Raid Gauloises
Runaway leaders Parallax grind to a halt
Chris/Raid Gauloises / 02.05.2002
Parallax went through hell today as they saw a 7-hour lead stripped away in just 70 kms. The team, after setting an agonising pace, ground to a halt as they nursed Gary Sutherland, suffering from a gastric infection, through the searing heat and humidity. Ertips following steadily and patiently awaiting their opportunity, sped into the lead checking in at CP36 (Assistance Point 3) at around 17h45. In third place and ready to pounce is Nokia Adventure.
The crucial moment occurred somewhere between CP34 and CP35 about 10 kms into the MTB section. “We didn’t expect to take the race lead at this point, though it doesn’t really surprise me�, said Jerome a member of Ertips, “The only explanation for us catching Parallax is that they haven’t been sleeping at all since the beginning of the race. Now they’re paying the price. We’ve been very careful to get at least one hour a night to recuperate properly�.
Ertips were very worried when team captain, Gilles Zok, seemed to have heat stroke earlier in the race. “We didn’t panic because there was still a long way to go. “We intend to keep doing that. Get some sleep here at assistance point 3 and then set off again at a steady pace�.
When Parallax came in 26 minutes later, their faces haggard and drawn, they looked shaken by the events of the last 24 hours. Gary Sutherland contracted an intestinal infection after drinking some questionable water. Rebecca Rusch took the time to complete the picture: “It must have started around assistance point 2 when Gary was reluctant to eat. The last 24 hours have been spent caring for him as he developed severe diarrhoea and vomiting somewhere between CP17 and CP18. He has been very ill and we cashed in our huge lead to get him here. Hopefully, now we can really look after him, get him well and set off strong again. It’s like starting from scratch�. Suddenly everything is different and for the top three teams the race starts all over again here at CP36, assistance point 3.
Nokia and VSD-Eider are the other teams making up this group of frontrunners. The Finns, perhaps aware that the final demanding trekking section could play a key role in the outcome of the race, have been “forcing� themselves to sleep over the last few days: 4 hours at assistance point 4 and 5 and a half hours the previous night.
Earlier in the day, at CP29, one of the icons of the Raid Gauloises, Team Intersport dropped-out of the ranking when in 5th place. Pascal Buhaud, the team captain couldn’t go on in the strength sapping weather conditions (35°C to 38°C in the shade).
In 5th place is the Anglo/Finnish team Lapin Kulta, maintaining a steady pace despite having one team-member, the valiant and indomitable Anna McCormack, with the “worst feet in the race�.
Behind them come a small tight-knit group, almost together at CP28, consisting of Dialink (FRA), Ardeche (FRA), Fous de Bassin (FRA), and EMA (BRA). Team Ardeche, led by Mark Blaskovic on his 11th Raid Gauloises, looks freshest. “This is were the race starts for us. We’ve been holding back waiting for this moment to turn up the heat. It worked well in the trekking descent (CP26) where we put in the best time. We’re going to carry on like this especially on the water sections. On this particular canoeing section it was difficult to do anything but we’re really gambling on the final the sea-kayaking section, where we can pick up speed, to come up with the goods�. The end of the race is going to be very hot indeed…
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