealing. Kelsey used his strong bike to get ahead of Perez
and was 3rd into T2. Wealing started at a strong pace but
Rakita was running very well and it took everything Seth had
to pass Branden and earn a very hard fought victory by just
over a minute.
On the women’s side Olympian and 2010 XTERRA Mexico
Champion Fabiola Corona put in her usual great swim and
had nearly four minutes on her main rival, Shonny Vanlandingham, leaving transition. Shonny had been nervous in the
days prior because her bike was not in Mexico... fortunately,
it arrived on the morning of the race and she put it together
and had that big Shonny smile by start time. She quickly
reeled in the other women and took command of the race
about mid way into the 30-kilometer bike. The nice surprise
was young Daniela Compuzano, a mtb pro, who took five
minutes out of Fabiola and came into T2 with a small lead.
Corona can run like the wind, however, and it was not long
before the Mexican Olympian had reclaimed 2nd place and
had enough of a lead to take her precious baby across the
line. Campuzano was a solid 3rd and had a great race.
So for the big guns it was Wealing, Rakita and Kelsey – a
USA sweep but with Irving Perez showing with some time on
the mtb he can be a force for the future. Vanlandingham got
back her Mexican championship back after losing it to
Corona in 2010. Corona continues to show she is the
strongest Mexican woman and Campuzano simply needs to
run a bit faster to start moving up the podium steps.
The end result? This is a fabulous event. The organizers
are first rate all the way. The goody bag has loads of great
things, the city of Tapalpa is unbelievably charming and
classic Mexico. Jalisco is perhaps the most prosperous State
in the country and Guadalajara is beautiful and very safe.
This is a world class international event. XTERRA athletes
must put this on their calendar for next year and come early
and enjoy the fabulous culture and the unbelievable great
deals on hotels rooms, cabanas (or little tourist houses) food
and souvenirs.
Top 5 Men
Pos First
1
Seth
2
Branden
3
Will
4
Irving
5
Octavio
Last
Wealing
Rakita
Kelsay
Perez
Vicente
Country
USA
USA
USA
MEX
MEX
Time
2:15:11
2:16:23
2:19:47
2:29:28
2:31:21
Top 5 Women
Pos First
1
Shonny
2
Fabiola
3
Daniela
4
Ana Paula
5
Laura
Last
Vanlandingham
Corona
Campuzano
Guerrero
Ramirez
Country
USA
MEX
MEX
MEX
MEX
Time
2:36:54
2:42:10
2:48:33
3:06:54
3:09:34
Tapalpa
2012
2010 XTERRA MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW
September 4, 2010 (Valle de Bravo, Mexico) - American
Seth Wealing defended his title at the XTERRA Mexico
Championship in Valle de Bravo while Mexico's own Fabiola
Corona took the women's title.
The managing director of the XTERRA World Tour, "Kahuna
Dave" Nicholas, brings us this report
The forecast was rain. At the race briefing last night, I
promised the crowd that I had brought Hawaiian weather to
this fabulous place just outside Mexico City and Toluca – and
kept my promise. On cue at 0815 Saturday morning, the sun
popped up over the mountains and sunshine covered the
area. It was good it happened as we had a huge thunderstorm Friday evening that left everything soaking wet. Transition, which was on a rather steep slope, became a
quagmire with people slipping and sliding all morning. The
sun did its job and by the time riders were coming back to
T2, some of the mud had dried – not much mind you, but
enough so the disaster of all the bike racks crashing into the
lake never happened. Full marks to the XTERRA Mexico
crew s they propped the downhill rack legs with bricks and
secured everything with rebar and put area in fantastic order.
The elites started with a one-minute lead on the men’s field
and two minutes on the women. Irvin Perez led everyone
out of the swim followed by Mexican favorite Francisco
“Paco” Serrano and Seth Wealing. Wealing had a terrible
time getting his skinsuit off but after much yelling and yanking, finally left transition in 4th place behind Dan Hugo. Hugo
was tearing it up on the bike. He knew Seth and Paco were
runners and wanted to get three to four minutes over them on
the bike. He seemed to have it done when he slid on the
very muddy conditions and banged his right knee quite hard.
