Ecomotion/Pro
Top Contenders at Ecomotion 2013
Louise Foulkes (ARWS) / 09.08.2013
Ecomotion 2013 has attracted some of the strongest teams and racers from around the world to this year’s race. The timing of the race and the fact it is in a similar part of the world and climate to Costa Rica means it is the perfect lead in to the AR World Championships 2013.
Adventure Racing World Champions, Team Seagate Technology are currently the race favourites. Surprisingly this is the first time Seagate have raced in Brazil at Ecomotion. They are excited to be in a new country in what they believe will be an “authentic race”. Their hope is that it will be a true adventure race, not confined by some of the regulations and bureaucracy sometimes experienced in the Western World.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the team to get here. The team found out 4 days ago that their navigator, Chis Forne sustained a puncture injury to his leg from a rogue stick at the World Games where he was representing New Zealand in Orienteering. The injury was severe enough that he has been forced to withdraw.
The team quickly recruited Dougal Allan to the team. Dougal recently came 2nd at GodZone as a part of team Harraways Oats and also brings the only Ecomotion experience to the team as he raced last year with team Brazilian team BMS.
Other tops teams such as AXA adidas from Sweden are hoping that the change in Seagate’s line-up will be the chink in the armour that might be the undoing of this formidable team. The combination of new team dynamics along with Nathan Fa’avae, the captain, having to take over the additional role of navigation might just be enough to give other teams an advantage.
AXA adidas have a new line up and like Seagate are using the event as a testing ground for their preparation for the AR World Championships in Costa Rica. The team is made up of veterans Mikael Lindnord and John Karlsson as well as two new recruits to expedition Adventure Racing.
The first of these are cross country ski champion Jenny Hansson (2011 winner of Vasaloppet - the oldest, the longest, and the biggest cross-country ski race in the world). Jenny has recently retired from cross-country ski racing and is trying out Adventure Racing for the first time. If this goes well for Jenny, she would be a very strong addition to the team in future years. The second new recruit is multi-sporter Simon Niemi who at the age of 24 is one of the youngest competitors here.
AXA adidas captain Mikael says in spite of this being their 4th time at Ecomotion, they don’t believe they will make the podium this year as the competition is too strong. He says their only real hope is that the exceptionally fast Brazilian teams might come unstuck as for the first time in Ecomotion’s history it is an unsupported race. Teams here are used to racing extremely quickly and arriving at elaborate supported set-ups at the end of each leg.
Ecomotion has taken logistics from one extreme to another. One of the main topics of conversation amongst the teams right now is how they are going to fit in all of their food and equipment for the race.
This year teams will be restricted to 1 bike box each (ARWS standard size) and 1x100 litre box between the team. They also have a paddle bag for their PFDs. Rear teams are depending that the information filtered from Race Organizers that they will be able to source food from local villages along the route is true. Some of the top competitors, such as Sophie Hart from Seagate, are hoping to “just go quickly” meaning they won’t need as much food.
Amongst the Brazilian based teams, there are two clear favourites. Team QuasarLontra lead by Rafael Campos as well as team Equipe BMS. BMS’s lead up had a major set back a week ago when one of their team members broke their arm. This shouldn’t affect them too much as they were able to recruit one of the UK’s best adventure racers, Nick Gracie, at very short notice.
Nick will no doubt be spurred on to win by the possibility of making it a South American triple triumph. He has already captained his regular team, adidas TERREX Prunesco, to victories at this year’s Argentinian ARWS qualifier, Tierra Viva and also at the Patagonian Adventure Race.
At this stage another obvious favourite, Colombia Vidaraid haven’t been seen. This team took line honours at Ecomotion in 2012 and are currently ranked 4th in the World.
The strong Spanish team have recently added two Brazilian team mates to their line up, Marco Anslem (formally of US team Tecnu) and veteran racer Barbara Bomfin. The team are staying at a different hotel and have apparently been training in the area for quite some time.
You can find out more on the race website at http://blog.ecomotion.com.br/ and on their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/EcomotionBrasil
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