Lebrun, Lorblanchet win XTERRA France

(Xonrupt Longemer, France) - French multisport stars Nicolas Lebrun and Marion Lorblanchet won the XTERRA France Championship in Xonrupt on Saturday.

In doing so Lebrun, a three-time XTERRA European Tour Champ, ended Franky Batelier’s amazing run of six straight wins on the European Tour.

A full field of 350 athletes gathered in Northeast France for the grueling race that included a 1500-meter swim, two 17km mountain bike loops in the heart of the National Park of Vosges Mountains and a 10km trail run.

French pro Nicolas Becker was first out of the water just ahead of Olivier Marceau and the reigning Euro Tour Champ Batelier. Becker’s lead did not last long, however, when Marceau and Batelier took the battle to the front of the bike.  Lebrun (pictured courtesy C. Guiard) was more than four minutes back out of the swim but rallied to catch the leaders by the bike-to-run transition. The trio headed out on the run together, followed by the chase pack composed of Zadak (Cze), Schumann (Ger), Del Corral (Spa), Luxem (Bel) and Gardner (Eng).

In less than a mile Lebrun took the lead and never looked back.  Behind him Spanish rider Victor Del Corral was flying and posted the second best run time and passed everyone but Lebrun to finish in second.  Marceau was third, Schumann caught Batelier at the end to finish 4th and an exhausted Batelier rounded out the top 5.

TOP 5 PRO MEN

Pos  Nom  NOC  Age  Total
1.  LEBRUN Nicolas  FRA  37  2:52:39
2.  DEL CORRAL MORALES Victor  ESP  30  2:53:25
3.  MARCEAU Olivier  FRA  37  2:53:59
4.  SCHUMANN Felix  FRA  28  2:54:12
5.  BATELIER Franky  FRA  32  2:56:29

In the women’s race Sibylle Matter took the lead out of the swim but was quickly gobbled up by Marion Lorblanchet and Carina Wasle.  After the 1st bike loop Wasle had more than two minutes on Lorblanchet and Bucher. Bucher was more than four minutes behind Lorblanchet after the swim but posted the fastest bike split to move into second by the bike-to-run transition.  Out on the run Lorblanchet caught Bucher at about the 7km point and Wasle shortly after for the win, with Bucher in second and Wasle in third.  It’s the first XTERRA title for Lorblanchet (pictured courtesy C. Guiard).

“It was a very exciting race to the end as Marion passed me, then I passed her back, and then she passed me again for the win,” said four-time XTERRA Euro Tour Champ Renata Bucher.  “She was stronger than me today and I’m very happy for her to pick up her first win.”

TOP 5 PRO WOMEN

1.  LORBLANCHET Marion  FRA  27  3:20:19
2.  BUCHER Renata  SUI  33  3:21:23
3.  WASLE Carina  AUT  26  3:25:23
4.  MATTER BRUEGGER Sibylle  SUI  37  3:28:56
5.  RUTH SMITH Emma  GBR  29  3:38:38

2010 XTERRA EUROPEAN TOUR SCHEDULE

DATE  RACE  LOCATION
Apr 03  XTERRA Portugal Championship  Figueira da Foz, Portugal
May 30  XTERRA Italy Championship - European Championship  Orosei, Sardinia, Italy
July 11  XTERRA France Championship  Xonrupt - Gerardmer
Aug 07  XTERRA Czech Championship  Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic
Aug 14  XTERRA Germany Championship  Zittau, Germany
Sept 11  XTERRA Switzerland Championship  Prangins, Switzerland
Oct 24  XTERRA World Championship  Maui, Hawaii, United States of America

Learn more about the XTERRA European Tour at www.xterraeurope.com