Slippery? Did I mention the mud and puddles? Slipping and
sliding and mud were the order of the day. That, along with
chickens and dogs, horses and even a donkey all made Valle
de Bravo one exceptional event. With the fall, Hugo could
not get the distance he wanted on Seth. Serrano, the Mexican Olympic Triathlete was having a fabulous battle with
Wealing; who won here last year. They passed and repassed a few times with Wealing finally able to edge away a
few kilometers from the end of the second bike lap.
“My knee was just throbbing,” said Hugo. “The altitude was
hurting me as well – but I really wanted to win this race and
gave it everything I had”.
It simply was not enough. Wealing, who put in the fastest
run by two minutes caught up to Hugo with about two kilometers to go. “Once I could see him I was pretty sure I could
catch him. I thought about staying close and making it a
sprint to the finish, but Hugo is tough and I just couldn’t take
that chance” said Wealing. He made the pass but the South
African never gave in and finished less than a minute behind
him. “It was close, but once he got past me, there was no
way I could get him – I looked behind and kind of backed off
a bit” was Hugo’s reply.
Serrano had a great run and was less than two minutes
behind Hugo. “I have been doing so much ITU and road stuff
for the federation,” said Serrano. “I have ridden my mountain
bike maybe four times over the summer. I am really happy
with my race and getting my mountain bike legs. I will race
hard at Maui.”
For the women, Fabiola Corona (one of my favorite brands
and in stock everywhere) came out of the water with nearly
two minutes on Shonny Vanlandingham; last year’s winner. “I
know how fast Shonny is so I try to put as much time as
possible in the swim then I say pedal hard Shonny is
coming, pedal hard” laughed the Olympian triathlete. Shonny
was coming OK, but she followed a bunch of men riders
through an intersection and got lost in the mountains of Valle
de Bravo. “I should have known better because I made the
same mistake on a pre-ride. I saw the double Jeep track and
knew it was wrong” said Shonny. She got it back on course
and was eight minutes down on Corona at the end of the first
lap. She was able to make four minutes of it back with a sizzling second lap, but Fabiola can run and no matter how hard
Shonny ran, she never put a dent into the four+ minute lead.
TOP 5 PRO MEN AND WOMEN:
PL First Name Last Name
1
SETH
WEALING
2
DAN
HUGO
3
FRANCISCO SERRANO
4
OCTAVIO
CHETTO
5
IRVIN
PEREZ
Time
02:18:35
02:19:21
02:21:16
02:38:46
02:49:11
Women
1
FABIOLA
2
SHONNY
3
DANIELA
4
ANA PAULA
5
VERONICA
02:49:28
02:55:29
03:05:40
03:33:31
03:58:44
CORONA
VANLANDINGHAM
CAMPUZANO
GUERRERO
PEÑA
Tapalpa
2012
2009 XTERRA MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW
August 2, 2009 (Valle de Bravo, Mexico) - Americans Seth
Wealing and Shonny Vanlandingham took home top honors
at the first XTERRA Mexico Championship since 2006.
ago was the lake) and the wonderful hills and could see the
riders coming down at the end of the first lap and going out
for almost one kilometer.
Wealing, who described the venue as "one of the coolest
places ever - altitude, cool temps, amazing landscape"
finished nearly two minutes ahead of 2005 XTERRA World
Champion Nicolas Lebrun while Vanlandingham edged 2006
Winter Olympian Rebecca Dussault by just 24 seconds.
Wealing was in complete command coming into T2 with a
few minutes lead, but it was now Lebrun in second, closely
followed by Serrano (who represented Mexico at the Beijing
Olympics). Serrano (pictured) has done very well in triathlon
in Mexico and on the ITU tour and is a god here. There were
posters and cards and he spent two hours on Saturday in the
local Specialized store signing autographs. When Paco
came by, the crowd went crazy. He is a very fast runner, but
so are Wealing and Lebrun.
