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Lion Winter Challenge Starts Euro Champs

Rob / 09.03.2004

The Lion Winter Challenge, the first European Championships qualifier of the year, took place in Poland recently, and after 4 days of tough competition in extreme winter conditions, the winners were Fiord Nansen Team Gdynia. They reached the finish in the grand setting of the amphitheatre at Ledek Zdrój in 57 hours and 15 minutes, after 287kms of racing, and 46 minutes ahead of another Polish team, the Hellmann Salomon Adventure Team.

Captained by Grzegorz Foremny, a triathlete who has raced the X-adventure series in the past, they led most of the race, though they were closely pressed by Hellmann Salomon, one of Poland’s most experienced AR teams and by the Finns of Team Atomic. Led by Tuomas Hallila, this team has considerable x-country and ski orienteering experience, but were not quite strong enough to claim the lead, and finished third in 59 hours and 59 minutes.

Atomic were one of only 3 international entries. The others, from the Czech republic and Holland both withdrew due to injury and fatigue in a race where day time conditions were generally good (around +3C in the sun), but night time temperatures were severe, dropping to –20C. Teams also had to fight strong winds which caused snow drifts, and there were some enforced course changes. Given the conditions, and the fact this was an unsupported race the race officials allowed teams to make use of some heated huts at the transition areas.

Alongside the full (extreme) course there was also a shorter (and more popular) ‘Speed’ race, which was won by Team Elefant, Peter Jurcik and Karel Postulka , from Slovakia after exactly 24 hours and 2 minutes. This course was for pairs over 100 kms and 47 pairs were in the race, competing alongside the Extreme teams.

Full results and picture galleries are on the race web site.