Dolomitenmann in Colorado?

Rob / 07.03.2004

What happens when you mix 8 miles of rigorous mountain trail running; a 13,500-foot high paragliding launch (not to mention it’s the highest climb in competition history); 27 miles of Class IV extreme white water kayaking; and, 7,000 feet of steep vertical in a mountain bike saddle? You get Red Bull Divide & Conquer, a first-of-its-kind for the USA. It’s a one-day mountain sports relay race scheduled for June 19, 2004 across the beautiful, rugged terrain along the Continental Divide of Southwest Colorado.

It’s a format based on the revered Red Bull Dolomitenmann race that has been hosted in Austria for 16 years, and will feature four-person mountain sports relay teams dividing their efforts by specialty to tackle expert-only trail running, paragliding, kayaking and mountain biking courses in a daring race to the finish.

“The course will test the skills of any athlete, no matter their level of expertise,” says Patrick Harper of Team Montrail, the course designer who is the event’s athlete liaison. “This is not a course for the amateur athlete; it will be a challenge for even the best.” Harper should know -- his team recently won the 2003 Raid Gauloises Kyrgyzstan and is widely regarded as one of the world’s most gruelling sporting events.

The diverse course layout is set within the dramatic San Juan Mountain range along the Continental Divide, an area that is home to a higher concentration of \"fourteeners\" (14,000 foot peaks) than anywhere else in North America. Altitude will play a significant role as the race’s lowest point lies just shy of 7,000 feet above sea level and the highest point reaches over 13,000 feet. Teams will race throughout Colorado’s Animas River Valley and its surrounding peaks, between the historic mining town of Silverton and Durango Mountain Resort (formerly Purgatory). To celebrate the area’s mining heritage, team members will pass a chunk of silver to one another as they make their relay exchanges.

Red Bull Divide & Conquer is an open competition for both male and female expert-only athletes in all four disciplines (trail running, paragliding, white water kayaking and mountain biking). In an effort to match individual athletes with teams, interested athletes are encouraged to visit the \"Team Search\" section of the event website. Pre-established teams of four may register on-line or email Patrick Harper . A maximum of 50, four-person teams will be selected to compete.

“Teamwork and individual talent will make the race one of the best mountain sports relays in the world,” says Harper, noting that the relay format leaves the squad snivelling and politics of today’s popular network TV-driven team races behind, and allows each athlete to focus on their respective leg. Some of the biggest names in adventure racing are likely to be there, and Nike ACG/Balance Bar are already signed up, but they need one more team member – if there is a paraglider out there who wants to join them for the race.

The winning relay team will receive their share of $17,500 in prize money, plus an all-expenses paid trip to Austria to compete in the 17th annual Red Bull Dolomitenmann extreme team relay race in September 2004.