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XTERRA Buffelspoort Tomorrow

Reigning XTERRA Buffelspoort off-road tri champs Dan Hugo and Susan Sloan will be back in action tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 29) when they defend their titles at what is shaping up to be a wet, wild and muddy race.

"It's terribly wet, two days ago we thought of changing the mountain bike course to a swim route," " joked Leandra Knoetze of Stillwater Sports.  "This is what XTERRA is all about around here - Mud and Fun!  Plus, it always rains here this time of the year so the guys have come to expect a wet course."

Hugo (pictured) took no prisoners in 2010 when he completed the Buffelspoort course in 2:16:55.  “I’m really looking forward to competing on South African soil again.  It is great to see how the sport of XTERRA has grown over the last few years with the 2010 XTERRA Buffelspoort sporting close to 1000 entries.  I’d like to encourage more people to take up the sport as they are sure to love it just as much as I do,” says Hugo.

Sloan was victorious in the women’s race last year, in what was her introduction into the sport of XTERRA.  “I enjoyed this race so much that I decided to visit the Knysna Oyster Festival in July so that I could compete at XTERRA Knysna as well.  My advice to athletes wanting to race for the first time is to be prepared for any type of terrain, practice your technical skills on the bike and enjoy the craziness and excitement!!  Finishing first at XTERRA Buffelspoort was an unbelievable feeling!  Successfully defending my title this year will be an awesome achievement for me,” says Sloan.
DUESOUTH XTERRA Warriors competing at Buffelspoort Dam can look forward to swimming in pristine mountain waters of the Magaliesberg.  The mountain bike route will include a diverse combination of quick and challenging single track, a rock garden, thick sand track, serious climbs up jeep track and a fun and winding single track descent through indigenous bushveld with spectacular views.  The run discipline will pit runners against a few river crossings and a steep ascent into a private game reserve, where at the summit, runners may be rewarded with sightings of resident Wildebeest, Kudu, Blesbok and Impala.

Learn more at www.xterrasa.com.