Subaru Primal Quest
Shake, Rattle and Roll
SPQ/Rob / 07.09.2003
Coming off a brutal 110-mile overnight mountain bike section, both teams cruised into CP9/TA3 at Kirkwood Ski Resort within 45 minutes of one another. Nike arrived first at 8:30 a.m., showering and bedding down for an hour-long catnap. While they slept, however, Seagate came and left in little more than half an hour to retake the lead.
Behind the two leaders, Teams AROC, Nokia Adventure and PARALLAX left TA3 within 15 minutes of each other. Back at CP8, teams continued to stream out of the mountains. Virtually all checked in and out quickly in hopes of reaching TA3 by nightfall. While most teams seemed to have fared well Friday night and arrived with high sprits and in good physical form, many suffered technical problems.
Team Kathmandu reported a broken rim that caused two tyre punctures. A quick repair with duct tape kept them moving. Andy Tubbs of Team E-Caps Florida suffered a harrowing crash on the first downhill section of the bike leg when his rear wheel “just came off.� While the rear end of the frame suffered some damage, the team managed to get the bike back in one piece and continue riding, albeit cautiously.
Of those teams that managed to traverse the mountain passes west of Lake Tahoe unscathed, Kip Richards of Team OutdoorAthlete.com joyously described one particular experience in unforgettable fashion.
“We hit 48 miles per hour on a steep downhill and I just started peeing myself,� he proclaimed aloud at a check point crowded with two other teams and event staff.
Thirty-six hours into the 450-mile course, three teams have officially withdrawn from the race. Teams IRL-UK, Meridianoraid-Red Bull, and Earthlink all dropped out for medical reasons.
However, Earthlink had some extra motivation to head home, as captain Jason Middleton’s wife Tricia gave birth to their son Friday afternoon.
As night falls on Lake Tahoe the lead teams march on a 22-mile trek toward an orienteering loop, a quick 15-mile bike ride, and ultimately, what had been described as the most ambitious ropes course ever attempted in the sport.
SleepMonsters
