XTERRA Las Vegas- Old School vs New School

Caveman at Urban Rage 2010

After fighting the 9hr time change and jet lag that comes with it, I think I’m ready for XTERRA Las Vegas, the USA Season opener. The form is good, I had great legs and won the Vigne a Vigne MTB race in South Africa on sunday, (despite a puncture and a bit of a tumble) but the question is, is 5 days enough time for acclimatization?

I was stunned by the number of 29ers on the course today. The kiddie wheeled bikes make up maybe 25% of the people pre riding today. I’d like to think I put the 29er ball on the roll (I raced on a Stumpy 29er for the first time 4 years ago). Of course the Specialized 29ers are head and shoulders above the rest- you just cant argue with the level of engineering that went into the Epic. Speaking of which, I ordered a set of race wheels and was going to race on my Maui Swork Epic, but when Fedex came, the box looked a bit big, and contained an brand spanking new Sworks 29er, All built up with my favourite parts, the right tires, so sweet! Thanks to Garth and the crew at Specialized HQ.

How sweet are these Avia AVI STOLTZ‘s?! They look wickedly fast – even in the box.

A sneek peak at the Specialized TERRA shoe we’ve been working on for the past few years. Rumour is, they’ll be on the shelves later this summer…

Did a photo session with the wildly talented Nils Nilsen:

And lastly, I’ve had some requests for autographs on funny things and funny places, but this is my first top tube autograph…

This is what someone who wants a CS autograph on his top tube looks like…

There a lot of new pros on the block this year. Will have to watch the rearview mirror. Or maybe out the windscreen!

Borrowed from www.xterraplanet.com:

OLD SCHOOL vs. NEW SCHOOL IN VEGAS

[Two worlds collide Sunday at the XTERRA U.S. Pro Series season opener at the West Championship in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada.

The wisdom of experience is on one side; and youthful exuberance on the other.

Representing the old school; Stoltz, Middaugh, Wealing, Lebrun, Evans, Waite, Rakita, Kelsay, Glavin, Thijs, Henestrosa, Zoller, and Smith – 13 pros with nearly 100 years of collective XTERRA off-road tri experience.

On the flip side; Ganter, Jackson, Madsen, Michalak, Mielke, Stehula, Valentine, and Wirth– eight young guns with a grand total of eight races under their belts as XTERRA professionals.

The infusion of young and new talent is not only a great sign for the sport, but a fist-pumping tribute to the master’s who have made getting dirty and suffering look so darn compelling.

“I want to win XTERRA Worlds in the next five years and go after my hero Conrad’s record for XTERRA Worlds wins,” wrote Karsten Madsen, a 19-year-old from Ontario, Canada, in his racer bio form.

Today, as KVVU Fox 5 News interviewed Conrad “the Caveman” Stoltz in the lobby of the Aston MonteLago Resort, Madsen stood nearby fresh off an eight-hour drive from his training grounds in Arizona with all the excitement of a kid entering the Magic Kingdom.

In stark contrast, Stoltz was calm, collected, the consummate professional, no doubt methodically preparing to win his record-breaking 38th career championship on Sunday.

The diversity creates excitement and the battle for the top seven spots, for who gets paid and who does not, will be hotly contested.  The “old-timers” will have to earn it, especially with so many up-and-comers looking to prove their worth.

Three on the men’s start list are making their pro debuts – Michalak, Mielke, and Valentine – but aren’t new to XTERRA.  Two-time XTERRA USA amateur champ Jason Michalak would’ve won prize money in 2010 had he been a pro, Patrick Valentine will likely be the first racer out of the water, and Mielke – a trail running madman– had never even done a triathlon at this time last year.  The future is bright for those three.

You’ve also got Chris Stehula, who won the Collegiate National Triathlon Championship last year, and his Cal Poly San Luis Obispo teammate Chris Jackson who is entering his first year as a pro.

The experienced newbie is Adam Wirth from Boise, Idaho, who accounts for half of the newcomers eight pro races mentioned above.  Wirth has shadowed friend and former XTERRA World Champ Nico Lebrun across America competing in XTERRA’s, and finished as high as 5th at XTERRA Canada last year.

Indeed, there’s a lot of new talent mixed in with the proven XTERRA pros here in the desert, but with all the hope and promise the fresh faces bring they’ll still have to run like Josiah Middaugh, bike like Brian Smith, and swim like Seth Wealing to have a shot.
It’ll be a fun Sunday on the XTERRA Planet to see just how it all shakes out.]