Ruben Ruzafa of Spain is the favorite to win the men’s title and the women's crown looks to be a three-way battle between defending champion Nicky Samuels of New Zealand, returning 3rd-place finisher Flora Duffy of Bermuda and dominating XTERRA European Series winner and Maui newbie Kathrin Mueller of Germany. They are all competing at the 19th XTERRA World Championship which will commence early Sunday at the Kapalua Resort on the northwest coast of Maui.
The press conference included 5 men and 5 women who have real chances for victory in his crown jewel of off road triathlon. Host Greg Welch asked some of the questions and asked several more submitted from triathlon media around the world.
THE WOMEN
Nicky Samuels of New Zealand won the XTERRA World Championship last year in her first try. And this year she placed 3rd at the ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Final in Edmonton.
XTERRA Press Conference host Greg Welch: Nicky you’ve had quite a good year, finishing off the ITU WTS Series Grand Final with a great 3rd place. How has it been since then training for the mountain bike?
Nicky: I have been starting mountain biking and using this period as base training for next year’s ITU races.
Greg: Does being defending champion carry pressure?
Nicky: It probably should. But I came into this race last year hoping to not be last and ended up with a first. So when you have done the whole ITU season, you really don’t know what sort of shape you are in for XTERRA. It’s a bit of a lottery. You might be on fire or maybe not. So I hope my fitness carries over from last season and we will just see how it goes.
Greg: Do you do any riding on the mountain bike during your ITU season?
Nicky: No. Not at all during the season. I have been on it the last 4 weeks.
Greg: What is the biggest difference racing on road versus XTERRA?
Nicky: In ITU it often comes down to the first 300 meters of the swim and after that it is a bit of a running race for the last 10k. Bikes don’t really play much of a part. Whereas here the bike is a huge part of deciding the winner.
ST: Do you have a mentor for learning to ride a mountain bike?
Nicky: No I don’t. I have a few friends I go riding with. But I spend pretty much as little time on a mountain bike as possible.
Flora Duffyof Bermuda had a great season winning the XTERRA USA Championship, XTERRA West, XTERRA East and XTERRA Southeast and took 2nd in XTERRA Germany. But Nicky Samuels beat her in the big ITU pavement races where Duffy finished 8th at the Commonwealth Games and 18th at the Grand Final in Edmonton. Samuels also beat her at Maui last year.
Greg: You’ve had quite a year in XTERRA!
Flora: Yeah it really has been quite an unexpected ride. Coming into the 2014 season I was still unsure how much I would race XTERRA. Obviously finishing 3rd last year at Maui in my first attempt really inspired me to do a little bit more. Then I spent the winter in Stellenbosch South Africa. They have a lot of great trails out there and I trained with two guys who raced XTERRA. I improved my technical skills so that kind of channeled me in the direction of racing more XTERRA. I thought, ‘OK, I can fit the US XTERRA series in and around my other road triathlon races.’
Greg: How unexpected has your success been this season?
Flora: I've been blown away by how - I should not say ‘easily’ – but how well I’ve taken to the sport.
Greg: Would a victory Sunday stand as the best result of your career?
Flora: Yeah definitely it would. Being a world champion would be on any professional athlete’s to-do list in sport. And coming from Bermuda, I don’t think there has been a professional victory on a world championship level. There have been maybe two age group world champions. So it would be huge for me and my country. I have dreamed of being a world champion since I was 8 years old. You can ask my parents. They will tell you, ‘That girl is intense.’
ST: Are you confident you can beat Nicky on this course?
Flora: Winning the XTERRA USA Series has definitely boosted my confidence. Coming into Maui last year I was actually just coming off a stress fracture - I just had two runs and said, ‘OK let’s give it a go.’ But I am a completely different athlete than I was last year so I don't know if that means I can beat Nicky or what. But I definitely think I will be closer to her and there will be definitely more back and forth competition between us on Sunday.
Kathrin Muellerof Germany dominated the XTERRA European Tour this year and won the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championship.
Greg: You dominated the European circuit this year, why the decision to mainly race in Europe?
Kathrin: I am living in Europe and I don’t have the time to go travel overseas. I travel a lot to so many places and I just like to train at home and race home.
Slowtwitch: Did winning cross worlds against Flora Duffy by 2 minutes give you confidence against such a tough competitor?
Kathrin: Yes. At the same time I know it is a different challenge here. The course is different. The conditions are different. Racing in Europe in cold conditions and rain and mud is completely different. Here it is technical and dry – except for yesterday. But yeah, I have confidence but I know it is totally different from Europe so I am not expecting to dominate as I did in Europe.
Greg: If it rains here, Maui will be hard in a different way. You won in rain and mud in Europe. Are you ready for Maui’s usual hot weather?
