Dibens, Gardner upbeat about XTERRA chances

Two professional triathletes from England, Julie Dibens and Sam Gardner, are upbeat about their chances in next week’s 2009 XTERRA Saipan Championship.

Dibens and Gardner were seen watching the McDonald’s All Schools qualifier among students from different schools on Saipan yesterday at the Oleai Sports Complex.

Dibens, the current XTERRA World champion, said she is in top shape for the April 18 race considered as the crown jewel of the XTERRA Global Tour.

The 34-year-old pro is looking forward for her first XTERRA win on Saipan.

Dibens won the world championships in Maui, Hawaii for the second time last October. She won the Tagaman Triathlon in 2007 but finished only second to Renata Bucher of Switzerland that year.

Dibens just came from another win in Guam, where she beat Bucher in the XTERRA series there.

She predicted that it would be another neck-and-neck battle for the two women in the XTERRA Saipan Championship.

Dibens said she did not compete last year because of several other international commitments.

“I always wanted to come here but it just didn’t fit in,” said Dibens, who had been racing professionally for the past 10 years.

Comparing Saipan to Guam, Dibens said the course is harder here because the swim portion is longer.

She said there would be more hill climbing here that makes the race more exciting and fun.

But the swim is Dibens’ strength. She completed the Guam race’s swim portion in just three minutes, which catapulted her to fine showings in the bike and run.

Dibens and Gardner visited some of the bike trails the other day to familiarize themselves with the course.

They will try to see the run and swim courses today.

“It would be a long and hot race,” said 33-year-old Gardner, a firefighter by profession.

Gardner said there had been inches thick of ice when he left England last month.

He said he just started racing last year.

“That mean’s I am just a professional triathlete for a year,” he said.

He said Dibens will definitely take the women’s crown and vowed to snatch the men’s plum if the opportunity comes his way.

He finished runner-up to Olivier Marceau of Switzerland in Guam.

“Yes I can get it. It will be an exciting race,” he said.

Gardner will be tackling big guns such as defending champion Andrew Noble of Australia and Mike Vine of Canada.

Vine is the current U.S. XTERRA champion.