March 4, 2013, 12:07:17 pm
Liloan, Cebu – XTERRA Warrior award winner Ben Allen from Australia and two-time XTERRA World Champion Lesley Paterson from Scotland captured the third edition of the XTERRA Philippines Championship at the seafront of Barangay Jubay in Liloan (Cebu Province) on Saturday.
For Allen the victory marks a successful title defense and fourth straight win in the Western Pacific having swept last year’s Triple Crown of championship events in the Philippines, Saipan, and Guam.
“Very proud and honored to defend my title here in the Philippines, loved every minute of it,” said Allen.
He needed every minute of it, too, as South Africa’s Dan Hugo finished just 51 seconds back thanks to the fastest run split of the day.
“Thrilling event, in many ways,” posted Hugo to his twitter account Saturday. “Two flat tires, a crash and a meltdown. Ran into lead, but lost to a class effort by Benny Allen.”
It’s Hugo’s second straight second-place, having finished in same position at the XTERRA World Tour opener in South Africa last week.
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March 3, 2013, 12:33:46 pm
Australian Ben Allen bucked the technical and physical difficulties of the course as well as the challenge of the other professional triathletes to rule the 2013 Vaseline Men XTERRA Off-road Triathlon sponsored by Alaska Milk last Saturday in Liloan town, Cebu.
Allen finished the race in two hours, 37 minutes and 40 seconds to cross the finish line first at the Sea Front Beach Resort. He thus earned another ticket to the Maui World Championships of the XTERRA World Triathlon.
“It was absolutely tough. It was toughest XTERRA I have ever experienced. But I’m tough too. I am mentally and physically ready to compete in the XTERRA world championships.”
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March 1, 2013, 12:32:34 pm
The third annual XTERRA Philippines Championship race in Liloan (Cebu Province) is just two days away and pros from around the world are reveling in the culture and race course that combine into “One Epic Adventure,” according to reigning champ Ben Allen.
Two-time XTERRA World Champ Lesley Paterson agrees, writing “I just spent the most amazing time checking out the XTERRA Philippines course…Wow! Got a true slice of the Filipino lifestyle – through backstreets and stalls, overtaking cows and goats, passing kids on bikes, up through dense jungle like tracks, rocky descents, down valleys, stopping on a mountain top for fresh coconut water straight from husks cut by an old toothless guy with a machete….talk about a slice of the culture. THIS is why I do this sport!”
Cebu is the second stop on the XTERRA World Tour and first of three exotic championship races in March, with XTERRA Saipan and Guam to follow. XTERRA’s “Triple Crown of the Western Pacific” provides a wonderful opportunity for racers to kick-off their season in style with great people and terrific training grounds in warm weather.
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February 28, 2013, 1:42:39 pm
Awesome to be back in the Philippines.! Looking forward to catching up with you soon. Jacqui & I rode & ran the Xterra Phil course on Wednesday with an amazing group of inspiring Filipino athletes.! Start off describing the New Course as “One Epic Adventure” As soon as you mount your bike you enter a unique stretch of coconut trees, but no time to rest as you have a mixture of paved & unpaved roads before dropping down into a technical little single track parallel to a full flowing river.
Some bumps & turns not to mention dodging a stray cow, dog, goat, cat, frog, chicken etc… A nice challenging hike a bike section before the first of many climbs you will encounter to get the heart rate rising as if it wasn’t already from the 90% humidity & 30 degrees temperature. Ouch
it’s HOT.! Up & down you go just like a roller coaster, taking a sneak peak at the beautiful surroundings and amazing coastline of Cebu.
March 20, 2012, 9:03:26 am
LILOAN, Cebu – Renata Bucher and Ben Allen took the early lead then withstood every challenge to rule the most extreme racing competition on the planet, the Vaseline Men XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon, held here March 18.
Bucher, who is from Switzerland, asserted her will early to post a wire-to-wire victory in the Women’s Professional category finishing the race with a time of two hours, 30 minutes and five seconds. Bucher took the lead right from the start. “The Swiss Miss” was the first woman out of the cold waters of the Camotes Sea and was also the first woman to transition from the bike stage into the run stage of the competition.
March 18, 2012, 10:03:59 am
LILOAN, Cebu – Renata Bucher asserted her class to post a wire-to-wire victory in the women’s category of the Vaseline Men XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon.
Bucher took the lead right from the start. She was the first woman out of the water and was also the first woman to transition from the bike stage into the run stage of the competition.
March 18, 2012, 9:41:01 am
LILOAN, Cebu – Ben Allen took the lead which he never relinquished in the bike stage then withstood the challenge of the other XTERRA professionals to rule the Vaseline Men XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon.
Two minutes behind in second place is Olivier Marceau. Hot in pursuit is Cedric Lassonde who came in third inside of a minute behind Marceau.
March 18, 2012, 9:09:13 am
LILOAN, Cebu – Ben Allen finished the bike stage of the Vaseline Men XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon well ahead of the nearest competitor. Well behind in second place is Oliver Marceau who came in more than three minutes after Allen.
Race Director Guy Concepcion noted that such a big lead virtually ensures Allen’s eventual victory.
March 18, 2012, 8:39:50 am
LILOAN, Cebu – With the main race still in the bike stage Ben Allen retained his overall lead in the Vaseline Men XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon. In second place is Oliver Marceau as the competition remained a two-man race.
Allen has almost completed the two loops of the 35 kilometer bike stage of the race.
March 18, 2012, 8:18:23 am
LILOAN, Cebu – Ben Allen overtook swim stage leader Mathieu O’Halloran in the bike stage to take the lead in the Vaseline Men XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon. In second place is Oliver Marcieu briefly turning the competition into a two-man race.
With all the participants of the Vaseline Men XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon already finished with the swim part a strong current flowed from the open water turning the relatively calm water of the sea into a choppy obstacle for the Vaseline Men XTERRA Off Road Triathlon Lite participants.
