News from the Front of the Race

Anne-Marie Dunhill / 10.11.2014

Leaving El Chaco this morning there were only two teams at the transition which had been packed up.  Teams Brazil-Advogado Aventureira and Ecuador-Incalink were the last teams there.

Although I am supposed to be following the middle to back of the pack, we leap frogged  up to the front of the race on the mountain biking stage after leaving El Chaco in order to avoid Oyacachi where Rob Howard has been doing race coverage. We headed further along the course to check point 9 near the PanAmerican Highway.  

Lead teams had finished the trek and rope works and transitioned on to their mountain bikes. The trek had been a very muddy one due to the incessant rains. Going back upthe off-road track which lead to checkpoint 9, the terrain was one of red, sticky clay. The lush jungle smelled of eucalyptus and a few wild dogs roamed along the path.

The first team we came across was France-Green Caffte Costa Rica-UPS Adventure-Haute Maurienne/Vanoise and we quickly exchanged a few words in French. They immediately asked for “good news about our race” and wanted to know how many other teams had passed. It was clear that they didn’t know that they were in front but at the pre-race press briefing the race director specified that the press was forbidden to give out such information to teams.

Spain-Columbia Vidaraid was the next team that passed our vantage point on the uphill section of the track and the lady on the team told us that they’d taken a short nap of about an hour and were planning on taking another one soon. They also wanted to know where the competition was, asking where the French team was.

Team Ecuador-Movistar passed next, cheerfully calling out to us in Spanish, wanting to know how many teams had passed. We came across USA-Tecnu Adventure Racing further along on a grassy stretch of the route and as we were snapping pictures a barking dog lunged at the back rider. They were concentrated on their race and didn’t ask about the other teams.

We tried to continue along the path which turned out to be an abandoned railroad track but our 4x4 tanked in a hole that was hidden by thick thorn bushes and we found ourselves with three wheels on firm ground instead of four. Brazilian journalist Wladimir Togumi managed to sort us out, with our guide and a local man standing on the front bonnet to provide extra weight.

Dark menacing clouds had been forming in the mountains behind us and as we reversed out a heavy storm hit. UK-adidas TERREX passed us in the rain once we’d headed back to CP 9 and Sally Ozenne was very cheerful and smiling as she asked how many teams were ahead of them.

New Zealand-Seagate came through next with Sophie Hart and Stuart Lynch riding in front. Someone on the team smelled strongly of garlic so I suspect they have been sampling the local cuisine. Sophie Hart called the downpour their "daily shower".

Further back in the pack the race was unfolding differently for a few teams. Mid-afternoon heard on the race radio that Fanny Frechinet from team France-LSN EndorphinMag had to be hospitalized with health issues that she’d been having since before the race start and the rest of her team members were continuing on without their captain, unranked.  Team Sweden Haglofs-Silva’s Josefina Vikberg took a bad fall on her bike and was unable to continue as her wrist and hand were too painful. After breaking her collar-bone at the World Champs last year; this must be a crushing blow for the strong Swedish team to have to pull out so soon into the race.

The pack is now quite spread out over the race route, darkness has fallen and there is heavy fog on various parts of the route into transition three.

You can follow the race live at http://live.huairasinchi.com/news/index.htm

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