Bimbache Extrem Castilla y Leon
Day 1 - Begin at the beginning
Pyro / 18.05.2009
Today has been a day of thrills, the odd spill, and an awful lot of lead swapping!As the sun rose over Vegacervera, the teams breakfasted, packed the last few pieces of gear into their kit barrels (provided by the race) and strapped on their rollerblades for the opening stage of the Bimbache 2009. Arriving at the start line for 8:30am, a few racers looked noticeably more comfortable with their current mode of transport than others, ranging from the ‘most definitely at home on wheels’ Team Explore, warming up at 40kph up and down the road, to the ‘do I really have to wear these?’ of one member of Trangoworld - Ekke Lleida, seen wobbling up and down the start area holding hands with their teammate. Some teams tried to get some last minute practice in, others merely joked about their predicament, Jarad Kohlar commenting “Quick, look; an Aussie on skates!�. But start on the skates they must, and when at 9am Antonio de la Rosa fired the gun, start they did, whatever their reservations.
From the off, it was notable how comfortable the Scandinavian teams are on the ‘las Patines’, Team Explore and Multisport.Fi pulling out at 3 minute lead within the first 3km, moving very quickly to the small village of Felmin, where they turned left and began the climbing for real, up the steep switchbacks to Valporquiero. Explore arrived first, with the Finnish team only moments behind them, with around 7 minutes between the lead two teams and the third place Sport2000 Vibram. Both McCain Adventure Addicts and Blackheart.com.au were heard during the stage passing photographers shouting, “We’re not last!� with a great deal of surprises in their voices, but they entered transition one sixth and eighth respectively. The French team Scientec Nutrition had the only faller of the stage, a very graceful spill from one of their skaters, on a deceptively obstacle-free section of tarmac. Fortunately he was not hurt, and recovered quickly.
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