The Return to Blood Rock

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A venue that almost seems as if it was created entirely just for off-road triathlon. Between the clear waters of Double Oak Lake and the world-class trails of Oak Mountain, Stop #3 has just about everything an off-road triathlete could ask for: a pristine lake swim, an epic bike loop that balances fast and flowing sections with a healthy portion of climbing, and absolutely no shortage of singletrack on the run to the finish. But with limited sections that allow for clear passing, strategy will be key for the 50+ pro athletes set to battle it out on the course.

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This is where the first off-road vs on-road battle of 2023 came down to the absolute wire when Arthur Serrières edged out Eric Lagerstrom by just 22 seconds, and in 2024 we’ll get to see the rematch with both athletes locked in for round two. The current World Cup Champion will be looking for nothing less than a win as he hopes to break into the top 5, but he’ll be up against a tougher field than last year with both Forissiers and a far more threatening Sullivan Middaugh ready to go to battle. It’s a similar story in the women’s race, where a repeat of last year would be a welcome result for the World Cup Champ Alizée Paties as she looks to gain back some ground on series leader Solenne Billouin. But this year brings a far more formidable startlist, including the surging Aneta Grabmüller and the heavily-credentialed Sandra Mairhofer.

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This will also be the first double-feature stop of the series and this year that means a lot more. The new scoring system gives almost as much weight to the Short Track race as it does to the Full Distance. FD races now come with 100 max points and ST races with a massive 75, therefore a good showing in both could mean a significant jump up the leaderboard, while a poor performance in either could lead to a significant drop. 

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Only the top 25 elite male and female finishers will qualify for the Short Track race, with the remaining 5 places awarded to wild card athletes with enough speed and skill to push the pace of the race up front and disrupt the status quo. Both races will be streamed LIVE on YouTube on May 19 at 9:00am CT.

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