X-adventure - The Raid World Cup 2005
Seagate Just Three Hours From Victory
John-Michael Flynn in Albany, Western Australia / 01.05.2005
The 41 kilometres of walk/run sections, which included the pristine National Park wilderness of West Cape Howe, was punctuated with an awe inspiring ropes section where competitors were forced to climb vertical coastal cliff faces fronting the open ocean. The climbing complicated by rain and wind squals.
French team Les Arcs Quechua, a strong contender from the start of this event, upped the ante during this morning’s run section, hauling back more than nine minutes from the kiwis, by the time competitors reached the ropes.
This morning’s run sections which followed sand dune country and steep hills through the coastal heathland fronting South-Western Australia’s Coastline, took plenty out of even the most experienced competitors.
Montrail-Revo’s John Jacoby (his team presently fifth) was overjoyed to reach the rope section, with his legs just about spent after a morning of leg sapping running through the sand country.
This morning’s ropes course brought cries of \"La mangifique!\" from both the French and the English speaking competitors in this race. A flying fox took racers across to an exposed rock adjacent to the cliff-face, then a rope line extending across to another rocky outcrop, before a steep vertical climb back to the top of the cliff.
“Yere it was good. They always put on a great ropes course,� a smiling John Jacoby said on finishing the section.
The race is scheduled to finish around 3pm Australian time in Albany and barring any mishaps, the flying kiwis of New Zealand’s team Seagate, look likely to cross the line first.
Top five with two stages remaining
Seagate 15:30:22
Les Arc 15:39:07
AROC / Mountain Designs 16:07:50
Atout Majeur – Eider 16:25:40
Montrail 16:31:43
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