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2009 Wilseyville Hare Scramble write up, pics and video here.
The entry form says AMA championship series, so maybe it was a big race? All I know is I was as green as it gets. The newness of this unfamiliar sport opened my eyes to what athletes new to triathlon and  XTERRA experience. Nervous, excited, clueless, [...]

Photo by RichCruse.com.
My Specialized Epic S-works worked like a dream, and this course on Maui is infamously tough on equipment. A lot of work has gone into the preparation of the bike for this race in particular.
Here are a few highlights:
 
Specialized tires
Specialized has been amazingly helpful in helping me find a tire that is [...]

2009 XTERRA World Champs podium by Rich Cruse
From L to R: Olivier Marceau (4th), Micheal Weiss (3rd), Eneko Llanos (1st), Nico Lebrun (2nd), Conrad Stoltz (5th)
Yes, I am disappointed. (Thanks for the nice e-mails. True friends are the ones who cares no matter the result) I did everything in my power to get to [...]

Rich Cruse and Nikola

Costume by Rich Cruse

Caveman style, of course!
Problem: The sticky Vermont mud clogged up my Specialized Epic’s  rear triangle. The sticky tires then picked up dead leaves and really stuffed it tightly between wheel and frame. This was taken in training 2 days before the race.

Caveman solution:
Take a 1 liter water bottle, cut it to bits and zip tie [...]

My last evening in Richmond was dinner at Dr Moose Herrington’s house. (he did the surgery on my foot) Dr Rob Green was there too, so tri talk was the main topic and Libby Herrington makes a killer chicken burrito!
Big was my surprise to see the elaborate welcome his 3 kids organized: A well researched, [...]

Hi, this is Nikola…
I just chatted to Lisbeth, Conrad’s mom, and got some info on how Conrad is.
He was operated last night due to the infection from the cut he got during the XTERRA Richmond race.
The leg was infected and they needed to clean and flush the wound.
Conrad will stay in hospital for at last [...]

Usually, this is the kind of scenery you’d expect…

I was riding through a tree lined Reno street. I think I shifted my hands from the brake hoods to the bar tops, and in that split second my front wheel hit a short, stubby stick in the road. The handle bar wobbled, I grabbed at the wobbling bar, missed, and fell.
I was fortunate to [...]

I went from this:

Roodewalshoek, Lydenburg, South Africa (Yes, that is a Cheryl Crow speedo)
To this:

Reno, Nevada, USA

I built a short Enduro track through a stream and some dongas on our farm. My mate Werner came over for the day and we rode till dark. Serious fun and hard work!  I finished my long run 1st thing in the morning and had the day free for fun “XTERRA training”…
This was my last [...]

 
Owen makes a killer Cappuccino at Mill Coffee Shop. I stayed at De Oude Meul Guest house for a few days- breakfast was

What happens in Africa when you leave your bike stationary for too long. (Wont say how long, but not long at all!)
It is a kind of wasp that made a nest and probably laid some eggs in the suspension pivot of my Specialized Epic.

NO kidding. A perfect little wasp home. This guy is quite some [...]

My friends from Stellenbosch organized a 4 day river rafting trip over New Years. We paddled South Africa’s biggest river- the (not so) mighty Orange. It runs through the driest part of South Africa and made for a truely memorable experience. Pine runs African Rafting and is a friend of a friend, so all 20 [...]

Kurt the Incredible Hulk Hogan and the Firefighter in clown shoes

I liked the previous post so much I though I’d leave it on forever, but after a few dozen hints I’ll move on.
Amber and I have been absolutely overwhelmed by congratulations and good wishes for far and wide. Thank you very, very much. And a special note to those poor ones who “were left in [...]

Amber and I are about to get on the plane tomorrow and celebrated our farewell with good friends, good food and good training in some of the most beautiful settings in the world…

The Republic of Hout Bay in the background, and two tired cyclists in the mirror. Taken from one of the sharp turns on [...]