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Digging Deep

Rob Howard / 19.08.2006

As the race enters its fourth night the majority are still out on the difficult trek across the ‘Seven Sisters’, the leaders are on water, paddling among the coastal islands, two more teams have withdrawn and all the teams are sore and exhausted as the length and severity of this course begins to bite.

At the front of the race the Finns and Nike Powerblast still contest the lead, but Golite/Timberland and Lundhags are not far behind and there is still a long way to go. The leaders will be out at least one more night as the predicted time once they’ve finished the long paddle is a further 24 hours (plus any sleep and transition times.)

Nike Powerblast will be hoping to make up some time on the paddle, knowing the Finns are hard to match on the mountain stages. The US team continue with their strategy of sleeping longer than their rivals and moving faster. Initially they were not going to rest at TA6, but after a hot meal of whale stew the lure of the cabins was too great and they rested, keeping in mind the tide times that will hamper them in the night they also plan to stop during the paddle. “There are towns on the islands,� said Ian Adamson as the tucked into his stew, “we can find a cabin or something.�

When told what he was eating he said, “This is really nice. The whale is meaty, a bit like beef.�

Lundhags too were not planning to stop at the transition, but changed their minds. “It’s a more comfortable place than anywhere later,� said Mikael Andersson.

Orionhealth.com and then Merrell Wigwam also stayed and slept to recover from the arduous trek across the mountains on a hot day. Neil Jones and Jeff Mitchell took a shower while they could but
Robyn Benincasa wouldn’t hear of it. “I have a thing against showers when I’m racing. They come at the end when the job is done.�

She was suffering badly with sore and blistered feet. “We want to go on, but there is a head wind and I’m in no fit state. I wore Goretex boots for the first time yesterday and my feet are so sore – I’ve never had that before and never been in so much pain. I was crying on the mountains.� As the medics burst her blisters she covered her face and then said, “That’s enough!� The team stayed almost 4 hours and when they left Benincasa faced the painful prospect of pushing her kick bike along the road.

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