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Day 2: Meeting with ghosts

Jan Smolík / 28.08.2008

The first night of the race showed to be a killer for the ambitions of many teams. Tired from the previous trekking stage, teams set on the 100 km long biking leg. However, not all teams made it even that far. The Greek team had big problems with skating, and walked through most of skating stage. While the penultimate team finished the trekking stage at half past two, the Greek team was still walking at eight o’clock when they decided to quit totally exhausted.

The first checkpoint on the biking stage was the Bouda fortress. It is a military fort from the Second World War. Teams had an orienteering underground which measured more than one kilometer. The specialty was that organizers ordered all lights to be switched off, so that the fort was completely dark. The only lights flickering through long corridors were the headlights of the racers. Ghosts almost stepped from walls.

Bouda also witnessed a big drama. Estonian racer Marge Erm had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. She looked really bad in the evening, however she was let out of hospital in the morning, and now she looks well.

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