Southern Traverse
Battle Intensifies Between Leaders
Nicole Fairweather (Southern Traverse) / 16.11.2004
Kathmandu had led since the start of the race in Hokitika on Monday (November 15) but lost its position last night in the Paparoa mountain section.
\"We took a different route on one part which probably wasn’t the best one,\" captain Duncan Hamilton said.
But his team seemed unphased as they prepared to follow GoLite Timberland into the seventh stage – another gruelling mountain trek and bike ride which takes them up Brian O’Lyn and Mt O’Shanessy to the remote Lake Morgan Hut and eventually on to the Alexander Range.
The section is expected to take anything between 21-30 hours to complete and competitors were being compelled to carry extra warm clothing and tents, with more cold conditions forecast overnight.
\"We’re taking even more than we have to this time,\" said Aaron Prince GoLite Timberland’s navigator. \"On the first night out it was diabolical it was so cold. All we could do was keep moving. If we stopped it would have been just horrible.\"
Kathmandu’s Kate Callaghan was upbeat as she prepared for the next mountain trek. She has been suffering from a chest infection but said she was starting to feel good.
\"The antibiotics are kicking in now and I’m a lot better.\"
While there is a tussle between the lead teams there is also strong pressure from Kiwi team Sierra International who are about two and a half hours behind the leaders. Two of the team members, Jim Cotter of Dunedin and Queenstown’s Rachel Barton are also part of an on going Otago University scientific study, focusing on the effects of sleep deprivation and other issues related to adventure racing.
The pair regularly provide blood samples and undergo tests during their brief stopovers at the transition areas.
Pushing hard also is the crack Swedish team Lundhags Adventure while last year’s winner Bridgedale Socks is close behind in fifth place.
Teams are expected to try and catch some sleep on the next stage. Most have had less than a couple of hours and GoLite Timberland admits to just an hour since the race began.
\"But we’ll be looking for some sleep up there tonight,\" said captain Billy Mattison.
Other teams are spread throughout the field and the casualty today has been the ING-NZ Army team who were forced to come down from the Paparoa Range section when Rob Gathergood developed a chest infection. The other three team members are considering going on as an unranked team.
Three teams have withdrawn and several are on the course unranked and completing shorter courses. A number of teams also have to serve time penalties before the race finishes.
Race director Geoff Hunt was disappointed a course change had to be made this morning after the Clarke River rose making it too hazardous for teams to cross.
\"We hate to have to make changes but we always knew we could be battling the weather and just have to take it as it comes.\"
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