Expedition Africa

The Race For the Podium Places

Rob Howard / 09.05.2013

Team Haglofs Silva have a commanding lead going into the final leg of the race, having completed the last paddling stage on the Sterkfontein Reservoir this afternoon. The wind had risen, making conditions choppy for the team, but this stage was shortened to an 8km crossing of the reservoir and they knew that once it was complete only one final 29km trekking stage would separate them from the finish.

Things are much more competitive in the race for second and third, between French team Raidlight and US team Tecnu Adventure, who are locked in a tense battle for the podium positions.  The two teams swapped places throughout the long ride on stage 6 and were never far apart.  Both faced a draining headwind for much of the ride and they arrived at the finish of the ride at the Sterkfontein Nature Reserve just 5 minutes apart.

The transition here was in a modern visitor centre with plenty of space, and even a food kiosk, but what it lacked were the bike boxes the teams needed to pack their bikes away and retrieve some of their gear from for the final two stages. (The truck had suffered a puncture and then broken down!) As a result they had an enforced stop together while waiting for the boxes to arrive. It was a chance to eat ice cream and get some medical attention, sleep a little and work on the maps for the final stages.

It was a tense situation with both teams knowing they faced what was in Expedition racing terms a ‘sprint finish’.  Kyle Peter was laying immobile for much of the time and said, “I banged both my knees in the rapids and they are really swollen. It is OK when I have got going, but getting moving is the problem!” 

Raidlight’s navigator Sebastian Raichon, was very thoroughly studying and marking the maps, a task which Tecnu left until after their bike boxes arrived and they were on the clock again.  It took them some time too, so the final trek is obviously not a simple navigational challenge, especially in the dark.

When the boxes did arrive Tecnu quickly got on with things, but Raidlight announced they were going to sleep!  They had decided to have a short power nap before packing and setting off, and were up again well before Tecnu had left.

Both teams set off just as night fell, and with Raidlight’s tracker not working we will not know who comes out on top in this battle until they reach the finish line tomorrow morning.