RAID IN FRANCE ARWS
Day 4: Castles, Canyons and a Chase to the Finish
Press Release / 02.07.2024
As the teams in the top three begin to dream of the finish line, the others remain focused on their goal: to complete this 466-kilometer journey in its entirety and savor an achievement that can be classified as "out of this world."
Yesterday, in the late afternoon, the teams passed through checkpoint number 7, located at the entrance of the Tours de Merle. This medieval city, perched on a rocky outcrop beautifully surrounded by the waters of the Maronne, saw the leading team, 400Team (15), pass by without much delay but with more serenity than usual. Their lead is comfortable, even over their closest pursuers.
On this fourth day of Raid in France, they have not let up, staying focused and united in their objective. At 4 PM today, they were spotted near Transition Area 12 in Combrignac, the starting point of the last section on the program: a 75-kilometer mountain biking portion with 2,000 meters of positive elevation gain leading directly to Bugeat, the finish line. If all goes well, they will cross the victory line during the night.
A bit further behind, their two direct pursuers—400Team Bis (18) and Absolu Raid Aventure.fr XTTR (21)—have been challenging each other since the start, fiercely fighting for a podium spot. The same level of commitment can be seen between the Dutch team Dutchables (1) and the French team Argo (22) for the 4th or 5th place.
The rest of the pack spent a lot of time today on the Dordogne, the Marèges and Aigle lakes, the Luzère gorges, and the Chal-Redenat canyon. Undoubtedly, this very long 64-kilometer section with 1,050 meters of positive elevation gain, requiring an alternation between trekking and packrafting, is one of the most challenging and demanding of this 12th Raid in France. For some teams, more than 24 hours were necessary to complete it in its entirety.
Tomorrow and the day after, they will be able to change their perspective with the discovery of the Tours de Merle and the Maronne river, jewels of the Xaintrie Blanche region.
While the leading team is expected tonight, the last teams will not arrive in Bugeat, at the Centre Sportif des 1000 Sources, the finish area, until next Friday.
DIXIT...
Christine Cornez, Argo (22), France: “The night was tough, but today we are less tired. This Raid in France gives us what we came for: a magnificent environment, challenging navigation, and amazing activity sequences. A little message to the organizers in a humorous tone: it is more usual to go down a canyon than to go up it... We didn't know Corrèze, but as an elected official said during the opening ceremony, it is indeed absolutely 'whaou!'"
Hayke Everwijn, Dutchables (1), Netherlands: “This race is magic... We're having more fun than ever! The Dordogne is an incredible river and I will never forget the rappelling descent on the Orgues de Bort-les-Orgues, with the sea of clouds and the sunrise. »
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