Lythgoes Adrenalin Rush

The Adventures of Pepi – Now he’s on Team Ukatak!

Rob / 25.05.2002

Dutch racer Pepijn Paap (aka Pepi) had no idea what he was letting himself in for when he came over with team Golite Dutch Adventure after signing up as a race volunteer.

The first job he was given was to drive a truck to Belfast to collect equipment for the teams flying in. It was dark and raining hard, and he’d never driven a truck before … or driven on the left either. He set off down the wrong side of the road …..

Some hours later he was safely back, now an experienced truck driver, and about to be offered a whole week’s worth of new experiences. As he stepped down from the cab he had no idea he was about to join a team …

The team in question was Ukatak, who were having problems finding a fourth team member for the race. Big problems. Martin Nieto and Natalie Pelland had already arrived from Quebec (where they run the winter expedition race the Raid Ukatak every January), but the 2 British athletes who were to race with them had both pulled out injured. (A bit like the England World Cup squad really.) They’d found an experienced Italian racer Marco Pautini to join them, but until they found a fourth he wasn’t going to leave Italy …

Lurking in the car park was Gary Tompsett, last year’s course planner, and he suggested they look among the volunteers, and look for the big guys… Pepi is over 6 foot tall and built like a rugby forward, so he was pounced on and the question posed. Would he join Ukatak? And out of 10 how keen was he to give it a go?

Meanwhile Marco was on the phone, and by great good luck an Italian speaker was found to talk to him and translate. Should he pack to leave early in the morning – in just a few hours time? Messages were sent out and back to Pepi.

He took only a couple of minutes before saying yes. He even said 9 out of 10 for the second question, which in the pouring rain at midnight says something about his enthusiasm. Marco was still naturally asking questions, most importantly; “How much experience did Pepi have?� The answer came back: “I’ve done some 24 hour races and had the basic skills required.� Marco is now on his way to Ireland and Pepi is thinking about the week ahead and how he’d ended up in this situation.

“I met Brian at the World Championship final in Switzerland and promised to come and help here. Only 24 hours ago I left my front door to come and be a volunteer and now I’m a racer. I’m a bit excited and a bit scared, but my main problem is I have no equipment. No clothes, no shoes, no gear, no nothing!�

Enter Gary Tompsett again – who is about the same size. “I’m lending him my Fisher mountain bike, my clothes, some footwear, even my thermal underwear!� Somehow everything else will be found for him and a new multinational team will set off from the start line. The only question no one asked was whether Pepi speaks Italian?