Shaw, Erbanova win XTERRA France Championship

Xonrupt, Gerardmer, France - Asa Shaw and Helena Erbanova won the XTERRA France Championship under muddy conditions in Xonrupt, France on Sunday, July 8.

For both, it’s their first-ever XTERRA championship, and it came on perhaps the longest and toughest course on the World Tour.

While Shaw (pictured) is no stranger to XTERRA, having raced in Maui (14th in 2010) and Europe for years, today he had a breakthrough performance.  The Englishman who lives in France put together the third-best swim (behind only Aussie Ben Allen and his brother Karl), the fastest bike, a 2:15:06 split that was a minute-30 better than eventual runner-up Alexander Haas, and the second-best run for a combined winning time of 3:17:04 – more than three minutes ahead of Haas.

Haas, the overall amateur XTERRA World Champ last year, is proving the transition to racing as a pro was the correct decision.  His runner-up in France follows a third-place showing at the season-opener in Italy.

“I was running scared and thought I could hear Nico (Lebrun) behind me the whole way,” laughed Haas after the race.

Lebrun was indeed behind him, and posted the fastest run of the day to pull within just 24 seconds at the finish line for third place.

Cedric Lassonde, a Frenchman living in England, posted his best XTERRA European Tour result of his career in 4th, and Llewellyn Holmes rounded out the top five.

“I took quite a few tumbles on the bike to remind me the taste of the Vosgian mud. Love it. To celebrate I’ve missed the podium, missed my plane and will now spend the night at a Formula 1 Hotel.  How glamour is that…” posted Lassonde, a famous DJ by trade, to his Facebook status.

Also of note, the reigning XTERRA European Tour Champion Olivier Marceau broke a chain and did not finish, and Francois Carloni finished in sixth for the second straight race.

XTERRA FRANCE TOP 10 MEN  

Pos  Fname  Lname  Nat  Time  Points
1  Asa  Shaw  GBR  3:17:04  100
2  Alexander  Haas  GER  3:20:15  90
3  Nicolas  Lebrun  FRA  3:20:39  82
4  Cedric  Lassonde  FRA  3:24:11  75
5  Llewellyn  Holmes  GBR  3:26:20  69
6  Francois  Carloni  FRA  3:28:26  63
7  Jim  Thijs  BEL  3:30:33  58
8  Benoit  Augueux  FRA  3:31:05  53
9  Ben  Allen  AUS  3:31:43  49
10  Graham  Wadsworth  GBR  3:31:52  45

ERBANOVA WINS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP

In her rookie season of 2011 Helena Erbanova placed 5th in the XTERRA European Tour and an impressive 3rd at the XTERRA World Championship in Maui.

This year the former Olympic cross country skier from the Czech Republic finished 2nd at XTERRA Italy and won her first XTERRA title in France.  Six races, six straight top 5 finishes.

Four-time XTERRA European Tour Champ Renata Bucher got within one minute of Erbanova heading out on the run but could not keep up, ultimately finishing nearly seven minutes back in 2nd place.

XTERRA Italy champ Jacqui Slack had the fastest swim and a strong all-around performance to finish in third, followed by Carina Wasle and Carla Van Huyssteen.

XTERRA FRANCE TOP 10 WOMEN  

Pos  Fname  Lname  Nat  Time  Points
1  Helena  Erbenová  CZE  3:50:01  100
2  Renata  Bucher  SUI  3:56:54  90
3  Jacqui  Slack  GBR  4:00:34  82
4  Carina  Wasle  AUT  4:02:52  75
5  Carla  Van Huyssteen  RSA  4:04:03  69
6  Laura  Philipp  GER  4:05:06  63
7  Maud  Golsteyn  NED  4:07:24  58
8  Brigitta  Poòr  HUN  4:15:22  53
9  Coralie  Redelsperger  FRA  4:26:25  49
10  Daz  Parker  GBR  4:42:54  45

XTERRA EUROPEAN TOUR STANDINGS (After 2 of 5)

Nico Lebrun and Helena Erbanova sit atop the XTERRA European Tour standings following the first two races, but there are three races - in the Czech, Germany, and Switzerland - remaining and anything can happen.

2012 XTERRA EUROPEAN TOUR STANDINGS

TOP 10 PROS AFTER 2

Men  Fname  Lname  NAT  ITALY  FRANCE  TOTAL
1  Nicolas  Lebrun  FRA  100  82  182
2  Alexander  Haas  GER  82  90  172
3  Ben  Allen  AUS  90  49  139
4  Francois  Carloni  FRA  63  63  126
5  Asa  Shaw  GBR  DNR  100  100
6  Tomas  Kubek  SLO  49  31  80
7  Stuart  Marais  RSA  75  DNR  75
8  Cedric  Lassonde  FRA  DNR  75  75
9  Olivier  Marceau  SWI  69  DNF  69
10  Llewellyn  Holmes  GBR  DNR  69  69

Wom  Fname  Lname  NAT  ITALY  FRANCE  TOTAL
1  Helena  Erbenová  CZE  90  100  190
2  Jacqui  Slack  GBR  100  82  182
3  Renata  Bucher  SWI  63  90  153
4  Carina  Wasle  AUT  69  75  144
5  Maud  Golsteyn  NED  75  58  133
6  Carla  Van Huyssteen  RSA  53  69  122
7  Brigitta  Poòr  HUN  58  53  111
8  Marion  Lorblanchet  FRA  82  DNR  82
9  Laura  Philipp  
 DNR  63  63
10  Sara  Tavecchio  ITA  49  DNR  49

Next on the XTERRA World Tour: The XTERRA France Championship was the eighth XTERRA World Tour Championship and second XTERRA European Tour race of the season offering pro prize money and quaifying spots to amateurs into the XTERRA World Championship.  Next up XTERRA Mexico and XTERRA Czech, both on August 4.

Feb 26  XTERRA South Africa Championship, Grabouw, Western Cape
Mar 10  XTERRA Guam Championship, Piti
Mar 18  XTERRA Philippines Championship, Cebu
Mar 24  XTERRA Saipan Championship, Northern Marianas
Apr 14  XTERRA New Zealand Championship, Rotorua
May 27  XTERRA Italy Championship*, Orosei, Sardinia
June 23  XTERRA Brazil Championship, Manaus, Amazon
July 8  XTERRA France Championship*, Xonrupt, Gerardmer
Aug 4  XTERRA Czech Championship*, Prachatice, South Bohemia
Aug 4  XTERRA Mexico Championship, Tapalpa, Jalisco
Aug 11  XTERRA Germany Championship*, Zittau
Aug 25  XTERRA Japan Championship, Marunuma
Sept 2  XTERRA Canada Championship, Canmore,  A.B.
Sept 8  XTERRA Switzerland*, Prangins
Sept 16  XTERRA Venezuela, Villa Caribe
Sept 22  XTERRA USA Championship, Ogden/Snowbasin, UT
Oct 28  XTERRA World Championship, Maui

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