Serrières and Duvoisin Crowned 2024 XTERRA European Champions at World Cup Stop #6 in the Czech Republic
Serrières and Duvoisin Crowned 2024 XTERRA European Champions at World Cup Stop #6 in the Czech Republic
PRACHATICE, CZECH REPUBLIC
The 2024 XTERRA European Championship on August 10 served as Stop #6 of the XTERRA World Cup Series.
Loanne Duvoisin (CHE) and Arthur Serrières (FRA) each won the Full Distance Race, securing 100 points each.
The XTERRA Short Track Race on August 11 featured live action, enhancing the championship weekend and is available for replay.
Felix Forissier (FRA) and Solenne Billouin (FRA) each added 75 points to their World Cup standings.
The event included six races over three days, highlighted by the Full Distance Triathlon with a €30,000 prize purse and 58 spots for the 2024 XTERRA World Championship in Trentino, Italy.
The Youth Sprint and Super Sprint Triathlons also served as important qualifiers for the XTERRA Youth World Championship.
Full Distance Race Recap
The Full Distance Race at Ktišský Lake included a 1.5K swim followed by a challenging 33K mountain bike course through forests and medieval paths, and a 10.5K run through cobblestone and forest trails, finishing in Prachatice’s Great Square.
Men’s Race
Michele Bonacina (ITA) took an early lead in the swim at the XTERRA European Championship, closely followed by Jan Chrzanowski (POL) and Felix Forissier (FRA), who quickly established a significant lead.
A chase pack including Arthur Serrières (FRA), Maxim Chané (FRA), and Sebastian Neef (DEU) trailed by 40 seconds.
In the bike segment, Forissier pushed ahead, creating a gap on the major climbs, while Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) made up ground with the fastest bike split.
Despite accumulating penalties, Sloth Nielsen managed to secure 3rd place but couldn’t surpass the leaders.
During the run, Serrières overtook a fatigued Forissier in the final kilometers, to clinch his fourth XTERRA European Championship title, with Forissier holding onto second place.
Women’s Race
In the women’s race, local favorite Aneta Grabmüller (CZE) led out of the water and quickly capitalized on her home trail knowledge to extend her lead.
Loanne Duvoisin (CHE) and Alizée Paties (FRA) initially worked together in chase but Duvoisin pulled ahead as Paties fell back.
Solenne Billouin (FRA) and Sandra Mairhofer (ITA) struggled, with Billouin battling illness.
Duvoisin caught and passed Grabmüller during the run, defending her European Championship title from 2023.
Despite an Achilles issue, Grabmüller grabbed second place, cheered on by local supporters.
Paties rounded out the top three, finishing a minute and a half behind Grabmüller.
Short Track Race Replay
As the oldest event in the XTERRA World Tour, XTERRA Czech has been an evolving ground for the sport, with innovations like the made-for-TV Short Track Race that aired live on August 11.
Felix Forissier (FRA) and Solenne Billouin (FRA) secured their positions atop the World Cup series standings in a pair of very closely contested races that can be viewed on replay here.
From August 9-11, 2024, Prachatice buzzed with festival vibes, complete with local cuisine, live music, and an afterparty, fueling a weekend full of triathlon events for all levels.
Photo credit: XTERRA
X-TERRA Planet
