Estoril Portugal XPD Race
From the seaside to the countryside
Louize Hill / Filomena Gomes / Togumi / 06.12.2007
The highlight of the morning was the American team Feed the Machine who set off with huge red wigs and red and white stripped socks.
The wet slippery cobblestones of the road in front of the Square Praça do MunicÃpio made life even more complicated for the skaters, but as soon as they were rolling on asphalt they set off fast.
Some of the Portuguese teams preferred to carry their skates and run, rather than struggle to skate. Others took the risk, and skated, but it was not an easy journey for them. Teams broke up with large distances opening between the elements who could skate and those who couldn't.
While there was a clear lack of team work in some teams, others were a perfect example of how the whole can be stronger than the sum of its parts. Both Team Arena and Motorola SOS Mata Atlantica were true teams.
The Russian team Arena, consisting of women only, left 10 minutes behind Motorola SOS Mata Atlantica but the girls showed good cooperation and eventually managed to overtook them near the end of the section. Since the Brazilian athletes are not very good skaters, half of the Brazilian/USA team set off skating and the other half on the Trikkes. The two Americans were towing the two on Trikkes, meaning this team made faster progress than some of the others. All the Russian girls came skating, showing a remarkable cooperation spirit. Apparently one of the Russians has been junior cross-country ski champion.
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