Race Recap

Mairhofer, Kocar win XTERRA Short Track Czech Republic

Trey Garman
|
September 24, 2022
Key Points

Sandra Mairhofer (ITA) and Lukas Kocar (CZE) won the second round of the XTERRA Short Track off-road triathlon series with winning times of 40:43 and 34:31, respectively, on a beautiful day in Prachatice, Czech Republic on Sunday, August 14, 2022.

It’s the first XTERRA Short Track win for Mairhofer, who captured the full-distance XTERRA European Championship race yesterday, and the second for Kocar - who won his first in Germany last year.

Watch the Replay


The race combined a two-lap, 400-meter swim with an exciting four-lap, 7.6K mountain bike course and a tough two-loop, 2.4K trail run.

In the women’s race a young wild card entry from Italy, Anna Gazzari, had the fastest swim (6:33), with Amanda Felder (USA) and Maria Calleja (ESP) about 15 seconds back.  



By the second of four laps on the bike the leaderboard changed completely with Mairhofer in front followed by Alizee Paties (FRA), Solenne Billouin (FRA), Loanne Duvoisin (SUI), and Jindriska Zemanova (CZE) - which would end up being the top five into transition and the finish line in that same order.

Mairhofer posted the fastest bike split and looked dominant all morning long.

“I’m over the moon, and full of adrenaline,” said Mairhofer. “My swim was better than yesterday, and I felt fine swimming in the group at my own pace.  It was a pretty messy swim actually, I just tried to survive and stay above the water. And then I really loved the course, loved the rocks, and I was feeling really confident on the technical parts. This is my first Short Track win, so I’m pretty happy.”



Paties, who finished second at the first Short Track race of the season in France, was also second in yesterday's XTERRA European Championship race.

"It's my place," she said after the race. "I've got good fitness right now and am pleased with the weekend and look forward to more racing in Germany next week."



In similar fashion, Billouin (pictured) was third at XTERRA Short Track France and third again today. She placed fourth at the EU Champs on Saturday.

Loanne Duvoisin (SUI) had the best run of the day to finish fourth, with home country favorite Jindriska Zemanova rounding out the top five.



Women’s Results
Place - Name, NAT (Final Time) Points

1 - Sandra Mairhofer, ITA (40:43) 100
2 - Alizee Paties, FRA (41:07) 90
3 - Solenne Billouin, FRA (41:14) 82
4 - Loanne Duvoisin, SUI (41:18) 75
5 - Jindriska Zemanova, CZE (44:16) 69
6 - Amanda Felder, USA (44:26) 63
7 - Carina Wasle, AUT (44:34) 58
8 - Beatriz Ferreira, POR (44:48) 53
9 - Georgia Grobler, RSA (44:55) 49
10 - Anna Gazzari, ITA (45:38) 45
Complete Women’s Results

Fastest swim: Anna Gazzari (6:33)
Fastest bike: Sandra Mairhofer (21:30)
Fastest run: Loanne Duvoisin (10:26)



In the men’s race Michele Bonacina (ITA) made quick work of the swim in 5:54 but was chased by a massive group of 20 men just a few seconds behind.



Once on the bike, things changed quickly with Federico Spinazze (ITA) up front on the first lap and Lukas Kocar taking the lead early in the second lap to the delight of the home crowd.



Maxim Chane (pictured) and Ruben Ruzafa (ESP) were putting on a great show for the crowd by speeding over the rock gardens and flying over the jumps, while Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DEN) rode his way through the field with the fastest bike split of the day.



Kocar took a big lead into the run and never looked back. Chane was second out of T2 and held that spot through the finish, with Sloth Nielsen (pictured) working his way to third. The speedy Arthur Serrieres, yesterday’s XTERRA European Championship full-distance race winner, had the best run of the day to finish in fourth position with Ruzafa rounding out the top five.



“What an amazing atmosphere,” said Kocar. “I just pushed hard from start to finish, and tried not to make any mistakes and wow, this is absolutely the best feeling to win here in Prachatice in front of the home crowd. It’s really special.”



Men’s Results
Place - Name, NAT (Final Time) Points

1 - Lukas Kocar, CZE (34:31) 100
2 - Maxim Chane, FRA (34:45) 90
3 - Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen, DEN (34:50) 82
4 - Arthur Serrieres, FRA (35:00) 75
5 - Ruben Ruzafa, ESP (35:07) 69
6 - Francois Vie, POR (35:10) 63
7 - Felix Forissier, FRA (35:15) 58
8 - Sam Osborne, NZL (35:20) 53
9 - Michele Bonacina, ITA (35:28) 49
10 - Arthur Forissier, FRA (35:38) 45
Complete Men’s Results

Fastest swim: Michele Bonacina (5:54)
Fastest bike: Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (18:06)
Fastest run: Arthur Serrieres (8:47)



All-time XTERRA Short Track Champions
Date (Location) - Men’s Winner/Women’s Winner

