Carina Wasle and Michele Bonacina Secure Victories at the 10th Annual Xterra Lake Scanno

Why it matters: Carina Wasle (AUT) and Michele Bonacina (ITA) captured the women's and men's elite titles at the 10th annual Xterra Lake Scanno off-road triathlon. This win signifies Wasle's 24th career Xterra World Tour victory, and the first for Bonacina.

Setting the pace: Taking place at the scenic heart-shaped lake in Southern Italy's Abruzzo National Park, this competition marked the 13th of 21 stops on the 2023 Xterra EMEA Tour. The race combined a 1.5K swim with a 30K mountain bike, and a strenuous 11K trail run.

What they are saying:

Carina Wasle on the race: "It's always fun when you win. I’m really happy, this is one of my favorite races on the World Tour. The course is amazing, the people are amazing."
Michele Bonacina on his win: "My first full-distance win and to do it here in my home country, I’m super happy."
Georgia Grobler on her experience: "What a dynamic race, we could always see each other so had reasons to push, and we were changing positions all the time."

By the numbers:

Women's race duration: Wasle finished with a time of 3:25:56
Men's race duration: Bonacina concluded the race in 2:40:18
Wasle had a 24th career Xterra World Tour victory
This was Bonacina's first Xterra victory
The Xterra EMEA Tour includes 21 stops, and Lake Scanno was the 13th

Between transition:

The lead in both the men's and women's races saw frequent changes, making it a thrilling watch for spectators. Wasle was initially 1:45 off the pace but turned the tide in her favor with a robust performance. Similarly, Bonacina, nicknamed "The Shark", managed to sustain his lead from the very beginning.

Through Time: Wasle is a seasoned athlete in the Xterra World Tour, and this win marked her 24th. However, this victory is the first in an Xterra major since 2019. For Bonacina, this win marked his first Xterra victory, highlighting his emerging potential.

The bottom line: This victory was a significant milestone for both Wasle and Bonacina. For Wasle, it marks her return to victory after a gap of four years, reestablishing her dominance in the sport.