Two Time World Champion Enters XTERRA UK
Thursday, 17th August 2006
The organisers of the XTERRA UK event are delighted to announce that the twice XTERRA World Champion Eneko Llanos has entered the field in the event's professional triathlon, promising to make this a memorable showpiece race.
Llanos, 29, from Spain, will compete in the XTERRA UK Championship, which is a qualifier for the XTERRA World Championship in Maui, Hawaii, in October, on Sunday September 3rd in the Vale of Neath in South Wales.
Llanos, whose own place in Maui is already secure, is arguably one of the finest off road triathletes in the world. XTERRA World Champion in 2003 and 2004, he narrowly missed out on three XTERRA World Championships in a row last year, after a punctured tyre for more than half of the mountain bike leg meant he had to make do with second position.
Widely tipped to regain the World Championship this year, his entry is sure to make him one of the favourites to take XTERRA UK's largest slice of prize money of £2,200. In his native Basque country, Llanos, along with his brother Hektor, are considered the most consistent triathletes of the last decade, based on excellent results in all triathlon specialities.
This season started difficulty for Llanos, following a back injury that he incurred early on in the Lanzarote Ironman, but now the signs of a good recovery are clear following his third place at the Austria Ironman, and a second place in the XTERRA Spain race. He is due to finish the season by competing in the Hawaii Ironman, as well as the XTERRA World Championship, also in Hawaii.
Llanos says: 'I am really excited by the XTERRA UK race. The course sounds really interesting and I hope that this can be really good preparation for the XTERRA World Championship.
'I have always enjoyed getting to know new XTERRA courses, and this will be one of the newest, so I am not really sure what to expect. I do, however, feel good in training at the moment and hope that my improvement this season will continue at XTERRA UK'.
Upon hearing the news that fellow XTERRA pro Mike Vine, previous winner of the Nissan XTERRA Mountain Championship, will be on the start line with him, Llanos says: 'It will be great to line up against Mike, who has always been a very strong triathlete. I think I will need to get ahead of him in the swim, as he is a very strong mountain biker'.
XTERRA itself is a mountain biking and off-road triathlon concept which has been in the States since 1996 and is the world's fastest-growing multi-sport series. XTERRA boasts 90 races annually in the Nissan XTERRA Points Series in the United States and the Global and European tours with championships in Saipan, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Spain and now also the UK, France and Denmark.
A decade since the inaugural event XTERRA is now coming to the UK. The XTERRA concept appeals to a range of competitors from mountain biking to adventure racing, triathlon, duathlon and trail running. The weekend event is designed to encourage participation in a range of events.
Moreover there will be a campsite, exhibitions and activities for the whole family including children. The organisers have also arranged the production of a half hour TV programme on Sky Sports. The Neath Valley location has been chosen as an area which is superb for mountain biking and running. The area already hosts many international sporting events such as the Wales Rally GB, World Cup MTB Down Hill, National Mountain Bike Championships, adventure racing, triathlon and many other leisure activities. The forest is also used as a training venue for many UK professional multi-sports athletes.
Source: Press Release
More info: www.XTERRA.co.uk