Déjà vu in Richmond
Conrad Stoltz grabbed the win at the 2009 XTERRA Atlantic Cup despite a huge cut in his foot, and Melanie McQuaid kept her 2009 winning streak alive as she took the women's race.
The men
A couple minutes before the start of the race, Conrad Stoltz sliced open the top of his foot while helping to put a course buoy back in place. "The cut was so deep I could see tendons," said Stoltz. Fellow competitor and long-time XTERRA ambassador Dr. Kathy Coutinho of Fairfax Station, VA wrapped plastic around the wound literally seconds before the start and off he went. During the swim in the James River the quickly applied "band-aid" came off and word of the new situation immediately reached the transition area. Dr. Matt Marchal of Altius Family and Sports Medicine was ready for Stoltz as he came back from the swim and poured peroxide into the wound and bandaged it. All of that in a matter of only a few seconds.
Stoltz seemed unphased by his injury and blitzed the bike course with the fastest split of the day. That allowed him to enter T2 with a 60 second lead on Josiah Middaugh and Dan Hugo. Middaugh was able to close in on Stoltz, but Stoltz hung on for fourth win in five years in Richmond and fourth win in five XTERRA Cup Series races this season. 2008 Richmond champion Middaugh crossed the line 22 seconds later in second place and Hugo rounded out the podium.
"The adrenaline runs so high," said Stoltz after the race. "I felt fine on the bike, it didn't hurt at all, and it wasn't until the run that I started to get tired and a little woozy and I wasn't sure if it was fatigue or blood loss."
The women
Melanie McQuaid led from start-to-finish and is now 5 for 5 in XTERRA Cup racing this year. Plus she was able to defend her title in Richmond.
"I've just been playing it one race at a time," said McQuaid. "I've been feeling good, and my fitness is good."
Shonny Vanlandingham had a great swim and got on her bike not that far behind McQuaid, but wasn't able to catch the flying Canadian. She would have to settle for second place. Danelle Kabush got off the bike in fifth place and then ran herself onto the podium.
XTERRA Atlantic Cup
Richmond, VA / June 14
1km swim / 27km bike / 10km run
Top 10 men
1. Conrad Stoltz (RSA) 1:54:57
2. Josiah Middaugh (USA) 1:55:19
3. Nico Lebrun (FRA) 1:55:44
4. Mike Vine (CAN) 1:57:14
5. Dan Hugo (RSA) 1:57:27
6. Brian Smith (USA)1:57:33
7. Ryan DeCook (USA) 2:01:26
8. Craig Evans (USA) 2:05:57
9. Will Kelsay (USA) 2:07:20
10. Seth Wealing (USA) 2:08:37
Top 8 women
1. Melanie McQuaid (CAN) 2:13:01
2. Shonny Vanlandingham (USA) 2:14:32
3. Danelle Kabush (CAN) 2:15:55
4. Jenny Smith (NZL) 2:19:07
5. Sari Anderson (USA) 2:23:00
6. Rebecca Dussault (USA) 2:26:32
7. Erin Kummer (USA) 2:37:28
8. Alexendra Borrelly (FRA) 2:41:29
