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Raid Series Takes on the World

Rob / 26.03.2004

The first of the 2004 X-adventure Raid Series races is only just over a month away, and by the end of the year it will have visited 4 continents with it’s conclusion at the Raid World Championships in Argentina. There is no doubt it’s going to be a world class standard of competition and the venues promise some fantastic courses.

Having taken the brave decision to replace the Raid Gauloises the organisers, Saga d’aventures have been making their case for the Raid World Championship as the ultimate standard for adventure racing.

They have approached the IOC to sanction use of the ‘world championship’ title, based on a ‘standard’ format and introduced anti-doping in line with the recommendations of WADA (World Anti Doping Agency). They’ve also made the series more global by allowing a quota from each continent into the final and more financially accessible to teams by providing US$5000 to cover the travel costs for each ranked team that gets to the World Championships in Argentina.

Alain Gaimard, the Saga d’aventures president, pulls no punches when making the case for his race to be pinnacle of the sport.

“… to federate a few races which have nothing in common and then claim to have selected the best without any calibration of performance is merely a masquerade. I don’t think anyone is fooled by it.”

“Putting together an international circuit like the X-adventure Raid Series, allowing the best teams to decide between themselves, according to the edicts of sport alone, is not something you can improvise. We are the only ones currently capable of offering electronic timing, anti-doping controls and incorporation of geographical zoning, which allows any team, anywhere in the world, to compete in the circuit at relatively little expense.”