World Champions enter Adrenalin Rush

Rob / 28.03.2002

Team Nokia Adventure, who were crowned World Champions in Switzerland last year, are a surprise and welcome late entry for May’s Adrenalin Rush. With Eco-Internet led by Irishman Robert Nagle already entered it means the 2 most successful teams in the world will go head-to-head in the UK’s only ‘expedition length’ race.

The top British teams entered include the winners from 2000 Parrot/Lythgoe and Team UK (formerly 9feet.com) who won last year. All the teams will be competing to win a place in the next World Championship final in 2003, and the race is now also a British Championship qualifier, so home teams will be after a place in that final too. There is a lot at stake, and the competition couldn’t be better. It’s going to be some race!

Nokia are the nearest thing to a pro’ adventure racing team, race prolifically and almost always get onto the podium, often in top spot. They have a reputation for never giving in and were dubbed ‘The Terminators’ by NZ racing legend Steve Gurney. It was a quality that helped them win in Switzerland and they went on to win the EMA in Brazil in the same year. Often they are competing at the front with Eco-Internet so it will be a familiar rivalry resumed in Ireland.

For Race Director Brian Elliot their email saying ‘we’ve booked tickets’ was something of a surprise as initially it sounded like they wouldn’t come. Their stated priorities for the year are The Raid Gauloises, Primal Quest, Eco-Challenge and the Mild Seven Outdoor Quest with the comment that they will compete in other races, but give their best efforts in those big 4.

Elliot commented, “I’m delighted they are coming, and the standard of competition is all I could hope for, but if they are thinking of Adrenalin Rush as a training race they are in for a surprise. There are plenty of other strong teams for them to race against as well, besides Eco-Internet.”

The Nokia Adventure season got off to an unfortunate start at the recent Extreme Adventure Hidalgo race in Mexico. They were waiting to start a rope ascent and chasing Eco-Internet when a rock the size of a basketball hit Elina Maik-Rautila on the head as she was bending down to get her cycling helmet out of her pack. Bleeding heavily she had to walk for 20 minutes to get out of the canyon there were in before being taken to hospital. She needed 6 stitches but fortunately recovered well.

Elina isn’t listed on the team to set off from Enniskillen on May 26th. Captain Petri Forsman will race with Jyrki Jarvinen, and Kaisa Varis, who was 4th in the women’s cross-country skiing at the last winter Olympics. The other place will either be taken by Jukka Pinola or Miko Vehmas. Eco-Internet are likely to be alongside them every step of the way, and the top British teams will be out to prove they now rank with the world’s best.

Want to know what happens - then watch this space. SleepMonsters.com will be providing live web coverage of the race.