Alizee Paties, of Dijon, France, proved her No. 2 ranking in the world was well earned, finishing the XTERRA World Championship triathlon in 2:36:19 to earn her first world title Saturday at Wingfield Park. It was her fifth triathlon gold this year.
“In Europe, we aren’t used to racing these kinds of tracks,” Paties said of the narrow and rugged trails for cycling and running. “It was pretty nice to have something different, especially on the mountain bike.”
Alizee Paties, of Dijon, France, runs up a trail on a hill near Grindstone Lake during the XTERRA World Championship on Saturday, Oct. 10, in Ruidoso.
“The run was very hard because with the attitude, there is a lot of climbing,” Paties said. “so you have to be focused on downhill and uphill.”
As Paties was careening off Grindstone Mesa to get to Carrizo Canyon Road and start the run into Wingfield Park on her bike, she narrowly avoided wiping out a few times.
But her first world championship was within her reach, and she wasn’t going to slow down.
“It was very special for me,” Paties said. “I thought about a lot of things as I crossed the finish, my family, my coach, and I was very proud.
Alizee Paties, of Dijon, France, peels off her wetsuit after completing the swim portion of the XTERRA Word Championship on Saturday, Oct. 10, in Ruidoso.
Todd Fuqua is Sports Editor for the Ruidoso News and can be reached at 575-937-0344.
