Dynamic Adventure Racing Plus
Four Seasons in one weekend!
Johnathan Mayne/Dynamic Adventure Racing / 24.03.2004
Whilst other races around the country were being cancelled due to wind and rain, the competitors at the latest Dynamic Adventure Racing event in the New Forest braved the conditions and did battle with the elements armed only with a waterproof, first aid kit, mobile phone, chocolate bar and gritty determination! These hardened racers certainly weren’t going to let a little bad weather spoil their day! At the race briefing the main sponsor Musahi was thanked for their ongoing support for the 2004 season, with each competitor enjoying a free isotonic drink to aid them during the windswept day! The racers were informed that the bike section would be fast, anticipating that the best mountain bikers would be able to complete the 90km network of fire tracks and cycle route in roughly 4 hours, whilst the 30 km foot section would be slow, with the spongy, boggy conditions in the New Forest made worse by the continuous rain over the last week. Due to the late arrival of nightfall at this time of year, the start time was midday – allowing for two hours of the race to take place after dark.
Team Quest (formerly known as the Dark Horses) were the first team to set off to defend their current position as series leaders and first in line for the £500 cash prize. Sleepmonsters, Team 10 and Nuggets, fielded strong teams looking to make an impact on the series prize. Duncan Atkinson and Alan Goldsmith were keen to maintain their run of being unbeaten in a Dynamic Adventure Racing event this year, whilst the male solos category hotted up with the arrival of Tom Gibbs challenging Andy Barnsley and Duncan Arnold.
As the competitors filed through the start line at one minute intervals, the weather began to take a turn for the worse – great for the marshals who could retreat to the warmth of the kitchen and the comfort of one of Flossie’s home made cakes, not quite so good for the racers! Needless to say it wasn’t long before the phone calls began – Rose Gibson from Team Puffin twisted her ankle and strained the ligaments, not a great start to the day, however Alan Chitty and Paul Bowers carried on unranked.
Next, Matt Hilton and Jo Ingold had a tyre blow out, two punctured inner tubes later, it was clear that they could not continue and the Dynamic Taxi Service was called out to bring them, and their bikes back to base so that they could start the run stage. A few minutes later, Francisco Baratta and Milos Dusek called, explaining that they had broken their chain at the furthest point of the course – a full 45 km away. Dynamic Taxis sped over to lend them a chain splitter!See All Event Posts
