The women’s XTERRA World Championship elite race will crown a new champ for the first time in four years as Bermuda’s Flora Duffy sits this year out due to injury. That leaves two-time XTERRA World Champion Lesley Paterson, the “Scottish Rocket,” as the early favorite. We caught up with her, alongside fellow contenders Brigitta Poor from Hungary, Suzie Snyder from the U.S., Carina Wasle from Austria, and Penny Slater from Australia. And don’t forget about Michelle Flipo, who has won four of the five XTERRA races she’s done over the past couple years, and veteran all-stars Melanie McQuaid, a 3x XTERRA World Champ, and Renata Bucher, who has collected 33 World Titles in her illustrious career.