XTERRA Euro Tour Heats Up in Malta

Thursday 16 May 2019
Defending XTERRA European Tour Champions Francois Carloni and Carina Wasle are the heavy favorites at XTERRA Malta, the third stop on the 2019 tour.

Reigning XTERRA European Tour men’s elite champion Francois Carloni from France highlights the men’s field.

“I feel like I’ve recovered from the Cape Epic MTB race and I’m ready to race XTERRA properly,” said Carloni.  “After racing ITU Cross Triathlon Worlds (11th), I took one easy week and now the sensations are good. I’m very excited to be back in Malta, this is my third time here. I like this race, especially the mountain bike loop.”

Carloni finished 4th in Malta last year, and later won XTERRA Belgium and the Tour title, so he knows that if his winter training pays off, he has a serious chance to win this race.

The Frenchman will not have an easy day, however, as Maximilian Sasserath from Germany finished in front of him in Malta last year and was also better in Greece just three weeks ago.

“After finishing second and third in Malta over the last few years my goal is to finish on the podium again,” said Sasserath.  “After a solid race in Greece, a good ITU race 10 days later (12th) and then a local team race on the road last Sunday, I am looking forward to another good performance. Maybe it will be good enough to claim the top step. This year, staying healthy is as important as a result because I had to finish my season after last year's race here due to injury.”

Other top contenders for the top step include Geert Lauryssen from Belgium and Jens Roth from Germany.

“It’s nice to be back with my XTERRA family, I can’t wait to race with my friends again,” said Roth.  “This winter I changed my weekly routine and I’ve done 25 consistent weeks including a training camp on Gran Canaria with the Ironman World Champion, Patrick Lange.”

Roth is one of the sports best swimmers and will likely lead the swim with as much as a 60-second advantage and look to keep this lead as long as possible.

For Lauryssen, it’s all about the bike.  He has previously posted the fastest bike split in Malta, so will be confident he can ride to the front before the second lap and make his move.

Samuel Jud from Switzerland, who is currently third in the European Tour standings after two solid races in Cyprus and Greece, has the opportunity to take the lead in the series with a good performance.

Portugal’s Rui Dolores is also in the mix. He finished 6th last year on the Tour and on a good day will find his way into the top five. The XTERRA Malta run loop is difficult and will suit him well.

“This is my second time in beautiful Malta. The course is demanding but fun to race,” said Dolores.  “Lots of rocks, long descents and technical uphills make for a great challenge. I started my winter training a bit later this season and as a result, I felt far from my best in Cyprus. I’ve trained well in the last couple of weeks and I feel the improvement already, so I hope to have a good performance and have fun in Malta.”

Peter Lehmann from Germany, who was 3rd last year in the final tour standings, has been traveling the world with his girlfriend and creating great memories.  He’s hoping all those good times will lead to a podium performance on Saturday.

In the women’s elite race Carina Wasle, who is currently second in the Euro Tour standings following a win at XTERRA Cyprus, hopes she has recovered from the knee injury she suffered during a bike crash at XTERRA Greece.

“During the last three weeks, I’ve tried everything to recover as quickly as possible,” said Wasle, the reigning XTERRA European Tour Champion. “The good news is I can swim and bike again, the bad news is I can’t run at all. But I will be in Malta and try to do my best.”

Even though she is carrying an injury, we are quite certain that with a solid swim and bike, if Wasle can run she will win this race and take the lead in the European Tour standings.

Her competition comes from Maria Doring of Germany. Doring finished 10th at XTERRA Cyprus this year and an excellent 8th at the 2018 European Champs. She may well believe Saturday could be her day given Wasle’s unknown condition.

Other contenders include Adriana Klimkova from the Czech Republic. Malta will be the first race in the elite division for this young athlete, so she brings in a bit of the unknown to the women’s race.  

