May 08 2003
X-adventure Raid Series
09-11/05: Scotland (Great Britain)
For some teams, this will be the final warm up before embarking on the 12th Raid Gauloises, taking place one month later in the Kyrgyz Republic. Heading out from Fort William, at the southern tip of Loch Ness and in the heart of the Highlands, these adventure racing "monsters" will canoe across the legendary lair before taking on the Cairngorms and Ben Nevis, the tallest peak in the British Isles. The positive elevation difference will reach 4,500m. Nothing too tough at first sight but this is Scotland where no two days are ever the same and weather conditions can quickly deteriorate, transforming the Highlands into a brutal, impregnable fortress.
Last season, 90 teams battled through the 5 stages of the X-adventure Raid Series and it is almost certain that this record turnout will be brushed aside this year. With just a few weeks to go before the first stage in the Scottish Highlands (May 9th to 11th, as above), registration is closed for almost every stage of this 2003 World Cup. In all, 50 to 60 mixed teams of 4 members each will race in each stage.
21 of the 30 teams that qualified for the 2003 Raid Gauloises, via the 2002 X-adventure Raid Series, will be present again at this year's World Cup and some of the most talented have decided to renew the experience: SALOMON SUISSE, though under a new name, will be hoping to emulate last year's success by winning the 2003 event. They will have to confront the astonishing Brits of SAAB SALOMON, 3rd in the final ranking last year, who will line up two teams this season and the Finns of NOKIA, determined to race as many stages as possible in order to guarantee a coveted early place on the 2004 Raid Gauloises and a chance to carry off the this prestigious World Cup.
At the end of the 5 stages, teams will need to finish in the top 22 in the final ranking to have any chance going to Peru in 2004. To ensure this goal, 40% of the racing teams will participate in all 5 stages of the 2003 season. Another important factor is that the 5 top North American teams past the post on the US stage and the top 5 Asia-Pacific teams from the final stage in New Caledonia will also get their tickets to the 2004 Raid Gauloises; a decision taken to encourage the already burgeoning internationalisation of the field. This year, 19 nationalities will be represented. Brazil is sending 2 teams, ATENAH and BRASIL TELEKOM OSKALUNGA, competing in 4 and 5 stages respectively. Australia is represented by TEAM MILLIE and, of course, both the Scandinavians and Americans will be putting in a strong showing, including team TRAVELOCITY, competing in all 5 stages. It's clear that in a field brimming with this much talent, the athletic demands of 2003 will go beyond those of 2002. It is precisely this that has inspired the organisers to concoct a range of exciting and technically demanding stages, each around 200km long and with a positive elevation differentials ranging between 4,000m and 10,000m, depending on location.
Finally, no event worthy of the title World Cup can afford to skimp on accurate timing. This year, every team captain will be carrying special ground breaking technology in the form of a microchip designed to signal and record the team's passage at each Check Point. The X-adventure Raid Series: always going the extra mile…
In-Line Skating Inflatable Canoe Sea Kayak Mountain Biking Zip Wire/Tyrolean Ropework Mountain Trek/Run - part of the X-adventure Raid series Entry Fee( EUR ) 750See All Event Posts
For some teams, this will be the final warm up before embarking on the 12th Raid Gauloises, taking place one month later in the Kyrgyz Republic. Heading out from Fort William, at the southern tip of Loch Ness and in the heart of the Highlands, these adventure racing "monsters" will canoe across the legendary lair before taking on the Cairngorms and Ben Nevis, the tallest peak in the British Isles. The positive elevation difference will reach 4,500m. Nothing too tough at first sight but this is Scotland where no two days are ever the same and weather conditions can quickly deteriorate, transforming the Highlands into a brutal, impregnable fortress.
Last season, 90 teams battled through the 5 stages of the X-adventure Raid Series and it is almost certain that this record turnout will be brushed aside this year. With just a few weeks to go before the first stage in the Scottish Highlands (May 9th to 11th, as above), registration is closed for almost every stage of this 2003 World Cup. In all, 50 to 60 mixed teams of 4 members each will race in each stage.
21 of the 30 teams that qualified for the 2003 Raid Gauloises, via the 2002 X-adventure Raid Series, will be present again at this year's World Cup and some of the most talented have decided to renew the experience: SALOMON SUISSE, though under a new name, will be hoping to emulate last year's success by winning the 2003 event. They will have to confront the astonishing Brits of SAAB SALOMON, 3rd in the final ranking last year, who will line up two teams this season and the Finns of NOKIA, determined to race as many stages as possible in order to guarantee a coveted early place on the 2004 Raid Gauloises and a chance to carry off the this prestigious World Cup.
At the end of the 5 stages, teams will need to finish in the top 22 in the final ranking to have any chance going to Peru in 2004. To ensure this goal, 40% of the racing teams will participate in all 5 stages of the 2003 season. Another important factor is that the 5 top North American teams past the post on the US stage and the top 5 Asia-Pacific teams from the final stage in New Caledonia will also get their tickets to the 2004 Raid Gauloises; a decision taken to encourage the already burgeoning internationalisation of the field. This year, 19 nationalities will be represented. Brazil is sending 2 teams, ATENAH and BRASIL TELEKOM OSKALUNGA, competing in 4 and 5 stages respectively. Australia is represented by TEAM MILLIE and, of course, both the Scandinavians and Americans will be putting in a strong showing, including team TRAVELOCITY, competing in all 5 stages. It's clear that in a field brimming with this much talent, the athletic demands of 2003 will go beyond those of 2002. It is precisely this that has inspired the organisers to concoct a range of exciting and technically demanding stages, each around 200km long and with a positive elevation differentials ranging between 4,000m and 10,000m, depending on location.
Finally, no event worthy of the title World Cup can afford to skimp on accurate timing. This year, every team captain will be carrying special ground breaking technology in the form of a microchip designed to signal and record the team's passage at each Check Point. The X-adventure Raid Series: always going the extra mile…
In-Line Skating Inflatable Canoe Sea Kayak Mountain Biking Zip Wire/Tyrolean Ropework Mountain Trek/Run - part of the X-adventure Raid series Entry Fee( EUR ) 750See All Event Posts
