RAID IN FRANCE SAVOIE-MONT-BLANC
The 3rd Night Cut as the Weather Worsens
Rob Howard / 28.06.2022
After the 3rd night at Raid in France the leaders are still way ahead, but slowing a little and, under instruction from the race, most teams have taken the second short course option. The cumulative and relentless ascents, and the mixed weather (first hot, then wet and soon to be very stormy), are taking a toll.
The race instructed all but 12 teams to take cut B, going directly from AT3 to AT4 and removing most of the Section D mountain bike ride. This takes them to the start of the second packraft on the Isere at AT4 and they’ve been given 8 hours to make that ride.
This has regrouped the race very effectively, but there is no cut for teams to take on the long, section F trek which most will start today.
This is a 54km, with 4370m of climb, and is going to take the slower teams over 24 hours. (There are still two more short cut options in the last third of the course after this.)
The stage F trek has taken runaway race leaders 400team Naturex about 18 hours, which is four hours longer than predicted, but they may have slept overnight.
They completed the trek this morning to arrive at the 5km ropes/canyon stage, which is predicted to take the fastest team 4 hours, so it must be very technical and demanding.
So far in the race 4 teams have withdrawn; Nantes Adventures (2), the Belgians of Antipanique (RF) and the Polish team Snowdog Trailteam.pl. and one of the race favourites, Lozere Team2raid. Another 4 are unranked; Sud Raid, AR Buval Belgium, Issay Absolu Occitanie and Dutchables.
The 12 teams who rode the stage D ride, before the course was shortened, were 2, 4, 5, 6, 18, 20, 21, 24 (Out of Ranking), 29, 30, 31, 38.
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