Raid in France - Alps to Sea 2009
Vive La Difference
Anne-Marie Dunhill / 30.05.2009
La Chapelle en Valgaudemar, France. Teams have been arriving since Thursday in this tiny French town in the French Alps near Gap. The second edition of Raid in France is in motion with team briefings and verification of material on this overcast Saturday afternoon. Thirteen teams have been briefed by Race Director Pascal Bahaud, himself an adventure racer. Emphasis was placed during the briefing on respect: of nature, other teams and the locals. According to Pascal, \"Any team that shows a lack of respect for Mother Nature has no place in this race. Period.\"
With that quote the tone is set for this race, truly \'Back to Nature\', which promises to be outstanding in terms of the varied terrain and the level of difficulty for the racers. They will only meet up with their assistants twice during the race and as such will need to transport in their backpacks enough food for long sections. The assistants will be busy ferrying material for the different transitions.
As Pascal considers the assistants to be an integral part of the team, their role is more extensive then in other races. During the briefing it was announced that they will have to paddle the kayaks to deliver them to their teams, evoking groans and cheers.
Your humble reporter is an assistant with the French team Lethiguel Qualixpert Sofermi RN 46 so reports are likely to be few and far between as it looks like we\'ll be racing as well! See All Event Posts
