AR World Championship 2005
Balance Vector first on the bikes
Susan McKenzie / 15.11.2005
“Cloudy, increasing during the morning, with rain and showers this afternoon. Risk of snow showers at higher elevations.�
More than a dozen photographers, volunteers and support crew clustered around the edges of TA6, waiting for the team to show. The word was Balance Vector had left the last checkpoint and was “coming soon.� Local knowledge (the guy who owns the land) had it that the team would come in from the east, either through the brush or through the creek that flowed just below the TA. Scouts were sent down along the water to radio when the team was in sight.
“Just get out of the way of the cameras when they come!� were his instructions.
“Wouldn’t it be a laugh if they snuck in behind and came in behind the TA.�
It was pretty funny when they did just that. Making a stage door entrance to the TA, Balance Vector was almost on top of its crew before anyone noticed.
“Hey hey hey!� someone shouted as the team walked in, cold and wet and hungry.
After a Didymo spray, the team was whisked over to its military support vehicle, a cavernous truck with chairs and hooks and a clothesline. With military precision, the support crew (Mark, Mike and Nat) were at work, feeding the team, sorting out gear and swapping wet for dry clothes. Pasta, creamed rice and plenty of water was on the menu.
A brief break in the clouds had the team pondering the weather.
“Sun?� Marcus Hagener asked as he squinted into the sky.
“I need sunscreen, I think, for my face and neck� said Richard Ussher, who yesterday was sporting an eye patch following an altercation with a branch on the trek.
“It’s in the van, in the pocket of the passenger door,� said Kristina Anglem.
Despite a commanding lead on the rest of the field, Balance Vector wasted little time in the transition area. They were out of the truck and ready to go within half an hour of arriving.
“Left the truck in a bit of a mess,� joked Kristina Anglem as she glanced back at the chaos in the truck.
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