Huairasinchi - The 2014 Adventure Racing World Championships

The First Time Cut-Off

Anne-Marie Dunhill / 11.11.2014

Teams had spoken before the race start of their apprehension of today’s cut-off that they felt was a tight one. After the madness of last night at TA 4 as lead teams barreled through the transition, it was a calmer scene through the night and into the day as teams made their way in, in anticipation of the 17:00 cut-off.

Early estimates were that perhaps only one third of the teams would make the cut-off. It is 16:40 and three teams here are trying to pull themselves together to get back on course in time. Pete Cameron from team Canada-Gaspésie spent a half hour having his feet tended to by the race medics while he was eating a plate of chicken and rice. He has blisters under both toenails on his big toes and the medic pierced a hole to drain the pus. He spoke of the beauty of this last mountain biking stage, saying that there was a 16-17% grade and when he glanced up quickly to take in the scenery, he was struck by the deep ravines and the sheer drops.

Team France-Vaucluse Adventure was the last one to make it in before 17:00, arriving at 16:42. Only twenty-four teams made the 17:00 cut-off. 

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