Davies Dominates & Draper Tracks Down Rhodes at XTERRA Weston Park

May 13, 2024

STAFFORDSHIRE, UK /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Daisy Davies (GBR) dominated the women’s Full Distance off-road triathlon, and Will Draper (GBR) secured victory in the men’s race at the 2024 edition of XTERRA Weston Park, which unfolded on Saturday, May 11th.

Held in the expansive 1,000-acre private estate of Weston Park, the UK’s flagship race on the 2024 XTERRA World Tour delivered an intense showdown in its second year. The event kicked off with a calm lake swim, followed by fast and flowing mountain bike singletrack, and concluded with a heated, technical trail run under sunny skies with temperatures above 20°C. The presence of global elite athletes, local heroes, and passionate UK spectator support from across the region created a competitive atmosphere.

Course Description:

Swim (1.5K): The Full Distance race began with a two-lap, 1.5-kilometer swim in the estate’s private lake. Organizers ensured the waters were clear and unobstructed, providing a smooth start for the competitors.

Bike (28K): After the swim, athletes took on a 28-kilometer bike course that covered two loops of the estate. The route combined wooded singletrack with fast-paced gravel tracks, allowing participants to fully experience the diverse terrain of Weston Park. The flat and fast sections early in the course enabled athletes to draft together, while the tight, twisty singletrack later in the route demanded careful line-following and close cooperation.

Run (10K): The race concluded with a course that was redesigned to increase the challenge significantly compared to the previous year. The new run course featured more technical singletrack, a scramble through a quarry, and a challenging ascent. This year’s course nearly tripled the elevation gain of last year’s, testing the athletes’ endurance through the tough, technical terrain.

Course Insights From Race Winners:

Daisy Davies (GBR): “The bike & run courses [were] fairly technical with a mixture of free flowing trails and some gnarlier sections.”

Will Draper (GBR): “The course was a great mixture of terrain and speeds. It [became] technical when you start to ride it fast which makes it a great option for beginners to take the routes more controlled and the pros to race their hardest on.”

Women’s Race Recap:

Daisy Davies (GBR) established her dominance early in the race during the swim segment, taking the lead with a two-lap time of 18 minutes and 40 seconds. Behind her, a chase pack formed consisting of Carina Wasle (AUT), local favorite Kerri-Ann Upham (GBR) and Lizzie Orchard (NZL) worked to try and close the gap to Davies, who set a pace that was hard to match.

Top 5 Out of the Water

1st – Daisy Davies (GBR) – 18:40

2nd – Carina Wasle (AUT) – 21:43

3rd – Kerri-Ann Upham (GBR) – 21:53

4th – Jana Dubcova (CZE) – 25:43

5th – Bonnie van Wilgenburg (GBR) – 26:05

Continuing her strong performance, Davies turned the bike segment into a solo show, extending her lead over the rest of the field. She rode so powerfully that she even started to challenge the elite men ahead of her. Meanwhile, the battle for the other podium spots heated up as Lizzie Orchard fell slightly behind with Wasle and Upham going head-to-head, never drifting more than 30 seconds apart throughout the course.

Top 5 Bike Splits

1st – Daisy Davies (GBR) – 1:18:12

2nd – Kerri-Ann Upham (GBR) – 1:19:27

3rd – Carina Wasle (AUT) – 1:20:34

4th – Jana Dubcova (CZE) – 1:20:08

5th – Bonnie van Wilgenburg (GBR) – 1:20:58

Entering the run with a substantial lead, Daisy Davies managed her pace well, ensuring a mistake-free final leg to clinch the victory. The run did not see significant time gains over her closest competitors, as Upham and Wasle pushed each other hard. Davies rounded off her performance with the fastest splits in all three disciplines, reaffirming her status as a strong off-road triathlete, especially after her previous win at the XTERRA Short Track race at the 2022 XTERRA World Championship.

Daisy Davies reflected on her performance, especially pleased with her mountain biking, a discipline she’s less accustomed to compared to road cycling: “It was good fun, hot on the run. I did well on the bike and was quite pleased with that.” With her victory at XTERRA Weston Park, there’s much anticipation around her potential to heavily impact the 2024 XTERRA World Championship in September.

Top 5 Run Splits

1st – Daisy Davies (GBR) – 44:10

2nd – Bonnie van Wilgenburg (GBR) – 44:21

4th – Carina Wasle (AUT) – 44:40

4th – Jana Dubcova (CZE) – 45:39

5th – Kerri-Ann Upham (GBR) – 45:54

Women’s Move of the Race

A notable moment occurred during the final stretch where Carina Wasle initially led Kerri-Ann Upham, but as they approached the finish, Wasle began to lose her pace. In a dramatic finish, Upham took advantage of Wasle’s fading momentum and sprinted past her just 10 meters before the finish line, securing second place. The overtaking move and the subsequent result had the local crowd particularly supportive of Upham, cheering loudly as she completed her late surge to overtake Wasle at the line in her home race.

