THIS WEEK: The first of five championship races on the XTERRA America Tour takes place in the wine country of Southern California. For the third straight season Vail Lake Resort in Temecula will host the XTERRA West Championship and sports festival. The main event – this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. PST, features some of the world's finest athletes challenging Mother Nature, and each other, in a 1.5-kilometer swim in Vail Lake, followed by a 30k mountain bike up-down-and-around the surrounding hills, and a grueling 10k trail run. The pros will be competing for fame and cash ($20,000 purse) while amateurs race for a berth into the XTERRA World Championship, and for points in the America Tour series.

The weekend schedule also includes an XTERRA Sport race (750m swim, 15k mtb, 5k run), XTERRA Duathlon (3k run, 15k mtb, 5k run), XTERRA 5k and 10k trail runs, the JDRF 5k walk to cure diabetes (a benefit for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation that is expected to net 2,000 participants), free XTERRA University clinics, an outdoor expo with music and demos, and the XTERRA Kids Zone.
UPCOMING RACES:
5/19 - XTERRA Seven Islands Sunblast Trail Run (Knoxville, TN)
5/19 - XTERRA Vail Lake Trail Run/Walk (Temecula, CA)
5/20 - XTERRA West Championship (Temecula, CA)
5/20 - XTERRA Patanella's King of the Hill (Lebanon, NJ)
5/20 - XTERRA Last Stand (Augusta, MI)
5/20 - XTERRA Dirty (Canyon Lakes, TX)
5/26 - XTERRA Italy - EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP (Gulf of Orosei)
5/27 - XTERRA Smith Lake (Fort Bragg, NC)
PRO PREVIEW: As this is the first major race of the XTERRA U.S. Series, there is no telling how the competition will unfold. Off-season training - or lack thereof - could make a huge difference on this day. And as always with XTERRA - where Mother Nature is your toughest competitor - anything can and usually does happen. All qualifications aside, here are those most likely to walk away winners in California:

MEN’S FAVORITES
Seth Wealing shocked the XTERRA Planet last year when he won the USA Championship race and the U.S. Pro Series - becoming the first American to ever accomplish that feat. He backed it up with a third place finish (top American) at the XTERRA World Championship. AND last year he was the runner-up to Brent McMahon here in Temecula. Add it all up and Wealing comes into the first one as the man to beat. That said, Conrad “the Caveman” Stoltz has healed from injuries suffered during a pre-ride crash in Tahoe last year and is on a mission to reclaim his status as the King of XTERRA. The two-time Olympian and XTERRA World Champion won in Temecula back in 2005 and showed he’s in good form by winning the XTERRA South Africa title on April 14. Josiah Middaugh finished strong last year with a 4th place finish in Maui and he was third in Temecula a year ago. Greg Krause was 7th at XTERRA Worlds and is poised to break out. Mike Vine and Brian Smith are both peddle-to-the-medal mountain bikers that could potentially destroy this hilly course. Don’t count out Andrew Noble, who finished in the top five at all six U.S. Series races last season, and was 5th here last season. Making his continental U.S. debut is the XTERRA Amateur World Champ Rom Akerson from Costa Rica, who will be riding in his first race as a pro. Akerson highlights a solid group of young guns making their XTERRA pro debut in the U.S. that includes Cody Waite from Denver, Luke Way from Calgary, and Dan Hugo from South Africa. Start List:
# - Name - Age, Hometown
1 - Seth Wealing - 28, Boulder, Colorado
2 - Andrew Noble - 41, Gold Coast, Australia
3 - Conrad Stoltz - 33, Stellenbosch, South Africa
4 - Brian Smith - 31, Gunnison, Colorado
5 - Ryan Ignatz - 28, Boulder, Colorado
6 - Mike Vine - 34, Victoria, B.C., Canada
7 - Brian Astell - 26, Gualala, California
8 - Will Kelsay - 25, Boulder, Colorado
9 - Jimmy Archer - 34, Boulder, Colorado
10 - Josiah Middaugh - 28, Vail, Colorado
11 - Greg Krause - 30, Littleton, Colorado
14 - John Koenig - 37, Glenview, Illinois
15 - Jim Vance - 30, San Diego, California
16 - Craig Evans - 29, Nashville, Tennessee
17 - Rom Akerson - 24, Costa Rica
18 - Dan Hugo - 22, Stellenbosch, South Africa
19 - Mark Leishman - 27, Palmerston North, New Zealand
20 - Cody Waite - 28, Denver, Colorado
21 - Luke Way - 25, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
22 - Tyler Johnson - 27, Chester, Connecticut

WOMEN FAVORITES
It appears we have another wonderful season of the McQuaid-Whitmore rivalry on the horizon. McQuaid holds the upper hand by winning the USA race, U.S. Series, and the World Championship (for the third time) last season. Whitmore, the all-time winningest XTERRA athlete with 32 wins under her belt, won here in Temecula last year (but McQuaid was victorious in SoCal in 2005). Over the last few years Candy Angle has placed third behind those two more times than she’d care to remember (including here in Temecula last year). Jennifer Smith had a breakout race at the USA Championship where she finished 2nd. Smith was 4th here last year. Heather Fuhr is one of the most recognizable names in multisport with a ton of Ironman victories, including the 1997 World Championship. Fuhr also won the Hawaiian Airlines Double twice for turning in the fastest combined times in the Ironman World Championship and XTERRA World Championship (the two races are just eight days apart). Amber Monforte embarks on her second year as a pro while Dara Marks Marino turns from pro mountain biking to XTERRA with this being her first-ever championship race. Start List:
# - Women - Age, Hometown
61 - Melanie McQuaid - 34, Victoria, B.C., Canada
62 - Jamie Whitmore - 31, Somerset, California
63 - Candy Angle - 37, Weymouth, Massachusetts
64 - Jenny Smith - 34, Westport, New Zealand
65 - Amber Monforte - 29, Reno, Nevada
66 - Heather Fuhr - 39, Alberta, Canada
67 - Dara Marks Marino - 31, Flagstaff, Arizona
ABOUT THE U.S. PRO SERIES: The 2007 XTERRA National Championship Series for pros consists of five events:

