2004 Adventure Racing World Championship, hosted by Raid the North Extreme
Gathering in Corner Brook
30.07.2004
Finnish team Nokia who convincingly won the title of World Champions at the inaugural Adventure Racing World Championship in Switzerland 2001 is keen to prove their prowess in this 2nd Adventure Racing World Championship. The line up of domestic and international teams set to challenge them is strong.
The team country breakdown is, 1 South African, 2 New Zealand, 1 Australian, 2 Swedish, 19 USA, 2 Brazilian, 1 Finnish, 2 French, 10 Canadian, 1 Chilean, 2 British, 1 Colombian, 1 Argentinean. The teams entered and qualified through competing in races part of the Adventure Racing World Series.
There is an exciting buzz in the athletes’ village at Grenfell College in Corner Brook as the premier adventure racers prepare for their adventure. Competitors are all in fighting fit form and looking forward to racing in this region of the world.
Swedish athlete Mats Andersson of team Cross Sportswear is motivated by the international line up of teams and is thrilled to be racing in the World Championship. Andersson comments, “There are not many races in the world that bring this top level of competition together to race. It is a good challenge for all the teams involved; it is even better when you get a placing amongst this caliber of field.�
Many teams have been in the region for a few days, some even a few weeks, testing the terrain and meeting the local wildlife. In the lead up to the event, racers worries do not appear to be about coming face to face with the local Moose, Caribou or even meeting a bear out in the woodlands, the principal concern is the inhospitable native bush, known as Tuckamore.
Tim Pearson, racing in Team Bridgedale from New Zealand, arrived 2 weeks ago and has been on various familiarization trips in the region, he believes the scrub will be “the unfriendliest thing out on the course, it is going to rip us up.�
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