Ecomotion/Pro
Unexpected Results at the Prologue
Louise Foulkes (ARWS) / 11.08.2013
It isn’t often you see the likes of Nick Gracie (Team Equipe BSA), Nathan Fa’avae (Team Seagate), Marco Amselem (Columbia Vidaraid) and Mikael Lindnord (Team AXA adidas) watch team after team pass them, but that is exactly what happened today.
The prologue involved teams memorising (or drawing a rough map) the location of 2 cps on a map. Teams were told that there were 9 CPs in total and that they would find the locations to the remaining 7 once they got to the first 2 CPs. Teams were allowed to spit up to get the CPs.
The tactics between the teams were different. For example Seagate chose to go to the first CP and then split into individuals after they saw where all of the remaining CPs were. Equipe BSA decided to split into 2 pairs straight away and divide the island into two equal areas. Any CPs in each pairs designated area had to be collected by them. Teams had to regroup at the finish line.
When the first complete teams did merge and it wasn’t who everyone expected. The top 3 were;
1st Soul Monsters
2nd Papaventuras
3rd Team China
It turned out that the first 6 people (the fastest) to arrive at the furthest point on the island made a bad navigational blunder which sent all of them very off track. As they tried to work out their error most of the rest of the field passed them.
In the final results Columbia Vidaraid managed to squeeze into 20th place which means they were the last team to receive the 2hr sleep bonus. Other race favourites Seagate, AXA adidas and Equipe BMS all missed out on this advantage. At the end of the day it seemed more a case of wounded pride than any real concern about it adversely affecting their race.
Most of the top teams believe they will have to sleep for at least 8 hours anyway. The only difference is that the bonus would have given them some more flexibility with when and where to do this.
Teams will board busses to the start at 5:30 tomorrow morning. The actual start will be at 11:00.
SleepMonsters
