Aventure Aveyronnaise

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A Three Star Adventure

Anne-Marie Dunhill / 26.07.2011

The second edition of the Aventure Aveyronnaise took place this weekend in the Aveyron region of France, organized by Adrien Seguret and Lionel Villeneuve along with a very dedicated group of volunteers. The race consisted of thirty hours of non-stop racing over 300 kms with an emphasis on orienteering. The format was 2+1 with two members racing and one driving the assistance vehicle, switching racers according to the section.

Some of the best adventure racers in France today were on the list of the 49 teams registered which read like a Who’s Who with teams from Spain and Belgium present as well. Well known teams on the international circuit such as Quechua.com, Absolu Raid, Raid Nature 46, Sport Nature Ville la Grand, Lozere Sport Nature and the organizers of one of the toughest races in France, Les Dentelles de Montmirail, 400 Team Raidlight Vertical were all present. There was even an all woman team, the ATEAtinettes.

The race started at around 09:00 from the tiny village of Laguiole which is internationally famous for its artisans who hand craft the Laguiole pocket knife; indeed, the trophies were handcrafted by Honoré Durand whose forge is perched on the hills above the town.

A rollerblading section of 10 km up to the ski station of Laguiole opened the race, quickly wearing out weaker racers. One unfortunate man crashed in to a parked car two minutes after the race start, breaking its wing mirror. Other teams such as Quechua showed the same skills they had displayed in the World Champs in Spain last year, skating masterfully in unison up the steep hill.

A quick orienteering section on foot ensued, followed by a mountain biking section which contained the highlight of the race. During the race briefing on Friday night the race director mentioned that the race would be neutralized on this section for 15 minutes but gave no further details. Wild suppositions ranging from the silly to downright vulgar were overheard as racers tried to guess what would take place during the neutralization.
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