August 4, 2019 (Prachatice, Czech Republic) - Arthur Forissier/Loanne Duvoisin
September 4, 2020 (Prachatice, Czech Republic) - Arthur Serrieres/Laura Philipp
October 3, 2020 (Trentino, Italy) - Ruben Ruzafa/Marta Menditto
June 5, 2021 (Lake Garda, Italy) - Arthur Forissier/Loanne Duvoisin
June 20, 2021 (Prachatice, Czech Republic) - Arthur Forissier/Marta Menditto
August 20, 2021 (Zittau, Germany) - Lukas Kocar/Diede Diederiks
August 29, 2021 (Pujols, France) - Arthur Serrieres/Michelle Flipo
July 2, 2022 (Xonrupt, France) - Panagiotis Bitados/Loanne Duvoisin
August 14, 2022 (Prachatice, Czech Republic) - Lukas Kocar/Sandra Mairhofer

Today's XTERRA Short Track Czech race was the second of four big events in seven days awarding €50,000 in prize money to the sport's top elite athletes who have flocked to central Europe for the contests. Next week, the action heads to Zittau, Germany for XTERRA Short Track on Friday, August 19, and full-distance racing on Saturday, August 20. The Short Track season finale will be held on October 2, 2022 in Trentino, Italy - the day after the XTERRA World Championship.


Photos by Carel du Plessis/XTERRA

2023 XTERRA ELITE SERIES RESULTS & UPCOMING RACES
Dates
Event
Location/Winners
Prize Purse
Feb 25
XTERRA Wellington Festival
XTERRA Wellington Festival
Wellington
,
New Zealand
S. Osborne/M. Kennedy
$10,000NZL
Mar 11
XTERRA Rotorua Festival
XTERRA Rotorua Festival
Rotorua
,
New Zealand
J. Moody/M. Kennedy
$10,000NZL
Mar 16-18
XTERRA Oman
XTERRA Oman
Musandam
,
Oman
M. Chane/M. Menditto
$16,000USD
Apr 1-2
XTERRA Australia
XTERRA Australia
Dunsborough
,
Australia
S. Osborne/S. Kingsford
$7,500USD
Apr 15-16
XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship
XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship
Kenting National Park
,
Taiwan
A. Forissier/A. Paties
$25,000USD
Apr 15-16
XTERRA Puerto Rico
XTERRA Puerto Rico
Fajardo, PR
,
Puerto Rico
A. Plouffe/B. Swicegood
$7,500USD
Apr 22-23
XTERRA Greece Vouliagmeni
XTERRA Greece Vouliagmeni
Vouliagmeni
,
Greece
P. Soukap/E. Ducreux
€7,500
May 13
XTERRA Weston Park
XTERRA Weston Park
Staffordshire
,
United Kingdom
A. Brownlee/E. Orchard
€7,500
May 18-21
XTERRA Oak Mountain
XTERRA Oak Mountain
Pelham, AL
,
United States
A. Serrieres/A. Paties (A. Serrieres/L. Duvoisin)
$15,000 + $5,000 (Short Track)
May 20-21
XTERRA Portugal
XTERRA Portugal
Golegã
,
Portugal
F. Vie/B. Ferreira
€7,500
May 27-28
XTERRA Lake Garda
XTERRA Lake Garda
Toscolano-Maderno
,
Italy
A. Serrières/H. Karásková
€7,500
Jun 10-11
XTERRA European Championship
XTERRA European Championship
Namur
,
Belgium
F. Forissier/L. Duvoisin (A. Forissier/S. Mairhofer)
€25,000 + €5,000 (Short Track)
Jun 17-18
XTERRA Switzerland
XTERRA Switzerland
Vallée de la Brévine
,
Switzerland
A. Forissier/L. Duvoisin
€7,500
Jul 1-2
XTERRA France
XTERRA France
Xonrupt, Vosges
,
France
A. Forissier/S. Mairhofer
€15,000
Jul 8-9
XTERRA Victoria
XTERRA Victoria
Victoria
,
Canada
K. McPherson/C. Drever
$3,000CDN
Jul 14-16
XTERRA Quebec
XTERRA Quebec
Manoir du Lac Delage
,
Canada
K. McPherson/S. Kingsford
$7,500USD
Jul 22-23
XTERRA Lake Scanno
XTERRA Lake Scanno
Lake Scanno
,
Italy
M. Bonacina/C. Wasle
€7,500
Aug 11-13
XTERRA Czech
XTERRA Czech
Prachatice
,
Czech Republic
A. Serrières/S. Billouin (A. Serrières/S. Billouin)
€15,000 + €5,000 (Short Track)
Aug 18-19
XTERRA Germany
XTERRA Germany
Zittau
,
Germany
A. Serrières/A. Paties (A. Serrières/A. Paties)
€15,000 + €5,000 (Short Track)
Aug 25-26
XTERRA USA Championship
XTERRA USA Championship
Avon, CO
,
United States
S. Middaugh/L. Paterson
$25,000USD
Aug 25-26
XTERRA Nouvelle Aquitaine
XTERRA Nouvelle Aquitaine
Moliets-et-Villemartin
,
France
J. Dumas/S. Marnoni
€7,500
Sep 16-17
XTERRA Whistler
XTERRA Whistler
Whistler
,
Canada
N. Killiam/C. Drever
$3,000CAD
Sep 21-24
XTERRA World Championship
XTERRA World Championship
Trentino
,
Italy
A. Serrières/S. Billouin
€100,000 + €5,000 (Short Track)
Oct 21-22
XTERRA Tahiti
XTERRA Tahiti
Tahiti
,
French Polynesia
R. Ruzafa/S. Billouin
$7,500USD

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