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Trekking and the Rain Define the Race

Rob Howard / 13.04.2011

Ecomotion Pro is moving to the middle phase of the race, the period when the lead teams and nature of the race become clear. This year, as so often, it is the hard trekking stages which are testing, and breaking, the teams, and they are being made tougher by the heavy rain.

The trek in the Monte Pascoal National Park has taken some of the later teams more than 4 times the predicted time, the route has been changed as support crews could not access the road to PC10/AT5 … which lengthened the trek for the teams, who had to go a further 5km to reach transition! More significantly the course has been shortened, cutting out a 100km loop including PC’s 15,16.17 and 18. This takes out the river paddling, so there will be no respite from trekking and riding in the muddy conditions.

The teams were already weakened, many suffering blisters, after the opening 80k,trek along the Whale Coast – described by Team AXA Sports Club as a ‘monster trek’. They described how along the coast “it was sometimes very wet, and the teams even had to wade through some large water masses�. They went on to describe how the trek took 16 hours and some who came in to the TA having difficulty walking, with huge sores and blisters on their feet.

The following mountain bike stage was plagued by deep mud in places, which badly affected the bikes. “This is a real suffer fest as we usually call it. Incredibly painful,� said AXA captain Mikael Lindnord at the end of the ride. “We are a team with a great experience, and yet its incredibly painful for us right now. This is an extremely tough race, and I honestly believe that many teams will have to pull out during the race.�

This was all before the overnight rain on the next trekking stage and Lindnord was to be proved right as teams began to withdraw with foot problems and because they were moving too slowly. Paul Romero and Karen Lundgren of Quasar Lontra were reportedly suffering from blisters but pressing one well and still among the leaders, and later on Team Adventure Camp were one of the teams who pulled out. Team Captain Sergio "Zolina," said he was in too much pain from his feet and difficulty walking and commented; “I was unable to sustain the momentum that the team deserved�

At present most of the leading teams are still on the trek to PC 10 and the next cycling stage to PC11, with only Quasar Lontra arriving at PC11 to date. Even with the shortened course it is clear this race will be one of the toughest Ecomotions for many years, and teams will struggle to finish.

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