RAID IN FRANCE ARWS

Day 3: Along the Orgues de Bort, the River Dordogne and the Vézère gorges

Press Release / 01.07.2024

Halfway through an adventure race, teams no longer see the hours passing and forget their previous lives. They are immersed in this very unique journey, focused on the physical effort required and their relationship with nature. On this third day of Raid in France, time has stood still...

The Raid in France caravan stretches gently and begins to tame this wild and demanding Corrèze that unfolds before them.

Spread over a distance of more than 100 kilometers, the teams navigated on the lake of Bort les Orgues, then on the Dordogne River and the lake of the Eagle. They crossed the gorges of the Luzège and climbed the canyon of the gorges of Chal-Redenat, before setting their sights on the region of Xaintrie Blanche, the next stage of their road trip.

Over a distance of 466 kilometers, on foot, by mountain bike, and by packraft, this 12th Raid in France in Nouvelle-Aquitaine offers a unique discovery of Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne, these distinct departments on the map of France.

The highlight of the day is the abseiling down the Orgues of the town of Bort-les-Orgues, gigantic columns of basalt rock shaped by time, inspired by those wind instruments typical of French churches.

The main challenge is the sequence of the gorges of Luzège and the canyon of the gorges of Chal-Redenat, from which the leading team (400Team), still racing like a rocket towards the hoped-for victory, emerged early in the afternoon with more than 6 hours ahead of its pursuers: 400Team Bis and Absolu Raid Aventure.fr XTTR.

At the back of the pack is the young Team Foch, composed of four runners who have never competed in Raid in France. In their first year at the Ecole de Guerre in Paris, where the best officers of the French army are trained, they are here for superb training and are determined to complete the entire course.

DIXIT...

« After competing in raids in Poland and Croatia, we are lining up for the first time in this reference race in Europe, the big one. It’s an incredible event, even more difficult than we had imagined. The checkpoints are placed in hard-to-reach places. We traverse deserted landscapes, surrounded by nature... pure pleasure.»

Neil Mc Queen, OMM-Nordisk AR Team (16), Germany

"We are finally getting into the race. We are getting familiar with the maps and the spirit of the race. The orientation requires a lot of concentration; it’s even more important than the athletic aspect! Fatigue is starting to set in; we took turns napping during the crossing of Lake Bort. We are perfectly united and look forward to descending the Orgues before resuming our progress and diving back into the race."

Camille Hue, Absolue Raid Occitanie (17), France

SEE THE RACERS TOMORROW

Heading towards: the territory of Xaintrie, situated on the left bank of the Dordogne and cut from east to west by a deep gorge at the bottom of which flows the Maronne river. The teams will go to mark two checkpoints inside the Tours de Merle, a medieval city perched on a rocky outcrop surrounded by the waters of the Maronne.