The Xterra West Championship in Vegas, USA, took place on April 13 and athlete Dan Hugo came seventh in a time of 2:19:22, 9:15 behind winner Josiah Middaugh.
Bleeding hurt through hacked lungs. I mean that. This was a hurtful course and I wanted it.
Perhaps this was my year to win the series I said, perhaps. “I need to win Vegas to create a feasible attempt vs Middaugh” was the line that followed.
Lead from cannon fire through five of the six straights in Lake Las Vegas till protege Mendez towed me in.
Mounted first though and got to work, grinding climb for climb like every second mattered. It did. The splendid Big Jo has made this course his own and rightly so with its linear climbs suiting his ammo.
There was a sprint course athlete on the line through the river bed. I lost patience or either had none to start with.
Tried to pass on an improvised line. Carbon rim met a hard edge of calcified river bed and that was all there was to it.
SWAT box opened, plugged the spitting gash and engaged the canister to over inflate. Hopped on in a fury only to stop again to close the SWAT box as Josiah and Brad breezed by. Never been more impressed at the site of Brad. The lad was on the wheel, with less than ten minutes remaining on the bike.
Closed the gap and sat on as Brad waivered like a soldier who had already gone above and beyond the call of duty. Brad eventually let go such that I could give him one deep roar on my two feet once I’d stopped again to inflate my rear. He was poised for a breakthrough day.
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