Aussie, Swiss reign in Xterra

LILOAN, Cebu, Philippines – Australia’s Ben Allen and Switzerland’s Renata Bucher lived up to their hype as they ruled the Vaseline Men Xterra Offroad Triathlon in dominating fashion before a big festive weekend crowd in this scenic coastal town in the eastern part of Cebu.

Allen, 27, took his time in the swim stage and then poured it all out in biking and running events to top the men’s side with plenty to spare. He clocked two hours, two minutes, five seconds to win the crown.

“There is no reason why I should come out first in the water, my plan is to really reserve my energy in the bike part because I know the course would be challenging,” said Allen, a former Open water champion having vied in three World Open Water Championships before shifting to Xterra, an off-road version of triathlon.

“And when I get past the swimming, everyone was flying, that’s why I give it my best to get the lead and keep it,” he added.

Out to better her second place effort last year, Bucher, 35, didn’t waste time and dominated the two-loop, 1.5-kilometer swim course at the Camotes Sea then slowly but surely built a lead no one really managed to catch up with to win her side of the event in 2:53.33.

“It was a challenging course and a fantastic experience,” said Bucher before taking her check, medal and trophy and leaving to catch up with her flight back home Sunday night.

So overpowering was Bucher that she won by almost three minutes over United Kingdom’s Jacqui Slack, who checked in at 2:56.39 while another English woman Dess Parker came in third in 3:29.44.

In the men’s side, Mathieu O’Halloran took the lead after coming out of the water first in the 27th minute mark and was followed by Daniel Nielson a couple of minutes behind.

But Allen, a Physical Education teacher back home, proved too much for the opposition, stamping his class in the two other events and winning it all convincingly.

And he did it with a broken chain and a busted tire in negotiating a treacherous stretch everyone calls here as the “graveyard.”

“It slowed me down a couple of minutes but I kept motivating myself to stay focus and in control because I know I’m leading but I don’t know how long,” said Allen.

France’s Olivier Marceau, ranked No. 1 in Europe, tried to close the gap but settled for second in 2:32.22, just half a minute ahead of England’s Cedric Lassonde, who made it in 2:32.38.

Neil Catiil successfully defended his title by finishing on top in 2:54.47, besting a field of elite Filipino participants Elmer Claravall and Fil-Am Arlan Macasieb, who ended up second and third in 3:02.38 and 3:07.11.

It was a particularly sweet win for the 25-year-old Cagayan de Oro native as he beat Macasieb, who toppled him in the Ironman in Camarines Sur last year.

“I guess I got even,” said Catiil in Filipino.