Elite Men
Samuel Jud, CHE
Geert Lauryssen, BEL
Andrea Giuseppe Zanega, ITA
Maximilian Sasserath, DEU
François Carloni,FRA
Rui Dolores, PRT
Peter Lehmann, DEU
Jens Roth, DEU

Elite Women
Carina Wasle, AUT
Maria Doring, DEU
Adriana Klimkova, CZE


Learn more at xterraplanet.com/malta.
XTERRA Triathlon


Coming Triathlon Events View all

Altriman

les Angles, Pyrenees, France

eagleXman

Assergi, Italy

TriBourne 226

Eastbourne, United Kingdom

Kaike triathlon

Yonago, Tottori, Japan

Outlaw Triathlon

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Wild Siberia Xtreme

Lake Cheybek-Kohl, Siberia, Russian Federation

Starvation Extreme

Starvation Reservoir, Utah, United States

Norseman Xtreme

Geilo, Norway

Ostseeman

Glucksburg, Germany

Slovakman 226

Pieštany, Slovakia

Ironman Vitoria Gasteiz

Vitoria Gasteiz, Spain

Ironman Lake Placid

Lake Placid, United States

Ironman Leeds

Leeds, United Kingdom

Ironman Canada Ottawa

Ottowa, Canada

Ironman Kalmar Sweden

Kalmar, Sweden

Ironman Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Denmark

Ironman Tallinn

Tallinn, Estonia

Ironman Switzerland

Thun, Switzerland

Ironman Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin, United States

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPS MEN

Nice, France

Oravaman

Zuberec, Slovakia

Cotswold Classic

Ashton Keynes, United Kingdom

Door Country Half

Egg Harbor, WI, United States

Garmin Tri Tour Sycow

Sycow, Poland

Castle to Coast

Windsor to Brighton, United Kingdom

Sourdough Triathlon

Chatanika, Alaska, United States

TRI Boulder

Boulder, CO, United States

Timisoara Triathlon

Timisoara, Romania

Trumer Triathlon

Obertrum am See, Austria

Honeymoon Half Gravel Tri

Honeymoon Bay BC, Canada

70.3 Muncie

Muncie, Indiana, United States

70.3 Luxembourg

Remich, Luxembourg

70.3 Swansea

Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom

70.3 Musselman

Geneva NY, United States

70.3 Ohio

Sandusky, United States

70.3 Oregon

Salem OR, United States

70.3 Ecuador

Manta, Ecuador

70.3 Boise

Boise Idaho, United States

70.3 Calgary

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

70.3 Maine

Augusta, United States

Triathlon News & Media Blogs View all

IRONMAN Pro Series 70.3 Swansea Start List

IRONMAN Pro Series 70.3 Swansea Start List

Friday 11 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

On Sunday, 13 July, nearly 60 professional triathletes will head to the south coast of Wales for the first time to compete in the IRONMAN®?70.3® Swansea triathlon, the 12th event in the 2025 IRONMAN® Pro Series. The event will offer a maximum of 2,500 points towards IRONMAN® Pro Series standings, a $50,000 USD?event total pro prize purse, and two slots per gender for the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon in Nice, France. more

IRONMAN Vitoria Gasteiz WPRO Start List

IRONMAN Vitoria Gasteiz WPRO Start List

Friday 11 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz invites you to the spectacular cultural capital of northern Spain's Basque Country! With over a decade of triathlon heritage, Vitoria-Gasteiz is a well-known triathlon playground offering astonishing natural landscapes, rich culture, unforgettable Basque gastronomy, and the most passionate and vibrant fans that will encourage you until the finish line. more

Fabian Kraft, Lena Meissner Win 70.3 Jonkoping

Fabian Kraft, Lena Meissner Win 70.3 Jonkoping

Monday 07 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

The event, held on Sunday, July 6, featured a swim in Lake Munksjön, a bike course through the scenic Swedish countryside, and a run through the center of Jönköping around the lake. more

Sam Laidlow, Laura Philipp Win CHALLENGE Roth

Sam Laidlow, Laura Philipp Win CHALLENGE Roth

Sunday 06 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

Reigning world champion Laura Philipp and world champion Sam Laidlow have won DATEV Challenge Roth and, in front of several hundred thousand spectators, entered the list of winners of the world's largest long-distance triathlon for the first time. Jonas Schomburg, who had to drop out in Frankfurt a week ago and so entered Roth last minute, came second and for a long time even had his sights set on the top step of the podium. more

70.3 Jonkoping SWE Pro Start List

70.3 Jonkoping SWE Pro Start List

Friday 04 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

A warm and heartfelt welcome to 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping European Championship! On Sunday, July 6, you’ll be part of something truly special – a celebration of athleticism, determination and community, set in the heart of Sweden. more

Facebook


YouTube


Sign up for FREE NEWSLETTER:

We will never share your email address or spam you.