Elite Women’s Results

1st – Daisy Davies (GBR) – 2:22:11

2nd – Kerri-Ann Upham (GBR) – 2:28:30

3rd – Carina Wasle (AUT) – 2:28:30

4th – Bonnie van Wilgenburg (GBR) – 2:32:46

5th – Jana Dubcova (CZE) – 2:33:41

6th – Elizabeth Orchard (NZL) – 2:35:50

7th – Louise Fox (GBR) – 2:41:17

8th – Camille Jobard (FRA) – 2:43:47

9th – Barbora Stupková (CZE) – 2:46:02

Complete results can be found here.

Men’s Race Recap

The race began with Scotland’s Rory Strachan (GBR) excelling in this initial phase, emerging first from the water with a lead of approximately 60 seconds over his closest competitors, Morgan Rhodes (GBR) and Jan Chrzanowski (POL).

Top 5 Out of the Water

1st – Rory Strachan (GBR) – 17:10

2nd – Morgan Rhodes (GBR) – 18:11

3rd – Jan Chrzanowski (POL) – 18:20

4th – Ben Goodfellow (GBR) – 18:36

5th – Will Draper (GBR) – 18:38

In the bike segment, Rhodes quickly surged to the front, taking an early lead and maintaining it throughout the first lap. However, it was Will Draper (GBR) who ultimately showed off his speed, delivering the fastest bike split of the day. Draper’s performance over the 28-kilometer course, featuring a mix of flat and fast sections along with tight, twisty singletrack, allowed him to overtake Rhodes and enter Transition 2 (T2) with a commanding lead. Rhodes remained in strong contention for second place, though closely pursued by Benjamin Goodfellow (GBR).

Top 5 Bike Splits

1st – Will Draper (GBR) – 1:09:35

2nd – Morgan Rhodes (GBR) – 1:11:17

3rd – Ben Goodfellow (GBR) – 1:14:56

4th – Jan Chrzanowski (POL) – 1:15:28

5th – Pierre Simeon (FRA) – 1:17:11

The newly designed run course at Weston Park resulted in a tougher, slower, and more technical run. Draper, who had already established a lead with the fastest bike time, managed to maintain his pace, posting the fastest run split of the day. Despite only extending his lead by five seconds over Morgan Rhodes, it was enough to secure his position at the front.

Rhodes finished second with Goodfellow, though losing some time, holding strong to finish third. Will Draper reflected on his performance: “Great to come here for the second edition of this race. The high point was coming down into the finish; you really can’t see how much of a lead you got, so it was a nice feeling at the end.”

Top 5 Run Splits

1st – Will Draper (GBR) – 38:18

2nd – Morgan Rhodes (GBR) – 38:23

3rd – Pierre Simeon (FRA) – 39:45

4th – Ben Goodfellow (GBR) – 39:57

5th – Rory Strachan (GBR) – 44:40

Men’s Move of the Race

The pivotal moment of the race occurred during the bike segment, where Will Draper executed a critical maneuver that ultimately defined the race’s outcome. On a tight, twisty section of the course, Draper passed Morgan Rhodes, using technical skills and a powerful surge to create a gap. This strategic move allowed Draper to escape the potential for drafting, a significant factor on this course, ensuring that Rhodes could not benefit. This gap meant Draper could continuously build his lead without concern for Rhodes catching a “free ride” to the run segment. Given their close performance on foot, it was likely this move on the bike by Draper that ultimately secured his top spot on the podium.

Elite Men’s Results

1st – Will Draper (GBR) – 2:07:51

2nd – Morgan Rhodes (GBR) – 2:09:15

3rd – Ben Goodfellow (GBR) – 2:15:05

4th – Jan Chrzanowski (POL) – 2:17:42

5th – Pierre Simeon (FRA) – 2:19:26

6th – Rory Strachan (GBR) – 2:26:37

In addition to the elite competition, XTERRA Weston Park also hosted a Sprint Triathlon, which included a 750M swim, a 14K MTB ride, and a 5K trail run providing Youth B and Junior athletes the chance to earn slots for the XTERRA Youth World Championship.

About XTERRA

XTERRA is a global lifestyle brand that champions the outdoor enthusiast in their pursuit of relentless adventure. From pioneering the sport of cross-triathlon in 1996, XTERRA has grown to become a leading brand in off-road adventure through the XTERRA World Tour, XTERRA Trail Run World Series and the XTERRA World Cup, connecting an eco-aware community of worldwide explorers that seek to protect the places where they play. For more information, visit xterraplanet.com.

High resolution images available for use here. Photo credit: XTERRA