Merrell completes 140m rappel

Lisa de Speville / 26.06.2005

1. Merrell completed the 140m rappel in 1hr and left the base of the abseil at 11h37 (Sunday). They are planning to sleep once they complete the paddle.
   
2. Mazda are in visual range of the rappel – probably less than 1km away. This puts them around 2hrs behind Merrell
   
3. Cross Sportswear, who were in 3rd place at CP8 starting the river trekking section have not yet reached the hike-bike transition at CP11. No other team has passed through there. This means that the leaders have at least 6-hours on the others.
   
4. Race Director Hano Otto has said that no team will make the paddle take-out by the 18h00 darkzone. According to Carlos Peres, the owner of Felix Unite – a river company where we are now based – it takes 4hrs from the put-in to the first river CP and perhaps a little less to the take-out… if they’re paddling quite hard. “The river is not helping. The water is very low and in the first section it is not moving fast. There is a little more flow after Shambock rapid.�
   
5. Mazda Salomon came into CP12 at 9h34 (1h42 behind Merrell). They left at 10h19. John Collins’ left knee is tightly strapped. “I think it was the soft sand on the mountain bikes,� he explained. “We were working hard to get through the sand and perhaps this caused the inflammation. It feels like it is at the top of my calf.� He’s limping slightly and will certainly benefit from the time off his feet on the paddle.
   
6. Mazda slept for 40-minutes on the side of the river during the night. “I feel fine now but I know that if we didn’t sleep it would hit us later,� said John Collins.
   
7. “Everything we do now is aimed to get us as far down the river as possible by 18h00. The race starts again at 07h00� – Michelle Lombardi, Team Mazda Salomon. They’re hoping to catch up to Merrell tonight and are looking forward to a good sleep in good company. I have visions of Mazda and Merrell sitting down, food spread all around, for a big chow-down.
   
8. Team Cyanosis Powerade are racing unofficially. Clinton Mackintosh, like Balance Vector’s George Christison, was ill and has now been brought through to race HQ (George is here too). Both teams are continuing even though they are unofficial.
   

Photo by Craig Dutton

ENDS

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