Corsica Raid Adventure

The Corsica Raid – Back to Nature in the Mediterranean

Rob Howard / 23.05.2012

Teams from around Europe are now making their way to the French Mediterranean Island of Corsica for the Raid Corsica.  This is one of the oldest events in the adventure racing calendar and this year is the European Series final and offers the winning team a free place in the World Championship final – which will be held just across the water in the Southern French Alps in September.

The Raid is a stage race, taking place over 5 days and is supported, so teams have to include 4 racers and one assistant.  Assisted races are not so common these days so it is a rare chance to have a high level of personal team support, and teams are encouraged to also bring along a reporter to travel with them.  There is also a category for teams of 3 (Corsica 3), with two racing at any one time, while the athlete resting takes on the support role.

The majority of the teams are in the ‘Corsica 5’ category, where there are 10 starters, and there are 6 in the ‘Corsica 3’ category.  As you’d expect in the European Champs the standard of competition is very high, including 3 teams who have previously won the race, and the former Raid World Champions ‘Raid Quechua’.  They will be among the favourites and have been targeting the AR World Champs later in the year every since it was announced Raid in France would host it.  They would love to go there with a free place and as European Champions, but will have other strong teams to beat.

Vibram Lafuma are currently the form team in French racing, recording 40 podiums and 25 wins last year, and they have the advantage of previous experience at Raid Corsica. Among the previous race winners are the Catalan team ‘Catraid’, who are the defending title holders and who finished second in 2009 and in 2010.  Another former winner are the team Les Carbonades Famandes (who won n 2003).  The current European Champions, Team ‘Czar Berghaus-Accom-Merida’ from the Czech Republic are also racing as are another very strong Czech squad, Team ‘Opavanet-Salomon-Merida CZE’.

Being a stage race the course planners can pick out the best bits of the Corsican coastal and mountain scenery to take the teams to.  There are 6 stages in all, including one night stage, with teams camping together each night and the disciplines include canyoning (always a highlight), ropes, coasteering, sea kayaking, a snow section (they have high mountains) and some more unusual challenges particular to this race.