...and the Winners are?

It was another great ITU World Cup Triathlon here in Huatulco!

The skies were clear and the winds were low for the Elite category on Sunday and marry that with temperatures in the mid 30s, and you know that the action was hot!

While some racers succumbed to the heat of Huatulco, others like men's category winner, Matt Chrabot certainly seems to thrive at this race as he was also the event champion in 2009. The win marked his second career World Cup title overall.  Chrabot came from behind after a crash on the bike which put him behind beginning the transition on the run.  With two laps to go Chrabot reeled in the South African athlete Richard Murray to win in a time of 2 hours and 37 seconds.  

On the women's side it was the Japanese athlete Juri Ide who won for the first time in Huatulco, and second time this year.  It seems that the Japanese women love this event as this marks the third year in a row for a Japanese champion.  Ide finished with a time of 2 hours 12 minutes and 52 seconds.

"Killer Hill"

While the heat is always part of this event, the "killer hill" was inserted back into the program this year.  For those of you who know Huatulco, this is the big, steep hill that starts at the turnoff to Playa La Entrega and the naval base.  Instead of turning here, go straight up this beast towards Playa Maguey (it's a 20% grade)...trust me, it hurts, especially when you have to climb this 8 times in steaming hot conditions.  For some, this hill proved to be too much in the heat. 

All in all, another successful event here in Huatulco.  We can't wait to see the return of the ITU World Cup Triathlon in May of 2012, typically one of the hottest months here in Huatulco!

Congratulations to all of the participants!

View the collection of race photos here.