Weiss eyes triathlon 3-peat

ALBAY – Bradley Weiss sets out for another blistering performance in pursuit of a record feat in the XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon firing off today, upbeat of his chances against a compact field out to foil his three-peat bid.

Though the South African ace stressed his readiness to take on his fellow XTERRA athletes, he expects a stern challenge from his chief rivals in the exacting 1.5-km swim-28-km mountain bike-8-km trail run event presented by the City of Legazpi and produced by Sunrise Events, Inc.

“I can’t wait to race again. I really prepared hard for this and ready to take on my fellow XTERRA warriors,” said Weiss.

He reigned here back-to-back from 2015 and is all fired-up to make it three straight after the event took a break last year. His victory in XTERRA Danao last April, where he outclassed practically the same field he is facing today, has also boosted his confidence to go for another XTERRA feat.

But Sam Osborne, who placed second in Danao, and fellow Olly Shaw, Japanese Akihiko Maeda and Takahiro Ogasawara and local ace Joseph Miller have also primed up for this tough endurance race, all eyeing no less than a top podium finish in the centerpiece men’s pro division of the event held as part of SEI’s decade-long staging of triathlon races in the country.

Action fires off with the swim leg in the shores of Lidong in Mayon Rivera with the bike course featuring wide and open trails and providing breathtaking view of Mayon. It will be a single loop point-to-point race passing through fire roads, grass roads, sands and rocky trails.

The closing run follows the ATV route in Mayon passing through rocky and sandy areas, riverbed and grasslands with the finish line set at the famous Cagsawa Ruins.

A four-way battle looms in the women’s pro side among Kristy Jennings and Samantha Kingsford of New Zealand and Aussies Penny Slater and Leela Hancox, each expressing confidence of pulling through in the premier off-road triathlon on a course that features a breath-taking view of the majestic Mayon Volcano.

Hundreds of duathletes also fight it out in their side of the battle in trail running and mountain biking and back in the 2km run-14km bike-4km run. AFP