The Raid World Championship 2005
Inseparable
Rob Howard / 11.09.2005
“They know stuff that’s not even on the map,� said Monique Merrill, “they know every trail and shortcut and have a real home advantage.� The French team spent the night in transition just a few kilometres from to the Les Arcs ski resort (their sponsors), but have so far failed to use their local knowledge to shake the persistent Americans. “They are going fast,� said Ian Adamson, “but not too fast.� The story was the same from Les Arcs Quechua. Yves Billodeau, who is Canadian but lives in France, said with just a trace of impatience, “They are with us every step of the way.�
As the two teams sat at the Assistance point and organised themselves for the next cycling stage, the sponsors flags set up around the transition field began to crackle in a rising wind, cloud began to top the surrounding ridges and a few drops of rain fell. It didn’t amount to much but the prospects are the weather will deteriorate during the afternoon again.
Nike ACG/Balance Bar were taking warm leggings and thicker gloves for the long descent at the end of the cycling stage, when it could be very cold on the bikes, and though Ian Adamson seemed out of sorts and struggled to find some of his kit they were once again quicker out of the transition. They were planning to reach the refuge before the glacier crossing, but aware that the weather might force teams onto the bad weather route, which would mean no enforced stop tonight … and whole different set of decisions to make.
Stefan Barischi their voluable supporter ran through the route for them, told Mike Tobin 4 times that the ride was 3 hours (he asked 4 times!), and hurried them out of the transition. “If you go now you will put pressure on them� he shouted. But with another trekking stage up onto the glacier still to come, it may be that Nike ACG would prefer to be in second place, by just a few paces.
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