“Kahuna Dave” Nicholas, the managing director of the
XTERRA World Tour, brings us this report ...
Valle de Bravo sits about two hours drive from Mexico City on
a huge reservoir, with green hills, mountains, hotels, villas
and everything you could want in a perfect vacation spot.
The bike course is hilly but no long climbs, some road, some
gravel, and some very nice single track. The kind of bike riding that had one of the pro’s saying “it’s the kind of course
that makes you smile”. Distance over two laps was just at
27-kilometers. The run is totally stunning especially when
you enter the woods and pop out with views of the valley and
the lake and again, is simply a fun challenge.
The lake at Valle de Bravo was down about 50’ because of a
lack of rain. The original place for the swim was a virtual mud
pit, so the organizers moved the swim down about 400 meters which made for a nice, long run from swim to transition.
Two of the very quick Mexican ITU guys came out of the
water first, with Seth Wealing and Francisco "Paco" Serrano
very close. Wealing ran down the two locals on the way to
transition and quickly established himself in the lead.
Serrano had problems putting on his shoes for the run to T1
and lost about 20 seconds – more on this later. For the
women, Shonny Vanlandingham got kicked pretty hard at the
start and had to pull over, rest and do the backstroke for a bit
to calm down and came out of the swim some three minutes
behind the fast Mexican women, including Olympian Fabiola
Corona. XTERRA’s newest rising star, Rebecca Dussault,
had a solid swim and at the end of the first lap had a fine oneminute lead on Corona with Vanlandingham looking very
serious and chasing hard.
For the men, Wealing was simply flying. He thinks it was the
tortilla’s, we can’t verify that, but his lead at the end of the
first lap was well over a minute. Serrano was second, Nico
Lebrun third, and Sergio Sarmiento 4th. The entire bike was
such fun, spectators lined the long fields (which six months
For the gals, Vanlandingham simply steamrollered the second lap and Corona described Shonny passing her as a "blue
blur". Dussault held Vanlandingham off for almost the entire
lap, but the Texan/Coloradan/Hawaiian was not about to back
away and she came into T2 with a slight lead and again, it
came down to who could negotiate the run best.
Wealing came rolling in uncontested with just under two minutes in hand. Nico and Paco had a wonderful battle with
Paco gaining and Nico responding. Remember that 20 seconds Paco lost with his shoes coming out of the water? He
tried as hard as he could in the last half kilometer to catch
the Frenchman, but the altitude (6,000’) got the better of him
and he lost by 16 precious seconds.
A wonderful, sunny day. Temperature of the water was a
beautiful 78 degrees, the air about the same. Perfect conditions for the event and perfect organization by Juan Carlos
Vasquez and his men from Las Lomas.
PRO MEN
Pl Name
1
Seth Wealing
2
Nicolas Lebrun
3
Francisco Serrano
4
Sergio Sarmiento
5
Irving Perez
Nation
USA
FRA
MEX
MEX
MEX
Time
2:06:10
2:08:00
2:08:16
2:19:51
2:27:11
PRO WOMEN
1
Shonny Vanlandingham
2
Rebecca Dussault
3
Fabiola Corona
4
Dunia Gomez
5
Alexandra Borrelly
USA
USA
MEX
MEX
FRA
2:28:28
2:28:52
2:36:40
2:44:32
2:49:06
Tapalpa
2012
INAUGURAL XTERRA MEXICO CHAMPIONHIP IN 2006
June 24, 2006 (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) - Francisco
Serrano and Jamie Whitmore won the inaugural XTERRA
Mexico Championship in Puerto Vallarta.
For Serrano, who was 5th in the U.S. Pro Series last season,
it marks his return to XTERRA racing after some injuries and
it was a milestone win for Whitmore = No. 30 of her career.
She is XTERRA’s all-time winningest athlete – male or
female.
