X-adventure Raid Series
Nike ACG/Balance Bar Decisive winners
X-adventure Press Office / 11.08.2003
"It was the best ride of my life ..." These words and others like them hovered around the lips of the racers as they came off the very technical 45.5km MTB first section. Taking 40 minutes off the predicted time for this section, Tokyo Joe's (US) were the first team to blaze along the river valley road past the abandoned hulk of the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge. Barely 60 seconds behind came Nike ACG/Balance Bar (US) pushing as hard as they could. The first Europeans to show were Equilibre Attitude (FR), just another 4 minutes off the first two with current series leaders Les Arcs-Quechua (FR) hot on their wheels.
The lead then changed hands when Tokyo Joe's (US), the team that led the charge up the steep slope towards Custer Lookout, made an orienteering error that took them at least 30 minutes out of their way. Nike ACG/Balance Bar (US) needed no prompting to step into the now vacant race leader's shoes as they put the pressure on the following teams to keep pace with them. Only two managed to respond to the challenge with Saab Salomon (GB) putting in a stunning effort to drop only 2 minutes further behind. Salomon USA (US) put in an even more amazing burst of speed to pass 7 teams and move up to 5th place.
A shortened 20km canoeing section greeted the teams as they came down from Custer Lookout. Elix Courchevel (FR) pulled hard to put in the best time over this section but race leaders Nike Acg/Balance Bar (US) weren’t giving an inch and were only 2 seconds behind. Next came Saab Salomon (GB), still trying to make up the time they lost on the race lead during the initial MTB section. Nike ACG/Balance Bar (US) still held a 20-minute lead over second place Saab Salomon (GB) and Les Arcs-Quechua (FR) were only 5 minutes further back.
Helen Hangs About
Next came a combo section involving a spectacular canyon crossing on a 160m long zip line and an abseil down into the valley floor, plus a 12.5kms adventure run through scrub strewn mountains to 2,371m peak. Nike ACG/Balance Bar (US) pulled away from the pursuing teams by putting in the fastest time over the section, though Elix-Courchevel (FR) were still in hot pursuit. Salomon USA (US) fought to make up for a disappointing showing on the previous canoeing leg and Les Arcs-Quechua (FR) came in 3 seconds later, achieving the impossible, after Helene Rochas, suffering from tendonitis in the left knee ligament and from a rock fall which struck her helmet, broke through several pain barriers to reach the end of the section.
SleepMonsters