Kathrin: Definitely I prefer wet and muddy. I am not used to the heat and humidity. So this is a big challenge for me here. I always suffer in the heat and so yesterday I had a really big hope this will be my day on Sunday. But here in Maui things can change every day. So we will see what happens.
Barbara Riveros of Chile is a strong ITU competitor and Olympian who finished 2nd at XTERRA Maui in 2012 and 3rd last year.
ST: Barbara can you beat fellow ITU stars Nicky Samuels and Flora Duffy this year?
Barbara: I am pretty excited to be here at the biggest XTERRA event of the year. My coach and I came here in September so we had a few weeks to train here. The whole atmosphere and the community here in Maui is great. It is nice to reconnect myself with the nature. Yeah I am blessed to be here and have a beautiful place to race.
ST: Because you are the shortest competitor here, you have a very good power to weight ratio. You may have an advantage on other girls while climbing, but you may give up a little bit on the descents. How do you see this?
Barbara: Well I already have a strategy. I have modified my bike to make going downhill better. I think this is a great course. And this year I did another XTERRA which was very technical. But here there is a section here that is technical as well. I think the heat and the humidity will play a big part with all the climbing. Now that we have had rain for a few days, the course is wet so I think there are many more factors that will play into the game.
Emma Garrard of the U.S. finished second to Flora Duffy multiple times on the XTERRA USA tour.
Greg: What does it mean to be competing at this level at this time in your life?
Emma: I am 33 years old and having a great time competing against top athletes and having good results at this time of my life. Yes, being a new parent, a new mom, and trying to be a professional athlete at the same time has been challenging. But it is great to be here and I keep telling myself I can compete against all of these fast girls.
Greg: After all these second place finishes to Flora Duffy in the U.S., how did it feel to win an XTERRA in England?
Emma: It was great to finally win an XTERRA after a lot of second place finishes. I had a lot of family there watching, so it was really special. It made me more relaxed for the rest of the season.
Greg: Can that translate to a win here in Kapalua?
Emma: I think the competition is a little stiffer here. This is a totally different course and a totally different temperature. But sure! Why not? LAUGHS
THE MEN
Conrad Stoltz of South Africa just turned 41. He has four XTERRA World Championships, 3 ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships, and has won a record 52 XTERRA elite races. This year he had XTERRA wins in Auckland, Brazil and Denmark and took 2ND at XTERRA Las Vegas.
Greg Welch: Happy birthday Conrad.
Conrad: It’s been a long day because I have traveled over so many time zones. So I have been getting congratulations from Japan, and then Asia and then Africa and then Europe and then the US. It feels like I’ve been having a birthday for two days. It’s been good.
Greg: That's what happens when you get old mate. Things slow down.
Conrad: Yes but many other things flash by. So it is good.
Greg: With the sport being accessible for so many athletes, what advice do you have for folks like Sunny Garcia, a surfing champion tackling this race for the first time? Sunny is used to riding mountains of water, but this weekend he will be riding mountains on his mountain bike.
Conrad: It is interesting. I just finished a ride with Sunny when he got here. I was out on the trail and I bumped into him and I didn't recognize him. But when he opened his mouth, I knew who he was and we finished the ride together. He is a fantastic rider. I thought his single track is much, much better than my surfing. He's got the moves and obviously he is in the sport for the challenge and for the adventure. My advice is to make sure you take it easy at first because it is a long day. Especially the middle part of the bike course has a lot of climbing and it is very technical and difficult. If you leave it all out there it will come back to haunt you at the end of the bike and of course on the run. Ease back and relax. He is not out here to win a title so have fun. That is the right approach for everyone - even myself. If I don’t have fun in the sport then I don’t do well. So I encourage everyone to have fun as much as they can.
Greg: What are the biggest changes you have seen over the last few years?
Conrad: Better bikes. I was doing an interview a few weeks ago where we were discussing the changes in our equipment. I started the sport racing in a Speedo. Now we are racing in clothing that doesn’t get wet and protects us. My first bike had a triple chain ring. That first year I was racing XTERRA, in 2001, I was given a Specialized bike a week before my first world championship with the first-ever tubeless tires. We didn’t understand what they were. Now people didn’t even talk about it. It’s been pretty amazing to watch the way technology and social media have affected this sport. Now if you get lost on the trail you open up your Strava and compare where you are with the map. Yes, technology really changes things.
Ben Allen is a former Australian Surf Life Saving champ. He has won the XTERRA Asian Triple Crown and finished 3rd at the XTERRA World Championship last year.
Greg: You’ve been up and down this season. How would you rate the last couple of your seasons?
Ben: This year has been a bit of a roller coaster. I first started out in the sport just getting a feel for it. Since then I try to progress each and every year. The travel takes its toll going from one race to another. And so you can’t perform at that really top level every time out. That is what I have taken from this year. But knowing how important this race is, I’ve been able to go back to my roots and build a solid foundation over the last couple of weeks. So I’m looking forward to the race this weekend.