“It seemed pretty quick to get to 25, but very slow to get to
30,” said Whitmore, who won on back-to-back weekends in
Richmond, VA then Mexico. “I just hope it doesn’t take too
long to get to 50, because that’s my goal.”
For more about the race experience we turn to the injuryrittled Mike Vine, who suffered through Temecula and
Alabama while recovering from a bruised kidney and cracked
ribs, and missed Richmond because of “a 6-inch gaping
chain ring slice” on his leg. The Canadian spins a pretty
colorful story, ehh
Just before the inaugural XTERRA Mexico this past weekend in Puerto Vallarta I had another odd crash and sliced my
knee wide open on the chain ring only five days before it was
time to leave for Mexico. Fortunately I still made the trip,
along with 21 stitches. No way I was missing out on a trip to
PV. With some quality TV time cocooned in the hotel room
(not what you want to be doing at a highly rated all-inclusive
resort) the gash healed surprisingly well and I pulled the
stitches out 4 days before the race, just in time to allow me
to preview the course before raceday.
Heading out to pre-ride it was readily apparent this venue is
a perfect prep for Maui World's. The swim is in the warm and
wavy Pacific, and the bike and run courses are laced with
lava rock, steep popper hills, and copious silty dust and sand.
Most importantly the stifling humidity and daily highs of 35 C
had even the Hawaiian visitors complaining.
Attending this event was proven XTERRA ace Francisco
Serrano (2nd at Milwaukee and 5th at USA champs last
year), along with 7-time Mexican ITU champ Javier Rosas
and American Ryan Ignatz. When the race started I fought
through the shore break and found myself on the tail of the 6person lead pack. Wonderful! I eventually drifted off – no
surprise b/c the swimming mileage has suffered badly of late
- but to my delight I came out only 45 seconds off the lead.
Once on the bike I moved up to 2nd quickly and worked on
catching Serrano over the abrupt and lava rock-laced
poppers. My Rocky Mtn Element dually was perf on this
course. At the halfway point on the beach I could see Serrano was near and soon caught him on the following uphill
section, we worked together for the last part of the ride to
hold off a 3-person chase pack w/ Rosas and Ignatz. Highlights included blasting through the cobblestone streets of a
fishing village, weaving through a herd of cows, and pacelining off a terrified horse for 1 km at 35-40 kph on the wide
open dirt roads. By T2 it was down to me and Serrano w/ the
rest well back.
My lack of recent run mileage forced me to stop for socks
and Serrano gapped me. The first part of the run is technical
w/ a beach section followed by rugged jungle trails w/ numerous logs and steep hills. It was here while chasing hard
my shin and knee raked over a barb wire fence and sliced
open (same knee, different spot though) whoops. turns out I
was the only one who managed to do that. but this time no
stitches needed... yeehaw! The gap stretched to ~45 sec by
1 mile to go until I lost another minute going off course approaching the resort...Doh! heat stroke must have been setting in, no problem though, b/c 3rd place Rosas was well
back.
The final approach to the line routed us along the water's
edge that was bordered by bluffs with high tide setting in this
course was a challenge to the end, navigating over the rocks
with thigh deep waves surging in. Crossing the line in 2nd
position I was thinking this was what XTERRA is all about.
