It was billed as one of the hardest races to win this year, and that is exactly what unfolded on June 10 outside the historic stone walls of the Citadel of Namur. Sweltering heat, relentless river currents, leg-busting climbs up cobblestone streets, dusty mountain trails and deadly descents down ancient sets of stairs - this is just some of what stood in the way of those who set out to become champions.
Then there was the competition. One of the most highly contested races in off-road triathlon, no less than 669 athletes stepped up to battle it out by stroke, wheel and foot in the water and on the trails of Namur. Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden were all represented, each looking to bring back one or more crowns and the pride that comes with it.
This is what makes the XTERRA European Championship the spectacle it is, and this is why winning it is an achievement only a select few can claim.
Swim
The race began in the River Meuse, where a water temperature of 22.6°C and swimming against the current for the first half of the opening section would have set the tone for what was to come in the rest of the race.
But that meant little for the British youngster, Isla Hedley [F15-19], and Feffery Camphens from the Netherlands who set a blistering pace for the rest of the pack to post the fastest age division swim splits. Camphens was out the water in just 19:20 with Hedley’s time of 19:34 coming in faster than multiple Elite athletes. It wasn't only in the swim where Hedley made a statement either, this is a name to remember as there may be a lot more to come.
Bike
Out of transition 1, the bike course opened with an almost immediate climb up past the Citadel and into the woods. Many were expecting a muddy ride that so often is the case in northern Europe, but with an unexpected 28°C on race day the riders were met with fast, dusty trails rather than a muddy slog.
Facing dust clouds from riders up front, multiple steep climbs and narrow singletrack sections that required strategic passing, the 35K bike loop quickly divided the race - putting those in championship contention ahead, but still with a lot to come.
Surviving the woods only meant facing the ‘stairs of certain doom’, where only the fastest and the bravest stayed on the bike.
French rider, Damien Guillemet [M35-39], made it all look easy, finishing the 35K in just 1:35:48 to claim the fastest age division bike split of the day while Sabrina Enaux [F45-49], also of France, was the fastest female rider with a time of 2:01:53.
Run
Those with enough left in the tank to push hard on the final 10K of the race would again need to face the mixture of forest trails and urban architecture. More steep climbs and awkwardly spaced stairs on wary legs as the biggest finish in the EMEA Tour inches closer.
While Xavier Diepart of Belgium and Lelia Le Coquet of France posted the fastest division run splits, it was Nicolas Durin [M45-49] and Isla Hedley [F15-19] who crossed the line first to win the overall in the age division and claim their title as XTERRA European Champion for their respective divisions. Durin finished in a time of 2:50:52 to claim a championship crown for France while Hedley added a crown to Great Britain's tally with a time of 3:18:30.
