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Aldeia Do Mato - The Pressure Increases

Rob Howard / 13.11.2009

Aldeia Do Mato is the location at the end of the paddling stage on Castelo do Bode, a linear reservoir named after the dam that created it. Teams have been paddling southwards down the lake overnight and through the morning, a cold paddle, and a hard one to stay awake on for tired teams.

From the start at Praida do Penada Furado there was once again the option to paddle 'upstream' for two checkpoints (nos 46 and 47), and then return to pass close to the start point and continue southwards to the finish point. There was also one Bonus CP on the paddle, up an inlet and at only 5km return trip it was 'relatively easy' compared to some others on the route. At this stage of such a long race no checkpoint is going to be easy but with the classification so close it is possible teams will tie on the number of checkpoints and an extra bonus could raise their position by several places. The trouble is that at present no one knows their scores (and nor do I).

The first team to arrive was the Spanish team Wind X-treme, coming in their bikes at 01.45 in the morning having taken one of the short cuts, but the first paddlers to arrive were Adventureteam.dk at 03.57, after which teams arrived through the rest of the morning. Teams Buff and Helly Hansen Prunesco were only ten minutes apart, arriving either side of 07.00 and were quick through transition, and once again it seems Helly Hansen outscored their rivals on the section. With information hard to come by, and Orion Health and Nike still to come in behind them they were being tight lipped about exactly what they had done! Quechua were not far behind them and still appear to be racing well. They enjoyed the hot croissants at the small cafe by the waterside!

Before Nike and Orion arrived at the end of the paddle stories were circulating that Orion Health arrived at the start of the paddle last night minus one team member! They came in without their captain Wayne Oxenham and he was missing for some time with the race organisation alerted to help find him, but he then turned up with Team Nike! (By this stage in the event mistakes are easily made and costly. Last night when Buff made such good time to the castle at Marvao it appeared they had moved quickly in the night ... but it was for an unfortunate reason. They'd left some head torches behind and struggled to find the CP's, and had then ridden directly to the stage end without collecting any checkpoints!)

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