Lythgoes Adrenalin Rush

A Rough Ride into Day Two

Rob / 27.05.2002

As darkness fell on Sunday night the teams were beginning the first 71km mountain biking leg, and getting a taste of the real difficulties to come. There was some confusion on the navigation (and a protest from Team Avengers), but the main problem was the ‘soft’ terrain and the hard going. As they moved up the Ulster Way (a long distance footpath) the boggy ground got progressively worse but when the trails disappeared they would have gladly returned to the track. There was much hauling and pushing of bikes through tussocks and peat bogs, and though the full moon and a clear night helped this stage took much longer than anyone expected.

The leaders, Omniglow Lythgoe didn’t emerged PC2 until a couple of hours later than most ‘guesstimates’, and the effort of pulling into the lead was etched on their faces. Gary Robertson was a little shaky and slow to finish reorganising as they left their bikes and riding gear (to be transported to PC4 by lorry) and set off into the Blue Stack mountains. The Swedish team ‘Maybe Xdin’ (‘maybe’ because they haven’t quite signed the sponsorship contract) were not far behind and more talkative. “It’s amazing we are still second,� said Gustaf Hedin. “We’ve had so many punctures, and for the last couple of hours we have to pump the tyre every few kilometres.�

Despite this they seemed in good spirits as were third placed ‘Team UK’ (who have an American and a Kiwi in the team?) After the bike ride Tom Gibbs wanted some comfort – in the shape of clean socks, though he knew full well they wouldn’t stay dry long. (They forded a stream within 50m of setting out again.) Dave Norona wasn’t having any such luxuries. He proudly announced, “I’ve bought only one pair of socks and no underwear!�

Mikael Nordstrom of Reebok Adventure seemed content with the night’s struggles, but not with his team’s performance. “It’s an adventure race – tough is how it should be, but I can’t believe how bad we were on the bikes.� He sets high standards as many other teams were behind them - a long way behind. The second leg had really spread them out and the remaining teams would still be coming into PC2 for another 12 hours or more. Some slept on the way (Apex did at PC1), adopting a strategy of slow but sure, but one competitor never made it at all.

Andy Wilkisnon had only joined Team Fourplay at 8.30am the day the race started, after an urgent appeal on the radio. (He’d just come from this sister’s wedding.) He wasn’t really prepared for the race though and was exhausted mid-way into the stage. He’d enjoyed the kayak but the mountain biking was too much for him. Luckily he’d found succour in a remote farmhouse. The owner Maureen Keenan doesn’t get a lot of visitors and obligingly served up tea and toast while the team called for help. They wanted to press on but were instructed to wait until race staff arrived, which they did in the form of Race Director Brian Elliot dropping in by helicopter! Andy was given a lift back to race HQ, the team continued unranked and Maureen had a very memorable morning!

By the end of the day the stage had taken a higher toll and PC 2 saw a spate of retirements. Putney Speedos lost team member Nick Cook and Kinetic Energy set off on the trek, but came back to retire. Then, as darkness fell, 13 hours after the leaders had passed through, both ‘Spirit of Warren’ and NYC911 came in and retired from the race.