Allen, Bucher win Malaysia
Ben Allen of Australia won his 5th XTERRA World Tour event of the season and Renata Bucher of Switzerland won her 3rd straight XTERRA championship in April and 32nd of her career at XTERRA Malaysia.
Men
Allen won wire to wire with the fastest swim by 35 seconds, fastest bike by 55 seconds and fastest run by 2 seconds to finish in 2:28:31 with a 1:38 margin of victory over Dan Hugo of South Africa. The race was Allen’s 8th in 8 countries over a very busy last 9 weeks that began with XTERRA Philippines on March 2. His previous race, a long distance [4k swim, 122k bike, 30k run] road triathlon in Thailand where he finished 2nd to Courtney Atkinson, left him racing on empty near the end of his win today.
“Mental strength was a massive factor today,” Allen told XTERRA media. “I laid it all on the line, and had absolutely nothing left at the finish line. I’m so spent I can hardly lift my legs to get up the stairs, and am hurting more from this race than Thailand.”
Hugo, who has finished 2nd in 12 of his last 13 XTERRA championship events, made the race even closer than the final margin. Hugo bridged the gap before surrendering on the bike and made a strong second push halfway through the run before succumbing to the inevitable strength of Allen, who has dominated the Asian-Pacific XTERRA early season swing the past two years.
“I got a visual on him during the run but he was able to dig out what he needed,” Hugo told XTERRA media. Hugo wore a CamelBak for the first time and took in two liters to get through a hot, humid and rugged bike course. “I felt amazing coming off the bike, but then the second lap went from striding to shuffling, and into full survival mode. My body was hurting, my skin was tingling, and as much as I was hoping he might come undone – he didn’t.”
Shahrom Abdullah of nearby Kuala Lumpur won the cheers of the Malaysian fans and took 3rd, 20:21 behind Hugo.
Women
Renata Bucher of Switzerland capped off a great April with a dominating third win of the month at XTERRA Malaysia.
Jacqui Slack of Great Britain led the swim in 19:55, 1:53 ahead of Bucher, 1:56 ahead of Peri Gray of Australia, 2:01 ahead of Mieko Carey of Japan and 2:41 ahead of Carina Wasle of Austria. Slack, the XTERRA Guam and Saipan champion, held the lead through the first lap of the bike leg until she suffered the first of two flats. “I was going well, riding aggressive when I got the first one,” Slack told XTERRA media. “Got it fixed and was still racing hard and in second position when I got the next one. A fellow racer and helped me with that one but everyone had passed by then.”
Once Bucher inherited the lead, there was no catching her as she posted the fastest bike split (1:36:44 – 5:52 better than Wasle) and best run (53:45 – 3:14 better than Peri Gray) to finish in 2:52:17 – 15:59 ahead of Mieko Carey and 4th overall including the men topped only by Allen, Hugo and Abdullah.
“I saw Jacqui with her flat on the first lap, and it’s a pity because I think it would have been a really close race,” Bucher told XTERRA media. “I felt good today and I’m really excited because my training has gone well and everything is coming together.”
Carey celebrated her 35th birthday a day late with her second place. Carey, who is listed as Japanese, lives in Guam and represents Saipan, combined a 5th best swim, 4th best bike and 4th best run to take the runner-up slot. Daz Parker of Great Britain took 3rd 2:04 back of Carey. Slack, after her tire troubles, took 4th in 3:12:16.
XTERRA Malaysia Championship
Putrajaya, Malaysia
April 28, 2013
S 1.5k / MTB 23.5 k / TR 10k
Results
Men
1. Ben Allen (AUS) 2:28:31
2. Dan Hugo (RSA) 2:30:09
3. Shahrom Abdullah (MAS) 2:50:30
4. Sam Gardner (GBR) 2:54:54
5. Saiful Khofar Bin Abdul Halim (MAS) * M25-29
Women
1. Renata Bucher (SUI) 2:52:17
2. Mieko Carey (JPN) 3:07:16
3. Daz Parker (GBR) 3:09:20
4. Jacqui Slack (GBR) 3:12:16
5. Carina Wasle (AUT) 3:14:01
