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Scafell Pike Shakes Up the Race

Rob / 28.06.2004

The second mountain stage, from Whitehaven to Scafell Pike and back, is the toughest of all, it’s generally underestimated, and always has a significant impact on the race positions. This year was no exception and the order in which teams left the Lake District was a very different one to the order in which they arrived.

However, one thing which didn’t change was the lead, but it was closer than it might have been. Rob Barel and Machiel Ittman did get back to Hellefix before midnight and the boat was ready to go. They headed straight out of the sea lock … and straight onto a sand bank, where they sat for the next 4 hours wondering if the next team would come out and pass them.

They eventually got off at 04.15 and were still in the lead, but those chasing them were much closer than they might have been. For the runners it must have been especially frustrating. They’d put in the fastest time for the stage, taking just 7 hours and 29 minutes to cover 30 hilly cycling miles and another 18 miles on foot over Black Sail pass and up Scafell Pike.

Third fastest on this gruelling stage were Wendy Dodds and Nicky Lavery from ‘5girlsinaboat’ who took 8 hours 17 minutes, and overtook 3 other teams, including Tilman Trophy rivals Tactix (ZORAH+). The marshals at Gillerthwaite Youth Hostel (the bike drop/collection point) said they were on a real high they were so delighted with the time they’d completed on the mountain run (5 hours 20 minutes). The marshals at Whitehaven said they checked in and sprinted off to their boat! As a result they moved into second place behind Hellefix and are now well ahead in the Tilman Trophy.

Alon Peled and Daniel Karen from Tactix (ZORAH+) found the Lake District mountains even harder to cope with than Snowdon, taking 15 hours and 46 minutes for the stage, and slipping from 3rd to 11th place. Almost 12 hours after leaving their bikes at Gillertwaite they trudged back in, looking weary and resigned, but not too down-hearted. “We got lost on the summit for hours,� said Peled, “it was cold and very cloudy and we couldn’t find our way.� Karen added, “We set off down and twice had to turn back as the way was too steep and dangerous.� As he was sitting there a bird in the rafters messed on his shirt. He brushed it off and said, “That sums up my day!�

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