Land Rover G4 Challenge International Selection

---

It\'s All Still to Win, or Lose

03.02.2006

We are now on the final day of the week-long 2006 Land Rover G4 Challenge International Selections. Competitions Manager Rikard Beckman has declared that the last few hours of tasks could still determine who gets picked for the event itself and who does not. After staff worked all through the night to add up the points Rikard has advised competitors to keep their ‘foot on the accelerator’ if they want to avoid a last-minute disappointment.

“There are some countries where we think it is too close to call,� says Rikard. “And we are not just saying it is two of the three contestants who are in with a chance, but all three of them. That’s incredible after almost five days of hard competition.�

On Thursday morning, the competitors were woken at 4am for a raft-building exercise around Eastnor Castle’s frozen lake. Not until 9pm did the 54 finalists get a chance to rest. During those 17 hours of unrelenting pressure and physical stress, competitors endured initiative tests, extreme driving trials and muscle-wrenching physical assessment. The sense of competition closure drove them on when their bodies and minds might have been having other ideas.

“Now is not the time to lose hope or to give up. In the Greek team we are all still working to win,� said Michael Tsaoutos.

Some teams, decimated by injury, are down to just two competitors. On Wednesday, South African Richard Kolbe had to retire with a shoulder injury. Germany too is down to two men, giving Frank Zeigler and Robert Schweiger an equal shot at the German team place.

“Of course we both want to win and we are both pushing like crazy now,� said Frank. “It would be awful to lose out because I did not give 100% in the last few tasks. The pressure is really on.See All Event Posts