MANOIR DU LAC DELAGE, QUÉBEC, CANADA — XTERRA Québec marked its 10th anniversary in off-road triathlon by hosting Stop #5 of the 7-Stop 2024 XTERRA World Cup from July 12-14. Solenne Billouin (FRA) and Arthur Serrières (FRA) earned Full Distance Race victories and the maximum 100 points apiece.
The spectator-friendly XTERRA Short Track Triathlon on July 12 maintained its reputation as an intense racing format with Solenne Billouin (FRA) and Felix Forissier (FRA) taking away 75 points each to maintain their leads atop the 2024 XTERRA World Cup standings.
Across three days, the event included 14 races with the Full Distance Triathlon as the main attraction offering a $15,000 Elite Prize Purse and 28 qualification spots for the 2024 XTERRA World Championship in the age group divisions.
(Swim 400M, Bike 8K, Run 1.8K)
Women’s Race
Solenne Billouin (FRA) led from the start of the women’s race, achieving the fastest swim and bike times. Alizée Paties (FRA), despite a strong performance, remained in 2nd throughout the race.
The contest for 3rd was dynamic, with Anna Zehnder (CHE), Marta Mendito (ITA), and Suzie Snyder (USA) in contention. Zehnder captured third place with the fastest run split and a powerful sprint in the last 200 meters, surpassing Mendito after a closely fought race.
Men’s Race
Felix Forissier (FRA) led most of the men's race, with Michele Bonacina (ITA) initially leading from the water. Forissier took over on the first bike lap, closely pursued by Bonacina. Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) consistently advanced with the fastest bike split.
Arthur Serrières (FRA) competed well until a crash on the third lap. Forissier maintained his lead, finishing with the fastest run split to win. Sloth Nielsen moved up to 2nd place in the run, and Bonacina held on for 3rd.
Complete Short Track Race Results Here.
(Swim 1.5K, Bike 31K, Run 11K)
Sunday’s Full Distance Race began with a two-loop, 1.5K swim in Lac Delage with water temperatures around 25°C.
A world-renowned trail network known as Empire 47, with over 75K of curated trails allowed for race organizers to custom tailor a 31K MTB ride across a two-loop course, featuring climbs, drops, and technical singletrack segments designed to test speed and skill.
The race concluded with a two-loop, 11K trail run peaking at 190 meters of elevation, followed by a quick descent to the finish line.
Reigning back-to-back XTERRA World Champions, Arthur Serrières and Solenne Billouin, both secured victories despite Serrières' tough fall in Friday's Short Track Race, while Billouin's win all but wrapped up her 2024 XTERRA World Cup series title.
It was Marta Menditto (ITA) who led the swim with a time of 24:03, closely followed by Alizée Paties (FRA) and a chase pack including Suzie Snyder (USA), Anna Zehnder (CHE), and Solenne Billouin, only 10 seconds behind. The race dynamics shifted early in the bike section when Paties broke her chain, allowing Billouin to overtake her and Menditto. Billouin led the bike leg with a time of 1:36:10, while Suzie Snyder, riding strongly, temporarily matched Billouin's pace before falling slightly behind.
During the run, Billouin maintained her lead, finishing the segment in 58:42, Menditto (run time: 59:48) and Snyder (run time:1:01:53) competed closely for second, with Menditto eventually overtaking Snyder towards the end of the first loop. Despite recording the day's fastest run time of 58:10, Zehnder's earlier time loss on the bike (1:47:02) left her too far back to contend for the top spots.
Solenne Billouin's dominating performance across all segments led to a substantial victory, while Marta Menditto's strong finish solidified her rise to second place in the 2024 XTERRA World Cup series standings. Carolyne Guay rounded out the top five, placing as the top Canadian.
Full Distance Results Here.
