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Trails and Tribulations

Chris Archer / 14.12.2007

It has been a difficult morning for all the teams that undertook the gruelling 1000m ascent of the stunning Jebel Hafeet and, even those who came through relatively unscathed, bore the marks of a challenging endeavour and rare achievement.

While the leading teams were happy to be coming down from the arduous slopes of Jebel Hafeet, the hapless LUNDHAGS ADVENTURE (SWE), already despondent after being forced back earlier in the day when they missed CP9, saw team member Björn RYDVALL stumble and fall about 10 metres. A number of teams stopped to help out. He was diagnosed with a broken tibia and dislocated elbow and is now lying comfortable in the hospital in Al Ain.

Sari ANDERSON of NIKE (USA) twisted her ankle shortly after the start of the trek and found the rest of the going, up the steep, rocky crenulations, extremely demanding. But no teams were spared the necessity of digging very deep to find the resources that would take them through this 24km section to the rope works on the other side: a series of jumar and via ferrata climbs followed by an 80m rappel with a short 2.5km sprint back to the camp in Green Mubazzarah.

Top performers over these three sections were current race leaders EUROSPORT NZ (NZL). Richard Ussher explained the team’s tactics: “Last night we sat down together to discuss the situation and decided we didn’t come here to finish second. If we had a chance we should take it… and this was our chance. We decided to go as hard as possible right from the very start of the run up the mountain, knowing we are quite strong in the climb and the rest would be downhill. We also thought that if we go too fast and “blow up�, we are far enough ahead of WILSA to ensure second, even if we fail to take first place.�

It was a risk that paid off as they rolled into camp 15 minutes ahead of WILSA HELLY HANSEN (FRA), another premium winner on this mountain leg of the race. “We went out with the first teams and once we realized that they were going very fast, we decided to settle into a rhythm that would safeguard our third place,� Sebastian SXAY confided. “We had to stay ahead of ORIONHEALTH.COM (NZL) and went very fast over the rope-works to consolidate our lead.� It came as some surprise to them to see they had taken second place over these three sections.

Times into end SECTION G
1 EUROSPORT NZ at 11H56
2 WILSA HELLY HANSEN (FRA) at 12h11
3 ORIONHEALTH.COM (NZL) at 12h19
4 LAFUMA SPORT 2000 (FRA) at 12h32
5 AIGLE-SPORT (FRA) at 12h34
6 ADCO BUFF COOLMAX (ESP) at 12h38
7 ATT360-ÖTZTAL (AUT) at 12h58
8 SALOMON SPAIN (ESP° at 13h00
9 ADIDAS NATVENTURE (GER) at 13h15
10 ERTIPS (FRA) at 13h16
11 DAUHINE – CIE DES ALPES (FRA) at 13h43
12 FJS (SWE) at 13h59

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