Lythgoes Adrenalin Rush

A New Team – ‘Carnivores’

Rob / 28.05.2002

The first of the combined teams formed at midday Sunday when the 2 remaining members of ‘Spirit of Warren’ and the captain of NY911, Chris Ballou, decided to go on together from the Red Bull Village. Eoin Keith and Conor McGrath were already in camp and were cooking up a big meal of steak and peppers – and it smelt great! (The North Face were nearby and were eying it hungrily.) Chris joined them in the feast before they set out and the team was christened!

His team had pulled out at PC2 after having a nightmare time on the ride (as did most). They’d had gear problems and Chris had continuous punctures. “At one point we finally got going well and passed a few teams, then I punctured and they all shot past us again�, he said. “It was really demoralising. And that bike trek, we were up to our waists in water at times, almost swimming with bikes.� Despite being the only one to go on he added, “it’s not the most fun race I’ve ever done, a 12 hour bike push is too much. The moonlight paddle was magnificent though.� His team mate Cindy Copolla told RD Brian Elliot, “I’ve done almost every Eco-Challenge and seen nothing like that.� He replied, “There was a bike push in the Australian Eco that was similar, and I make no apologies for putting it in.�

Spirit of Warren also pulled out at PC2. They’d been joined by Jane Nelson at the last minute after a radio appeal, but not surprisingly she’d had enough at the end of the bike ride, as had Patrick Kidney. The other 2 wanted to continue and do the trek, but that wasn’t allowed. They seem to be making a habit of forming new teams as they did the same thing last year and finished under another, unpublishable, name.