ALL-TIME XTERRA MEXICO PRO CHAMPIONS
Year
Men’s Champ
Women’s Champ
2011
Seth Wealing
Shonny Vanlandingham
2010 Seth Wealing
Fabiola Corona
2009 Seth Wealing
Shonny Vanlandingham
2006 Francisco Serrano
Jamie Whitmore
Tapalpa
2012
2012 XTERRA WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP RACES
Date
Feb 26
Mar 10
Mar 10
Mar 18
Mar 24
Apr 14
May 27
June 23
July 8
Aug 4
Aug 4
Aug 11
Aug 25
Sept 2
Sept 8
Sept 16
Sept 22
Event
XTERRA South Africa Championship
Conrad Stoltz and Carla van Huyssteen
XTERRA Guam Championship
Ben Allen and Renata Bucher
XTERRA Motatapu
Braden Currie and Fleur Lattimore
XTERRA Philippines Championship
Ben Allen and Renata Bucher
XTERRA Saipan Championship
Ben Allen and Renata Bucher
XTERRA New Zealand Championship
Ben Allen and Jacqui Slack
XTERRA Italy Championship+
Nicolas Lebrun and Jacqui Slack
XTERRA Brazil Championship
Felipe Moletta and Shonny Vanlandingham
XTERRA France Championship+
Asa Shaw and Helena Erbanova
XTERRA Czech Championship+
XTERRA Mexico Championship
XTERRA Germany Championship+
XTERRA Japan Championship
XTERRA Canada Championship
XTERRA Switzerland Championship+
XTERRA Venezuela Championship
XTERRA USA Championship
Location
Western Cape
Guam
South Island, New Zealand
Cebu
Northern Marianas
Rotorua
Orosei, Sardinia
Manaus, Amazon
Xonrupt, Gerardmer
Prachatice
Tapalpa
Zittau
Marunuma
Canmore, AL
Prangins
Villa de Caribe
Ogden/Snowbasin, UT
Oct 28
XTERRA World Championship
Maui, Hawaii
Race winners in Bold + XTERRA European Tour events - Schedule tentative and subject to change. As of April 4, 2012
Tapalpa
2012
2012 XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - OCTOBER 28
Following an action-packed racing season that will span 15 countries with more
than 100 events, XTERRA will host its 17th XTERRA World Championship at
the Kapalua Resort in Maui on October 28.
A season-ending blow-out like no other, the World Championship is the
culmination of a worldwide series of races held in South Africa, Guam, Philippines, Saipan, New Zealand, Italy, Brazil, France, Czech, Mexico, Germany,
Japan, Canada, Switzerland, and the United States.
The race course, considered one of XTERRA's toughest and most grueling, will
consist of a 1.5-kilometer roughwater swim, a grueling 30- kilometer mountain
bike, and a 10-kilometer trail run.
The maxed-out field is limited to 750 competitors, who represent the best offroad, multisport athletes on the planet. It is a "winner take all" race, with one of
the richest pro purses in multisport at $100,000, and it is awarded solely on the
basis of the Maui performance. Since this race is a stand-alone event, it offers a
unique opportunity to competitors. Even those who have had a less than stellar
season, are given an opportunity to redeem themselves and earn the coveted
title of XTERRA World Champion.
A special prime, the Hawaiian Airlines Double, will pay $2,500 to the man and
woman with the fastest combined Hawaii Ironman and XTERRA World
Championship time. Only two weeks and a narrow channel of ocean separate
the two events, which each year attract a growing number of endurance athletes.
QUALIFYING FOR MAUI
Amateur athletes can qualify for the
XTERRA World Championship by
finishing in one of the 40 qualifying
spots available at each World Tour
Championship event or one of the 40
qualifying spots (see below) at any of
the five XTERRA U.S. Championship
Series races. There are also a limited
number of at-large slots available early
in the year.
DIVISION
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65+
65-69
70+
Total
Men
1
1
2
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
NA
1
1
22
Women
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
NA
NA
18
Total
2
2
4
5
5
5
4
2
2
1
1
1
1
47
Tapalpa
2012
HOW XTERRA GOT STARTED
IT REALLY STARTED in the late '80's. That's when Tom
Kiely (CEO of TEAM Unlimited - owners and producers of
XTERRA) was tasked with creating more publicity for the
Waikiki Oahu Visitors Association. His idea was sports TV.
"First, sports is part of our life blood in Hawaii, and second,
what looks good on TV? The beaches and the ocean," explained Kiely.
The concept was pretty simple. TV sports and
entertainment is one of the biggest industries in the world.
The travel industry is THE BIGGEST industry in the world.
Bring those two together in programming, and you've got
something big.
