Patagonia Expedition Race
La Clusaz and Salomon Russia Tough it Out
Jacqueline Windh / 16.02.2005
In spite of having been disqualified during the PC2-PC3 kayak segment, Salomon Russia are taking this race very seriously. They are powerful, have boundless energy, and seem to work really well together. Captain Artem Rostostsev told me last week that they had not raced with new member Sascha Kontorina before, but had seen her in other races and she seemed strong. Well, strong she is – she leads the group on the bike sections, and the only one on either team who was smiling when they emerged from the bush at PC6.
The Russians and La Clusaz have been neck-to-neck since the start of the race. On Day 1, they arrived at both PC1 and PC2 within a minute of one another. The French arrived at PC3 on Day 2, the day that the Russians were disqualified. However, it is clear that the Russians want not only to finish this race, they want to finish it well. Biking to PC4 that same day, the Russians arrived 27 minutes behind La Clusaz.
On Day 3 we heard the two teams travelled through bog and forest together, and today, Day 4, the Russians emerged from the bush 9 minutes behind the French. However, they were quicker to hop on their bikes, leaving the PC 2 minutes before the French, and stayed a few minutes ahead of La Clusaz most of the way to Rio Verde.
Both teams made the 40 km ride in about an hour and a half, pushed by a strong Patagonian tailwind along a gently rolling gravel road fringed with long blowing grasses. The contrast of the sapphire sea, laced with whitecaps and the golden grasses on the windswept shore was striking. See All Event Posts
