Raid in France Announced as 2012 World Champs

News Release / 14.01.2011

Raid in France has been chosen by the ARWS organization to host the Adventure Race World Championship (ARWC). The 2012 race is scheduled from the 15th to the 22nd of September. The event will take place in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur, in the south-east region of France.

Race Director, Pascal Bahuaud, said “The Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur is a world renowned destination and the event will start in the High Alps (Hautes Alpes) at the resort town of L’Argentiere-La Bessée and finish in the sun on the Mediterranean coast. The region has large areas of untracked high country and diversified territories that are great for non-stop expedition racing. The mountains, rivers, canyons of this region are world renowned.”

Since the creation of Raid in France, the organisation has placed a strong emphasis on their “Back to Nature ”charter and each year, all the major players of the event are signatories to this positioning. The event has received strong support from the sports and adventure national committee as well as investment support and significant investment from local institutions. Geoff Hunt, ARWorld Series Director, said “I’m sure the 2012 Adventure Race World Championship will be a huge success and follow on the expedition style success that the Raid in France has become known for.”

More than 50 elite teams from 30 different countries are expected in the six days non-stop competition in 2012, for over 700 km in the disciplines of mountain biking, trekking, kayaking ... and in complete autonomy. These teams will have the opportunity to qualify for one of the events in the ARWorld Series that are held each year.

The Adventure Racing World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races representing 10 countries creating a 12 month calendar of professional events around the world. The series events are XPD-Australia, Ecomotion-Brazil, Bimbache Extrem-Spain, Huairasinchi-Ecuador, Raid in France-France, Untamed New England-USA, Estoril Portugal XPDPortugal, Costa Rica Adventure Race, Xtremo 6000-Argentina, Adidas Terrex-England. Adventure Racing World Series events are qualifiers for the Adventure Race World Championship. The 2011 ARWChampionship will be held in the Australian state of Tasmania.

As a preamble, the Raid in France 2011 edition will offer a rehearsal on French territory. This 4th edition will start on the 28th August 2011 in the region of la Drôme, with the emphasis on the French raid DNA : discovering, sharing, environmental respect, performance, humility, courage and generosity.

<b>About Raid in France:</b> Raid in France is organized by Pascal Bahuaud, 54 , from Lyon, a 13 times French rowing champion and finalist in Seoul. Holder of many awards in nature sports (10 Raid Gauloises, 6 podiums), he launched himself into adventure organization in 2006. The Raid in France 2010 edition was made up of 10,000 meters of positive vertical drop and 250 kms progression in the Pays du Buech. The event’s peak point was le Pic du Bure in the Devoluy.