(Xonrupt Longemer, France) - French multisport star Nicolas Lebrun won the XTERRA France Championship/World cup and European Cup race in Xonrupt on Saturday.
In doing so Lebrun (pictured courtesy C. Guiard), a three-time XTERRA European Tour Champ, ended Franky Batelier’s amazing run of six straight wins on the European Tour.
A full field of over 350 athletes gathered in Northeast France for the grueling race that included a 1500-meter swim, two 17km mountain bike loops in the heart of the National Park of Vosges Mountains and a 10km trail run.
French pro Nicolas Becker was first out of the water just ahead of Olivier Marceau and the reigning Euro Tour Champ Batelier. Becker's lead did not last long, however, when Marceau and Batelier took the battle to the front of the bike. Lebrun was more than four minutes back out of the swim but rallied to catch the leaders by the bike-to-run transition. The trio headed out on the run together, followed by the chase pack composed of Zadak (Cze), Schumann (Ger), Del Corral (Spa), Luxem (Bel) and Gardner (Eng).
In less than a mile Lebrun took the lead and never looked back. Behind him Spanish rider Victor Del Corral was flying and posted the second best run time and passed everyone but Lebrun to finish in second. Marceau was third, Schumann caught Batelier at the end to finish 4th and an exhausted Batelier rounded out the top 5.
TOP 5 PRO MEN
Pos Nom NOC Age Total
1. LEBRUN Nicolas FRA 37 2:52:39
2. DEL CORRAL MORALES Victor ESP 30 2:53:25
3. MARCEAU Olivier FRA 37 2:53:59
4. SCHUMANN Felix FRA 28 2:54:12
5. BATELIER Franky FRA 32 2:56:29
And what of yours truly??
Well like its says at the top and doesn't say in the top5, the heat and hills coupled with hydration or lack off kept me from the podium finish I so desperately crave...
After a super smooth road trip out to France from the UK, with new friends Brian, Jason Daz and Dan. Spirits were high and I was happy with my phisical and mental state going into what was to be the toughest Xterra course in the Euro calender. After meeting up with the rest of the Brits out there and discussing as well as riding the course in depth, it was evident that tactics would play some part come Sundays 2pm race start given the heat we had, been having since our arrival.
Things were hotting up in transition pre race, with many people still unsure of exits and entrys.....As I'm sure Ive told (and bored) many of you, my swimming been going well recently, so my plan was to capitalise on that and in true Macca style, "stick it up the flag poll and see what happens from the start"
I swam the first half of the 1700m lap (yes, 200m over distance?)hard and then got into a small group which i was able to sit on the back of and relax over the final 800m, still exiting the water around the top20. The bike went directly into the main climb from transition and after stamping on the pedals for 10Min's and have most of the main players just cruze past, I knew all wasn't quite right?
I finally realised my seat post had slid down a couple of inch's during the first part of the climb, something that made it impossible to use full power. After repeatedly using my best "del-boy" french, i managed to get an Allen key from a marshal and rectify the problem, but by then i was hovering around the first 50 and not 15 as id planned!
A hell ride with trail monkey Lewllen Holmes for the next 2/3 of a lap before he dropped me, took back most of the lost places. But with the temp rising and me now running in the red, its was a case of to little to late. Onto the trail run and disbite having the perfect shoes for the job (f-lite 230) I just couldnt keep any sort of pace up and faded badly after the first few km's. I didn't notice the point where running became walking, it just happened and after that it all went downhill faster than Tomba on a double diamond black run.............. By the time I shuffled down the finish shoot my eyes were closed and it was all I could do to stay up right. With no IV at the finish and no Suze to hold onto and tell me it was going to be ok, it was a while before I really got things together and realised exactly what id just been through and indeed where in the world I was!!!!
The initial disappointment of not achieving my goal for a top10 finish has now almost gone. I guess in a way every thing has its positives, OK so no prize money this time and almost my last penny gone in paying for the trip out there, but I have got my health and after one of the hardest races of the last 19years, Ive got the best finishers medal money can't buy.
