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At Transition 2

Rob Howard / 23.07.2005

As more teams arrived at Transition 2, the end of first run and the start of the via ferrata, the support crews swung into action. They’d been waiting longer than expected for the arrival of the teams, sitting or standing on the roadside in the hot sun, preparing food and drinks and laying out clothing and climbing equipment.

Supporting a team is a skill in it’s own right, especially in Raid Series races which have many stages, in relatively quick succession. The team ‘encampments’ are elaborate, with tables and chairs and shelters for shade. Teams may come in wanting certain foods or drinks, needing medical attention for blisters or sores, and at the same time the next stage has to be prepared for. A forgotten drink or piece of mandatory gear could mean the team paying a high price. In this case there was also the 66km bike ride at the top of the via ferrata, so bike preparation was vital too.

First teams had to get up the via ferrata, and the rock face rearing up above the transition presented a steep 350 climb in the full glare of the midday heat. Later arrivals could see teams dotted up the cliff face, which in places looked to be close to vertical. The fastest expected time given for the climb was 30 minutes, but that appeared optimistic and some teams may take more than an hour on it. And at the top lies a 66km bike ride, down into Spain to the river stage at Noguera Pallaresa.

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