It’s the end of an era for ‘The Caveman’ – South Africa’s Conrad Stoltz says he’ll retire after Xterra UK this weekend (29-30 August).
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>>> Is there any stopping ‘Caveman’ Conrad Stoltz?
“I’m pretty sure this it,” says the four-time Xterra world champ. “I don’t have regrets. I’m 41, I had a fantastic career, have lots of memories and have done a lot of neat stuff.”
The most successful off-road triathlete ever, Stoltz has racked up 51 career championship wins (53 if you count Buffelspoort cross triathlon) and seven world titles, including four Xterra world titles and three ITU Cross Triathlon world titles.
Stoltz says the best thing that ever happened was the birth of his baby girl Xena in the off-season. “She changed our lives in a huge way. Everything else pales in comparison now that we have this little bundle. My retirement means we can really spend a lot of time with her and we literally have her with us all the time. Being a Dad is indescribable. It’s awesome.”
Hugely respected for his fearless downhill skills, fierce competitive streak and warm demeanour, Stoltz will be hoping to bow out with a win at Vachery Estate in Surrey this weekend – he won last year’s event by nearly three minutes.
Over the past 15 years racing Xterra, The Caveman has become known as one of the most approachable and generous athletes in the sport – from signing autographs and providing simple words of advice to full-blown mentoring gigs and visiting sick kids at children’s hospitals.
#TBT The story of my first XTERRA: http://t.co/zOAwuM9Apo @XTERRAoffroad
— Conrad Stoltz (@ConradStoltz) August 27, 2015
And the secret to his longevity? His Dad said: “I once showed him a dung beetle that was trying to roll his ball of dung up a very steep incline. The ball kept rolling back, but the beetle kept retrieving the ball and pressing forward. I said to Conrad, ‘That’s how one should live one’s life. One never gives up.’”
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Can The Caveman make it one last win in Cranleigh? Let us know in the comments!