Questars
Close Finish on the Downs
Pippa MacDougall/Questars (Photos Jon Brooke) / 27.09.2006
So competition was strong and teams were keen to set out on the course that covered an extensive area to the east of Devizes including the wonderful open chalk downlands and scenic villages clustered along the tranquil Kennet & Avon canal. Recent rainfall had made the trails and footpaths muddy and more challenging, and the low cloud denied teams extensive views but this didn\'t daunt competitors at all.
All teams departed via staggered starts from 0930 to 1130 on their mountain bikes determined to pick up as many checkpoints as possible on the way to the single transition point on the canal side. Teams were soon out of Devizes and discovering the extensive network of off-road tracks and routes and of course the hills. Once at the canal there was the choice of whether to kayak next or run.
The kayaking course was particularly challenging with 6 checkpoints along the canal - two westward and four eastward of the transition point. Which way to go? Can we get them all within our allotted time on the water? There has rarely been so much activity on this particularly peaceful stretch of the canal.
The trail run stage gave further challenge in terms of tackling the muddy footpaths, the gradients and the wide choice of routes. Some teams who had an eye on the further biking checkpoints opted to keep their run stage short. Other teams took a different strategy and really went for the running. Five teams even managed to clear the whole trail run stage - Imperial College Union, Team Clunk, Nationwide C, Team Barry & Lyndon Sutton. Just one team \'From the Old Folks Home\' visited every one of the mountain bike checkpoints.
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