DANAO, Cebu—Bradley Weiss and Carina Wasle insist they’re ready and raring for a repeat, so do the rest of the elite pro field, guaranteeing a fierce showdown from the swim-to-mountain bike-to-trail run events of XTERRA Danao Asia-Pacific Championship firing off tomorrow (Sunday) here.“After winning this amazing race last year, it set me up so well for the rest of the season, ultimately winning the XTERRA World Championships,” said Weiss, referring to his first world crown in Kapalua, Maui late last year.“
I hope to have similar fortunes this year and cannot wait to be back out on the XTERRA Danao trails,” added Weiss, 29.T
The South African ace and Wasle actually started the season in big fashion, ruling the Fedhealth XTERRA South African Championship, considered as the world’s biggest, in Elgin-Grabouw last February, making them the athletes to beat in the grueling 1.5k swim, 28k bike on fire roads and rocky terrain and 8k trail run event presented by the City of Danao for the second straight year and produced and organized by Sunrise Events Inc.
The host city, spearheaded by Rep. Ramon Durano IV, has impeccably set up another challenging course from the Coco Palm Beach Resort (swim) to the punishing mountain bike leg to the closing run winding up at the Cebu Technological University.
“It’s a super hard course but I love it, specially the run par. I can’t wait to be again part of this great event and soak up the atmosphere when running through the finish,” said Wasle, who snapped a pair of disappointing finishes in XTERRA Phl by dominating the women’s side by almost 30 minutes last year.
But ranged a power-packed cast, Weiss and Wasle will have their hands full from start to finish with Aussie Ben Allen, a former XTERRA As-Pac Tour champion, heading the talent-laden roster of challengers that includes last year’s runner-up Sam Osborne and Kieran McPherson of New Zealand, Japanese Takahiro Ogasawara, a former XTERRA Saipan winner, Aussie Brodie Gardner, Frenchmen Fabien Combaluzier and Jacky Boisset, Kiwi Alex Roberts, American Will Ross and the Phl’s Joseph Miller.
Great Britain’s Jacqui Allen, on the other hand, is all geared up to foil Wasle’s back-to-back title bid along with Aussie Leela Hancox, Myriam Guillot-Boisset of France, Laura Diaz of Brazil, Kristy Jennings of New Zealand, and Kate Schultz and Penny Slater of Australia.
For details, visit www.danao.xterraphil.com or at facebook and twitter xterrasouthph.
Aside from the full Xterra (individual and relay), also on tap are competitions in the Lite (individual and relay), a 750m swim-14km mountain bike-4km trail run, and the duathlon (individual), a 2km trail run-14km mountain bike-4km trail run event.
The XTERRA Full will fire off at 7 a.m. to be followed by c Lite at 8 a.m. and the XTERRA duathlon at 8:30 a.m.
The event, presented by the Province of Cebu and the City of Danao, is backed by venue hosts Coco Palms Beach Resort and Cebu Technological U, and 2Go Express, David’s Salon, Intercare, Motor Ace, Hyper on Cignal, The Philippine Star, AlcoPlus, DeVant, Sanicare and Storck.