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Water or Wine

Rob Howard / 14.09.2005

Half way through the final trekking stage of the race Les Arcs Quechua still lead and Christophe Faure is playing a captains part and driving his team onto the finish.

He has lead from the front for the whole race and even after 5 gruelling days is not slackening his pace. As his time descended from the high col where CP 57 is situated, into valley pastures he was 100m in front of this team, shouting “allez, allez�. They had descended from thick high cloud which will make navigation tough for all the teams but was only looking forward, not worrying about who was behind.

He knows it will be very tough to meet tonight’s dark zone and as the he began to climb again, cutting straight up to avoid zig-zags on the path he shouted. “It is rock or a hotel tonight, water or wine�. His team struggled on the steep slope and shouted; “Help us Christophe,� but he didn’t slow up. His mind is set on the finish tonight.

The team have to climb up to the via ferrata where the dark zone comes into play and there is some confusion about whether it begins at 20.00 or 21.00. If it is the former they may be drinking water, the later and it could be wine. Or champagne.

[Late addition to the story. Les Arcs are drinking water tonight not champagne. They were stopped at CP59. There is a refuge there which may offer some shelter, and teams will be allowed to restart at 5am in the morning.]

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