So he came up with the idea for the Hawaiian International
Ocean Challenge - a lifeguard skills competition that
attracted water safety specialists from Australia, New
Zealand, California, and of course, Hawaii. Then, he forged
a relationship with ESPN - the worldwide leader in sports.
In 1990 the Ocean Challenge was broadcast on ESPN, and
millions of viewers were exposed to the beauty of Waikiki the sun, sand, and crystal clear blue water of the Pacific
Ocean. Subsequently, this is where David "Kahuna" Nicholas
enters the picture - as "race director."
"So we get into producing the Ocean Challenge," says Kiely.
"And now I'm thinking I've got all these athletes and TV crews
and if it costs me this much to produce one show, it'll cost
less for another, and even less for a third."
ESPN approves two more shows (Waikiki King's Race and
Diamond Head Wahine Windsurfing Classic) and in 1991
TEAM Unlimited produces three events and three TV shows.
The concept is working, and Hawaii is reaping the benefits of
the outdoor exposure the shows are generating.
"So the next year (1992) we produced seven Hawaiian
Sports Adventure Showsmultiple segments, different
stories, great scenics, and 30-minutes of entertaining, good
fun stuff," said Kiely.
Those seven shows were in addition to the Ocean Challenge and a few others televised events, including the inaugural Tour O' Hawaii.
"Now that was a great event," said Nicholas - now the
managing director of the XTERRA Global Tour. "The Tour O'
Hawaii happened before professional cyclists were allowed
to compete in the Olympics so the top riders from every
country kept their amateur status so they could race in the
Olympics. We just missed Lance because he signed with
Motorola, but we had George Hincapie, Jan Ulrich, Tyler
Hamilton, and dozens of others. Looking back, the field was
a who's who of international cycling."
A few years later the Olympics allowed pros to compete,
road cycling in the U.S. was on the decline, and the Tour O'
Hawaii was no more. At the same time, however, mountain
biking was taking off. So in 1995, in addition to 12 other TV
shows and several events, TEAM Unlimited produced the
Hawaiian Mountain Tour.
In doing so Nicholas and mountain bike Hall-of-Famer Dean
Crandall established the rules and held the first-ever mountain bike stage race. This is also where many of the XTERRA
greats first appeared. The likes of Ned Overend, Shari Kain,
Melanie McQuaid, Steve Larsen, Mike Kloser, Leslie Tomlinson, and host of others were taking part in the Hawaiian
Mountain Tour. Now these races took place at Kualoa Ranch
on Oahu, where the Koolau mountain range meets the
ocean, and the story goes that after their races the mountain
bikers would ride down to the beach and jump in the water.
It sparked a thoughtwhy not have a
mountain bike
triathlon?
By 1996 TEAM Unlimited had produced more than 50
shows and sporting events, and while the idea of an off-road
triathlon was enticing - who'd pay for it?
Almost simultaneously, the Aston Hotel in Maui (now the
Wailea Marriott Resort) was shopping for a good idea for
their grand opening and the Maui Visitors Bureau was looking for a new event that could tell a different story about
Maui's south shore because all the exposure up to that point
was golf. Well, what better way to show off the hotel and
south shore than 1) starting the race at this beautiful beach
in front of the sponsor hotel, 2) follow a race that covers 21
miles of terrain with two dozen camera's, and 3) put it on TV
for the whole world to see?
Add a phone call to Kiely from a friendly competitor in the
marketplace (to remain unnamed) inquiring on the very subject of producing an off-road triathlon and you have all the
main ingredients for XTERRA's birth.
Kiely likes to define luck as the "intersection of
opportunity and activity." He recalls bringing Nicholas and VP
of Marketing Janet Clark into his office.
"Look, I said, so-and-so called me and said that they were
thinking about doing an off-road tri and if they do, then we're
forever second, so we have to be the first ones to do it. I immediately called Aston and the MVB and said O.K., I've got
the idea, here's the thing, bing, bang, boom," said Kiely.
"And that's what got us started in XTERRA."