Xterra Victoria

McPherson, Baker win XTERRA Victoria

By XTERRA

Jul. 8, 2018

Kieran McPherson and Julie Baker captured the XTERRA Victoria off-road triathlon elite titles on a beautiful day at Durrance Lake in British Columbia, Canada on Sunday, July 8, 2018.

It’s the third win on the 2108 XTERRA Pan America Tour this season for McPherson, and for Baker, her second big win on the XTERRA World Tour since turning pro in 2016.

In the men’s race XTERRA veteran Brent McMahon was first out of the water, with Branden Rakita and Ian King right behind. McPherson and Josiah Middaugh were a little more than two minutes behind the lead swimmers but posted the best bike splits of the day to move into the lead on the second leg.

“It was a tough course to ride without good course knowledge,” said Middaugh. “I knew it was a risk arriving late, but I still put myself in a good position to go for the win. I swam with Kieran and biked the first lap with him. When we caught Branden I put a small gap on him, but he stayed close. Branden was also riding well and after blowing through a corner I found myself behind again and playing catch up. I came into T2 with a few seconds on Branden and a little more time to Kieran. I thought it was enough of a gap to hold off Kieran, but he was charging and I didn’t have enough of a response.”

McPherson, who crashed hard on the bike and didn’t finish this race last year, proved once again that his run split is top of class on the XTERRA Pan Am Tour. He blitzed the run in 37:24, nearly two-minutes better than Middaugh to take the tape in 2:06:03, 37-seconds ahead of Josiah.

"I have been running fast all year said McPherson, who has had the fastest run split at every race except the season-opener in Chile when Mauricio Mendez was quicker. "Today was redemption after last year when I crashed on this course.This is the form I have continued on all year I believe just my last two races (illness in Bama after weeks racing and mechanical in DR) have been a little off what I set as my performance standard."

As for how the race was won, McPherson said, "I had an average swim but come out the usual 90sec down on the lead pack, but with Josiah. I was hoping to be a lot further ahead of him. I attacked him on the first bike climb to get a lead going into the technical single track. I rode the downhills all really conservatively as I did not want a repeat of last year. Josiah opened up a gap just before starting lap two on the climb. I tried to go with him but he was far too strong. I held myself together and rode within myself to finish the bike about 75sec down on Josiah and Branden. I ran out with nothing to lose. I ran the first lap like it was my last. I was getting regular splits and closed the gap fast and we started lap 2 together. Josiah ran hard to lead the single track so I let him go. I soon found an opportunity to get by and took it. I planned to run hard on the technical flat and tire his legs before we started the hill again. Up the hill Josiah took back the lead and would not let me get it back, surging each time I tried to get on the front. I eventually attacked giving it my all and ran away. The rest is, as the say, history. Confidence wise this shows I am a strong contender for the Tour and I am hoping to have everyone getting off the bike running scared that I am coming."

Rakita finished strong in third, with McMahon in fourth and Will Ross edged out Alex Roberts and Will Kelsay by less than 30-seconds to take the fifth spot.

Elite Men's Results

Place Name, NATTimePoints

1Kieran McPherson, NZL2:06:0375

2Josiah Middaugh, USA2:06:4067

3Branden Rakita, USA2:12:1961

4Brent McMahon, CAN2:14:3456

5Will Ross, USA2:16:0451

6Alex Roberts, NZL2:16:2747

7Will Kelsay, USA2:16:3643

8Brent Mattison, USA2:18:0739

9Nelson Hegg, USA2:18:2136

10Ryan DeCook, USA2:18:2633