Roger Serrano and Helena Erbenova win XTERRA Greece
Roger Serrano of Spain and Helena Erbenova of the Czech Republic won the XTERRA Greece Championship in Vouliagmeni on Saturday.
Serrano, the reigning XTERRA European Tour champion who won the season opener at Malta last month, upset 3-time XTERRA World champion Ruben Ruzafa by a 47-seconds margin. This broke Ruzafa’s streak of 13 straight victories in Europe dating back to 2013. This was just Ruzafa’s third-ever loss in Europe – he is now 14 for 17 on the XTERRA European Tour.
Serrano led the swim with a 20:01 split which gave him a lead on top contenders – 9 seconds on Brice Daubord, 1:36 on Francois Carloni, 1:39 on Ruzafa, and 2:49 on Arthur Forissier. On the strength of his race-best 1:15:45 bike split, former pro mountain biker Ruzafa and Serrano entered T2 together, with Carloni and Daubord 1 minute back. Midway through the trail run, Serrano surged into a 15 seconds lead on Ruzafa and 45 seconds on Daubord while Carloni was fading. At the finish, Serrano’s 4th-best 38:42 run bested Ruzafa’s run by 48 seconds and gave him a 47 seconds margin of victory.
Three-time XTERRA European champion Erbenova’s win was her first this season, her 5th straight in Europe, and the third time in four years she has won XTERRA Greece.
Erbenova overcame a 3 minute 46 seconds deficit to Brigitta Poor of Hungary after the swim with a women’s-best 1:29:45 mountain bike split which regained 2:09, and then took the win with a women’s-best 43:51 trail run which bested Poor by 1:55. Erbenova finished in 2:43:39 with a 23 seconds margin of victory over the Hungarian and 36 seconds over Ladina Buss of Switzerland.
The race benefited by the move to the side roads and trails of Vouliagmeni, the site of the 2004 Olympic Triathlon about 30 kilometers from downtown Athens.
XTERRA Greece
Vouliagmeni, Greece
May 7, 2016
Results
Men
1. Roger Serrano (ESP) 2:17:22
2. Ruben Ruzafa (ESP) 2:18:09
3. Brice Daubord (FRA) 2:18:29
4. Arthur Forissier (FRA) 2:20:40
5. Francois Carloni (FRA) 2:21:25
Women
1. Helena Erbenova (CZE) 2:43:39
2. Brigitta Poor (HUN) 2:44:02
3. Ladina Buss (SUI ) 2:44:15
4. Louise Fox (GBR) 2:59:10
5. Morgane Riou (FRA) 3:23:58