May 20 - XTERRA West Championship (Temecula, CA)
June 10 - XTERRA Southeast Championship (Pelham, AL)
June 17- XTERRA East Championship (Richmond, VA)
August 18 - XTERRA Mountain Championship (Ogden/Snowbasin, UT)
Sept. 30 - XTERRA USA Championship (Lake Tahoe, NV)

The top 15 pros at each event are awarded points based on overall pro finish. Pros can drop one of their scores from the first four events, but must count the points they get (or don’t get) in Nevada. Thus, the final point total combines athletes’ best three scores in the first four races, plus the USA Championship race points. He/she with most points in the end is declared Series Champ. The U.S. Series will dish out $190,000 in prize money. $20,000 in Temecula, Pelham, Richmond, and Ogden, $40,000 in Nevada, plus $70,000 will be distributed to the top overall points scorers in the Series after the USA Championship. Note: The XTERRA World Championship Oct. 28 in Makena, Maui is a stand-alone event worth a $130,000.
XTERRA SEVEN ISLANDS SUNBLAST: The XTERRA Seven Islands Sunblast Trail Run –second in a trio of Tennessee trail runs – is set for Saturday May 19th at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge Park, one of East Tennessee's most beautiful trails.
The Knoxville Track Club, one of the largest per-capita running clubs, is host to the XTERRA Series in Tennessee. "Knox County has superb parks and these races showcase a portion of this incredible trail system. The courses present a wonderful way for runners to get out and experience the joys of nature," said Michael deLisle, race director for the first event, The XTERRA Belly of the Beast.
Because the three events are formatted inside the XTERRA Trail Running Championship Series, the races present an excellent opportunity for runners of all abilities. For competitive racers, the quest continues to earn points for qualification in the XTERRA National Trail Running Championships in Lake Tahoe, NV this September. For the beginners, trail running is a great way to get active outdoors, meet new friends and experience the beauty of the woods.
All proceeds from this race go directly to the Knoxville Track Club's Youth Athletics Program, helping thousands of area youth ages 5 -18 achieve their fitness goals through indoor track, outdoor track, and cross-country running.
XTERRA Uwharrie (5/6– Uwharrie, NC)
TOP THREE - Complete Results
Men’s Race (Hometown, Age Group, Time)
Brandon Jessop (Cincinnati, OH, 25-29, 2:57:09)
Casey Fannin (Birmingham, AL, 45-49, 2:57:53)
Jeff Murray (Charlotte, NC, 35-39, 3:17:29)
Women’s Race
LaDawn Stevenson (Breckenridge, CO, 35-39, 4:10:26)
Stephanie Grant (Fletcher, NC, 25-29, 4:18:23)
Kimberly Carpenter (Albemarle, NC, 35-39, 4:31:31)
XTERRA TV: A heavy load of XTERRA programming hits the airwaves across the U.S. this weekend as follows:

Date City Network Time Show
5/19 Washington, DC WJAL (IND) 1:00pm XTERRA USA Championship
5/19 Denver, CO KMGH (ABC) 12:30pm XTERRA USA Championship
5/19 Dayton, OH WHIO (CBS) 1:00pm XTERRA USA Championship
5/19 Los Angeles, CA KABC (ABC) 2:35am 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/19 Boston, MA WCVB (ABC) 2:00pm 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/19 Indianapolis, IN WISH (CBS) 1:30pm 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/19 Peoria/Bloomington, IL WHOI (ABC) 12:30pm 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/19 Boise, ID KTVB (NBC) 4:30pm 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/19 Chico/Redding, CA KRCR (ABC) 4:30pm 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/19 Twin Falls, ID KTFT (NBC) 4:30pm 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/19 Eureka, CA KAEF (ABC) 4:30pm 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/19 Tulsa, OK KOKI (FOX) 11:30am XTERRA Saipan Championship
5/19 Peoria/Bloomington, IL WHOI (ABC) 1:00pm XTERRA Saipan Championship
5/19 Chico/Redding, CA KRCR (ABC) 5:00pm XTERRA Saipan Championship
5/19 Eureka, CA KAEF (ABC) 5:00pm XTERRA Saipan Championship
5/20 Myrtle Beach, SC WFXB (FOX) 12:00pm XTERRA USA Championship
5/20 Tri Cities, TN WCYB (NBC) 4:00pm 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/20 Waco, TX NWTX (CW) 1:00pm 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/20 Waco, TX NWTX (CW) 1:30pm XTERRA Saipan Championship
5/21 Waco, TX KBTX (CBS) 12:00pm XTERRA USA Championship
5/21 Charleston, WV WSAZ (NBC) 1:30am 2007 XTERRA Planet #1
5/21 Charleston, WV WSAZ (NBC) 2:00am XTERRA Saipan Championship