Greg: What will help you be on the podium again?
Ben: It is consistency -- and also a lot of luck. Last year I was really lucky and I also worked hard in all three disciplines. The competition this year is fierce. You can’t have a weakness. If you do have that weakness, it will play to your disadvantage. You need to be strong and focused and execute a good race plan. I think that is the most important thing. A lot of athletes get distracted about what other athletes are doing and it starts with the week leading up to the race. It is important to stay focused and not go out and try to do too much. Rest and stay hydrated and stay aware that it is going to be a really tough day out there. And you need to hone on your own ability and focus and work on that. This year it is going to take a really lucky day. All of us up here are really on par with one another. It is just 1 or 2 percent that will make the difference.
Greg: What will be the decisive moment of the race?
Ben: I think all of us know that when it comes time to make that critical decision whether to attack or hold back and stay in your own pace. You will either win the race or be forced to work very hard and consolidate your way back up again.
Ruben Ruzafaof Spain is s former professional mountain bike racer. He won the XTERRA World Championship in 2008 and last year. This year he has won nine straight XTERRA International races and comes to Maui undefeated.
Greg: A few years ago you came from a professional mountain biking career to XTERRA. What is the difference between a being a pro mountain biker and being a pro XTERRA athlete?
Ruben: In mountain biking I have a team and I don’t worry about my travels and about my bike. We had two mechanics and one will be at the track at every race. So the change has been very big because now I have to be worried about my travels and my bike. I am also my own mechanic. But I am happier now than when I was a mountain biker. When you are on a mountain bike team, you are in your room watching the ceiling fan and have more time to worry. So now I am better.
Greg: You have given up a minute or two to Josiah Middaugh on the run but you have managed to win every race this year. So how many minutes lead do you need off the bike?
Ruben: I am not sure but too many is OK. CHUCKLES
Josiah Middaughof Vail, Colorado has won multiple XTERRA USA races and has also won a ton of snowshoe races. He placed second to Ruben Ruzafa last year at the XTERRA World Championship and has often out-split Ruzafa on the run.
Greg: You are a multiple USA Champion – but you have never been able to crack this one here. How big a goal is that one for you?
Josiah: Definitely it is a lifetime dream of mine to come out on top at this race. I have a lot of motivation this year.
Greg: XTERRA can be hard on the body. How have you remained healthy for so many years?
Josiah: By having some balance and a lot of consistency. As far as not being tempted to overtrain -- maybe it is not having the time to overtrain with 3 kids and work. So it has allowed me to put in a reasonable number of hours training each week and made me train pretty scientifically in the hours I have available -- and not overdo it.
Greg: Adding a world championship - would that be the icing on the cake?
Josiah: Absolutely. I would be ecstatic with a win. I would also feel a sense of relief. Looking back, it has been a long road to get here and I’ve had lots of cracks at it. I feel like I probably won’t have a whole lot more chances - so I feel I should really go for it.
Dan Hugo is a South African who won many XTERRA international and XTERRA USA events this year including Knysa, Norway, Richmond, Malaysia, APAC, Guam, Philippines, South Africa and Buffelsport. He was 12th at Maui last year and was 2nd at Maui in 2011.
Greg: What’s it like to be back in Maui?
Dan: It’s been wet. Very unusual. Usually we have it very dry and dusty. This week, coming on the back of a tropical storm, we had big rain yesterday. So it has been unpredictable. Rain tires and spikes are probably not needed. But riding the course today and yesterday has left many of us scratching our heads.
Greg: When the course was on the slopes of Haleakala it was all dust and lava rock. Since XTERRA came to Kapalua four years ago, we are faced with different situation – especially this year with the rains. How quickly do you have to adjust your mind to get ready for the race?
Dan: With all the variables that Maui offers, I think the contrast between the old course and the new course is great. I think our sport is in its infancy and now it's in its second decade. In 20 years we will look back on it with a different perspective. I can say that if this championship race had been on a different course with different variables, [fellow South African] Conrad [Stoltz] might have won quite a few more world titles. I think our sport has some similarities to road cycling. For example, you might never have known the names of Mark Cavendish and Fabian Cancellara if there had only been hilltop finishes. So I think XTERRA, more than any other form of triathlon, can vary so much in its race courses. I think we can have a good conversation if we migrate this race to some other part of the world – and it might change the result. Maybe South Africa could host it in some years. When we come back to Maui it has a heap of climbing. Maybe 3000 feet, which is a very particular challenge combined with its heat and humidity. It might change a little bit with the [rainy] weather this week. But ultimately it is the climb that makes the biggest difference.