Top 10 Women's Full Distance Results:
1. Solenne Billouin, FRA: 3:00:03
2. Marta Menditto, ITA: 3:05:25
3. Suzie Snyder, USA: 3:05:47
4. Anna Zehnder, CHE: 3:10:31
5. Carolyne Guay, CAN: 3:18:54
6. Romane Cizeron, FRA: 3:23:18
7. Lorena Erl, DEU: 3:23:51
8. Katie Button, CAN: 3:27:11
9. Katja Krenn, AUT: 3:29:41
10. Brittany Schroeder, USA: 3:41:05
Quotes from the Top 3 Women
1. Solenne Billouin (FRA): "I came here unsure of my condition, but I felt reasonably good and managed to win both races this weekend, proving I'm still competing at a high level. I'm looking forward to returning to training with increased confidence, especially since I'm secure in the overall World Cup standings and can now focus on the World Championship in September."
2. Marta Menditto (ITA): "I had a strong swim today despite the fog on the first lap and maintained a good line throughout. Although I felt a bit empty on the second bike lap, I managed to keep up with Suzie Snyder, and I'm really happy with 2nd place and my World Cup points."
3. Suzie Snyder (USA): “I was feeling strong and smooth on the bike, this is definitely the kind of course that suits me so I was trying to maximize to the fullest because I know Marta and Anna are very fast runners. I needed to make them work to try and catch me.”
Mohammed Alsabbagh (CAN) was first out of the water with a time of 20:24, heading a large chase pack including notable athletes like Jules Dumas (FRA), Félix Forissier (FRA), Arthur Serrières, Michele Bonacina (ITA), Federico Spinazzè (ITA), and Maxim Chané (FRA), with Sebastian Neef (DEU) and road triathlon legend Timothy O’Donnell (USA) closely following. Serrières, Bonacina, and Forissier rapidly took the lead in the bike segment. Meanwhile, Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK), marking the fastest bike time of 1:23:02, bridged the gap to the three leaders, while Arthur Forissier (FRA) made a substantial comeback to join the top five by the end of the second loop.
The run started tightly with Serrières, Bonacina, Felix Forissier, and Sloth Nielsen setting off almost together. Serrières quickly extended his lead, particularly on the uphill segments, finishing with the fastest run split of 46:13. Sloth Nielsen secured a strong second with a run time of 48:07. Felix Forissier, not far behind and completed the run in 49:27.
Full Distance Results Here.
Top 10 Men's Full Distance Results:
1. Arthur Serrières, FRA: 2:32:39
2. Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen, DNK: 2:34:34
3. Felix Forissier, FRA: 2:35:02
4. Arthur Forissier, FRA: 2:36:44
5. Kieran McPherson, NZL: 2:37:04
6. Michele Bonacina, ITA: 2:39:18
7. Maxim Chané, FRA: 2:41:05
8. Josiah Middaugh, USA: 2:43:41
9. Jules Dumas, FRA: 2:44:41
10. Sébastien Carabin, BEL: 2:45:05
Quotes From The Top 3 Men
1. Arthur Serrières (FRA): "I injured my knee and ankle in the Short Track Race, but I'm thrilled about today's win. After four weeks of intense altitude training where I lived like a monk and worked hard, I gained extra speed that was missing earlier in the series. Today's performance has boosted my confidence for the upcoming XTERRA European and World Championships."
2. Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK): "Today, I had to come from behind, which isn't ideal, but that's how it played out. This bike course is really challenging. I'm gearing up to battle Felix for the World Cup, and he's been consistent too. I'm motivated to beat him again at the next stop, and we're set for some intense battles in the final two stops. There are some exciting races ahead."
3. Felix Forissier (FRA): "The race was really difficult for me; it just wasn't a good day. I especially felt out of shape during the bike segment and struggled to keep up. Despite pushing as hard as I could, I managed to finish third. I'm happy to be on the podium, but not fully satisfied. Watching Jens Emil and Arthur, who are excellent runners, pass me was tough, and it was too difficult to follow them."
XTERRA Québec's festival weekend, held just 20 minutes from historic Québec City, offered 14 events catering to various ages and skill levels featuring a vibrant expo and race village with a family-friendly atmosphere. As the weekend progressed, activities for beginners, kids along with various triathlons and duathlons was a celebration for the XTERRA Community and off-road sports as a whole.
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