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Cove Communications Launches XTC Off-Road Triathlon Series

As Cove Communications prepares to launch the 2005 race season, we are refocusing our race series plan. This fall our off-road planning team and partners sat down to look at what direction we want our race series to go. We have decided to step away from XTERRA and develop our own race series, XTC Off-Road Triathlon. We are excited about this new venture that will offer a very racer-focused series and a great racer experience.

Why Change from XTERRA To XTC?

Team Unlimited, the company that owns XTERRA, has done a great job at developing and producing the high level event globally. Their goals are to have every championship XTERRA series be ready-for-tv format. Their roots are in hospitality and film, which shows in the focus of their races globally. At Cove Communications, our reason for getting involved in putting on off-road triathlons is our roots are in racing, we love the sport and we want it to grow in Canada. We want to focus our efforts at making race experience be our number one goal. We want athletes to leave our races feeling that they had a fun, festival atmosphere and a great race experience. We feel that we are better able to do this with the XTC format.

What differences will we see with XTC?

Without the financial commitments we had with XTERRA, we are able to lower race entry fees. In addition as we grow the race we will be able to continue to put more back into the race, providing more and more value for your entry fee. Without the licensing fee and financial commitment we had to XTERRA, we are able to do this, so that you directly benefit.

The races will be the same format you experienced in the first two years. The only difference is that we will no longer have spots for the XTERRA worlds in Maui or be affiliated with XTERRA. Besides that and the positive things we have mentioned above, the race will look and feel the same as before. We had such positive feedback from the first two years, we want to continue to put on the quality events you have come to expect.

Which venues will host XTC Off-Road Triathlon?

We will host races once again in Guelph, Ontario and Vancouver, BC (Buntzen Lake in Port Moody where we held the championship race the past two years). We have also been approached to take over an off-road triathlon on Vancouver Island in Campbell River, BC. We will not be hosting the Canmore, Alberta location in 2005 due to major upgrades at the Canmore Nordic Centre and surrounding areas and trails.

We originally considered hosting a race in Whistler, but have decided to not pursue that location, as XTERRA Canada Championships will return to that location in the future. Also, so many of our past racers, including our top pros (ie. Stefan Jakobsen) have pleaded with us to continue to host a race at the Buntzen Lake location. Why move away from a location that athletes love.

In addition we are altering the short distance race at Buntzen Lake to provide racers with a much easier short course mountain bike than in the past. In the past there was not enough of a difference between the short and full, making the mountain bike course overwhelming for beginners. We want to encourage athletes to try out this format of triathlon so we feel this will help.

Why the name XTC?

The name was developed with cross-country and triathlon in mind. We wanted a name that would flow off the tongue easily, but also encompassed these two disciplines. Hence XC is for cross-country and T is for triathlon. T (for triathlon) is surrounded by XC for cross-country, which sums up this racing format perfectly.

What does this mean for XTERRA in Canada?

Although Cove Communications has decided to no longer host XTERRA, look for it to return. We are confident a well established Race Event Management Company will bring the race to Canada who has the same goals and objectives as Team Unlimited, taking the race from what Cove Communications has started here in Canada and moving it towards Team Unlimited's future goals. Unofficially, there will most likely be a return of the race in 2005.

We thank you for you support in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. We look forward to seeing you at the XTC Guelph, XTC Campbell River and XTC Vancouver races in 2005.

Thank you from XTC Canada