X-adventure Raid Series
First by Seconds
Rob / 11.05.2003
Waiting at Glenmore Lodge for the first team to arrive no one was in much doubt who would cross the line first. The final stage was an 8.5 km downhill sprint from the Cairngorm Ski Centre and Les Arcs Quechua had a lead of 2 minutes 38 seconds over Saab Salomon. It was too much to make up on such a short stage, or so everyone thought, except the British team ….Helen Jackson, Morgan Donnelly and Pete James made a magnificent effort, drawing on every last ounce of energy and using all of their navigational skill they raced down through the forest and when the crowd at the finish line saw Les Arcs Quechua racing across the grass towards them they were taken by surprise to see Saab Salomon behind them and gaining with every step! The French team stumbled over the line, and raised their arms aloft in victory and relief, but now the race is using electronic timing they had to ‘dib’ in the finish box for the ‘clock’ to stop, and in the heat of the moment they’d forgotten ….
Saab Salomon manager Tim Lloyd was urging Pete James to run forward and dib but he was at the back of the team by a few paces and when Les Arcs Quechua realised what was happening they too stepped forward. Amazingly, after 16 and a half hours of racing both teams were jostling to get at the finish timing box at the same time. Les Arcs Quechua were a step ahead and won the race, officially by 4 seconds! Human Link were 3rd, VSD Eider 4th and Nokia Adventure 5th.
It was the closest ever finish to a X-adventure and a bitter sweet moment for the British team looking for their first win. Lloyd congratulated all the team on putting in such a fantastic performance but as Pete James pointed out, “I still like to cross the line first.� No matter how much they look on the positive side of their performance, and there were many, they will still look back on any one of hundreds of decisions which might have cost them 4 seconds, and the race. Ben Bardsley will take a while to put the navigational mistake he made on the final mountain biking stage out of his mind, though no one of the team will blame him for it.
The next surprise came from Saab Salomon GB, who were not in the chasing start of
the top 3 teams, but they too had a fantastic final run and were next over the line. Because of the way the timings work they were not 3rd in the final rankings, but did move up to 8th overall. For the squad to get two top 10 places, especially with Jim Davies out injured, was a very impressive performance, and one all the top teams in the world will take note of.
Of the other British racers taking part Thomas Cook had a good debut finishing 24th (and its worth remembering the top 22 in the series overall will go to the next Raid Gauloises) and they admitted they’d learnt a lot over the last couple of days. Demon Skates finished 30th, the Irish/American team Freedom were 32nd and the Anglo-Finnish trio of Lapin Kulta 36th.
Team Hoppers missed out the kayaking stage yesterday as they were a bit late arriving and the remaining two kayaks were damaged. They missed the final run on day one as well but came in 45th, one place ahead of Sealskinz High5.See All Event Posts
