RAID IN FRANCE ARWS
Day 2 at Raid in France - An Intense Adventure
Press Release / 30.06.2024
Day 2: Between Lake Vassivière and the Millevaches Plateau, time stretches... or races!
As the leading teams continue to set a blistering pace, challenging weather conditions are testing competitors in this 12th Raid in France in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a qualifier for the 2024 World Championship in Ecuador.
As it has been raining for over 24 hours during Raid in France, the teams are experiencing an adventure intensified by various challenges, numerous setbacks, and sometimes unexpected progress. The cold, rain, and mist are clouding the competitors' maps and vigilance. The terrain, very difficult in places, is testing both morale and racing equipment.
The first night on Lake Vassivière was very challenging for the mid-table teams due to dense fog and very low temperatures. Searching for the 10 markers placed on the lake became an almost desperate quest: the Spanish from Baragnas (14) took over 8 hours to complete their circuit, while the leading team, much earlier yesterday afternoon, exited the lake in 3 hours and 28 minutes, with an additional error in reading the road book forcing them to make a round trip at Snake Island.
The day, equally rainy and windy, also forced the organizers to shorten the course for the teams at the back of the pack: three of them were not allowed to engage on the lake. The Americans of Committed (6), the Belgians of Team Belgium (13), and the English of Nav4 Trash Pigs went directly to the start of the very long mountain biking section on the Millevaches plateau (89 km and 1,650 m of elevation gain), without going through Vassivière.
The leading teams, particularly the formidable trio of 400Team (15), Absolu Raid. Aventure.fr XTTR (21), and 400Team bis (18), continued their progress at a relentless pace, barely sleeping and staying several hours ahead of the estimated times. However, they will need to take their mandatory 8 hours of rest at some point during the course.
Arriving early in the afternoon at the end of the packraft-raft section 3, which passed through the Chavanon gorges and crossed Lake Bort, the 400Team leaders were able to enjoy, in daylight, the rappelling descent of the gigantic basalt columns of Bort-les-Orgues, true geological wonders. They will continue tonight and tomorrow morning along the Dordogne, on the Eagle Dam Lake at Sourssac, then descend the Luzège gorges by packraft and/or on foot depending on water levels.
THE "BACK TO NATURE" SPOT OF THE DAY
The Chavanon Valley, marking the border between Corrèze and Puy-de-Dôme for about fifty kilometers, is characterized by a series of deep gorges and an impressive forest cover.
DIXIT...
"We enjoyed the Chavanon River, very wild and pleasant to navigate due to its good water level. We have been participating in Raid in France for almost 15 years, and this edition in Nouvelle-Aquitaine truly embodies the 'back to nature' spirit claimed by the organizers. Everything is here: the environment, challenging navigation, and a lot of commitment. We are fully focused on our race, aiming for victory."
Sébastien Raichon, 400Team (15), France
"With 24 hours of racing under our belts, fatigue is setting in, but the Chavanon kept us alert from start to finish."
Gaetan Janssens, Absolu Raid Aventure.fr XTTR (21), France
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