XTERRA Saipan preparations on track

Saipan bikers pose for a photo during a break in their practice ride for XTERRA Saipan Championships at the ?Sound of Music.? (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Preparations for next month’ XTERRA Saipan Championship are on track, as organizers are almost done with the clearing jobs along the bike and run courses of the off-road triathlon race.
“Ninety percent of the bike and run courses are complete (outside of AMP) with blue arrows for the bike and red for the run,” said Wolf Mojica, president of Taga, Inc., which is in charge of organizing XTERRA Saipan.

This year’s XTERRA Saipan will take place on April 5 and will be the last stop of the XTERRA Asia Triple Crown. The three-leg event kicked off in the Philippines last Saturday, while the second leg will be held in Guam on March 29. Dan Hugo and Renata Bucher won the kickoff and they are now in Guam, aiming for back-to-back wins.

The XTERRA Philippines champions are among the 13 pros joining XTERRA’s Crown Jewel next month.

“It’s going to be an exciting competition once the pros get into Saipan,” said Mojica.

After the tournament in Guam next Saturday, the pros are expected to go all out in the last leg on Saipan for the rare three-peat. Australia’s Ben Allen, who finished third behind Hugo and Bradley Weiss in last weekend’s XTERRA Philippines, accomplished that feat last year
Allen and the other pros are among the 64 individuals who have registered for XTERRA Saipan. Participants come from Australia, South Africa, Russia, the Philippines, New Zealand, Japan, Guam, and Saipan.

Meanwhile, registration for Tagaman Triathlon, which is set for April 12, is also ongoing so far 79 have signed up for the event. Japan has the most participants so far with 30, while two Korean bets have also signed up.

The organizing committee for Tagaman and XTERRA Saipan has been busy making all kinds of arrangements and coordination. Volunteers for the different aid stations are still being solicited.

The committee would like to thank the various agencies for their assistance: MVA, Department of Public Safety, Department of Parks & Recreation, CHC, Department of Public Works, Division of Boating Safety, Saipan Mayor’s Office, landowners, Amateur Radio Club of Saipan and the major sponsors which are PIC, DFS, Docomo Pacific, IT&E, Coca-Cola, Subway, Glimpses Advertising Glimpses Publications, Foremost, Triple J Enterprises, Triple J Wholesale, Hertz Rent A Car, Hyatt Regency Saipan, J’s Restaurant, Bridge Capital, Brabu Pharmacy, and John Jones.

The committee is also calling for the public’s cooperation, understanding, and patience in ensuring the safety of all the participants before and during the race. Motorists and pedestrians are advised to take extra caution along the XTERRA and Tagaman routes and are encouraged to come to AMP to cheer for the participants. (Saipan Tribune)