Mediterranea Adventure Race 2015
Endurancelife Wins Mediterranea Adventure Race 2015 - Sardinia
Elena de Concini / 06.10.2015
The three-day Mediterranea Adventure Race 2015 finished yesterday in Cala Gonone - Sardinia.
This new extreme sports event involved five teams of iron athletes; experts in international adventure races. Two Polish teams (AR Polska), a British team (Endurancelife) and two Italian teams (Freemind), formed by Beppe Scotti and Marco Ponteri, and Vivo Friesian team of Stefano Bettini and the well-known climber Marco Zaffaroni.
In three days the athletes have gone through the most evocative places of ‘Supramonte’ and faced strain, the unexpected, dark, cold and experienced an enchanting but extremely difficult landscape to cross. They challenged themselves with technique, and mental and physical endurance. The racers were stunned by the wild and pure Sardinian landscape, which is perfect for adventure races, and enchanted by the spectacular canyons of Cala Luna and by abseiling in Badde Pentumas. They found it difficult in the night stretches, due to many paths in the area not reported on the map of the race and also because of an error in the checkpoint positioning on the first day of competition.
The organisation worked well and were very happy with the quality participating teams at the new race. They are already thinking about a new edition of this great race for 2016.
A Testing Start
Leaving in the night teams had a surprise when they found an unexpected test for the race start. They were taken to an unknown place just before dawn from where they had to find the first checkpoint without any reference point to begin.
The non-stop race began near Nuraghe Mannu and the ten athletes were then headed to Cala Fuili for a first running section of the race. In less than three days they would cover 350 km of walking, mountain biking and kayaking across the island.
The First 24-Hours
Teams started from Nuraghe Mannu at 6 am, adventure trekking to Ovili di Toddeittu and descending into Cala Luna canyon, a unique and picturesque descent to the sea.
They then returned to Scala e S'Arga with some difficulty finding the way the Polish athletes of AR Polska said they were enchanted by the descent to Cala Luna.
The first bike ride began from Pranos with English team Endurancelife well ahead of the others as they crossed Punta Su Nuraghe (stone arch) to arrive around 12am at Passo Genna Silana (1017 m). Here there was a change of discipline with a climb on the limestone ridges and a descent to Campo Oddeu; each team now beginning to find their rhythm and race strategy.
At dusk all teams passed the archaeological area of S'Arena and into the night the race crossed the Flumineddu stream and then moved on to Monte San Giovanni. Teams had great difficulties in the night in finding the way to the base camp. They all arrived between 2am and 11am, but the clock was ticking so it was a very short stop and break after the strain of thsse first 150 kilometers of the race.
Day 2
The second day began with the descent from the Monte Corrasi ridges and arrival at Sa Oche cave for Vivo Friesian, Freemind and Endurancelife teams.
The two AR Polska teams stopped due to the strain of the first day and decided just to face the canyon Badde Pentumas, which included thirteen abseils and they came out of the canyon in the dark of the night.
The race then continued for three teams by mountain bike to Su Gologone source, kayaking on the Cedrino river and returning the same way. Then it was time to get on Tiscali and deal with the Gorropu gorge. Endurancelife arrived at the base camp of Genna Silana about at 9pm, and around midnight Freemind and Vivo Friesian came in close together. During the day approximately ninety kilometers had been covered.
Day 3
For the finish all the teams faced the mountain biking descent to Cala Sisine and the last spectacular stretch sea kayaking under the famous cliffs of Cala Luna and Cala Fuili, before arriving in Cala – Gonone for the finish and prize giving.
Final Ranking
1. Endurancelife team -Tom Davies/Mark Humphrey
2. AR Polska team - Maciej Marcianek/Zuzanna Madaj
3. Freemind team - Beppe Scotti/Marco Ponteri
4. Vivo Friesian team - Marco Zaffaroni/Stefano Bettini
5. AR Polska 2 team - Maciej Mierzwa/Agnieska Korpal
Telemaco Murgia, Race Director of the Outdoor Center Adventure Inside, thanks all teams, Dorgali and Cala Gonone cities and BITAS for hosting the event, and all collaborators who have worked to make the race a great success. www.adventurerace.it
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