Raid in France
Racing Towards The Finish Line
Anne-Marie Dunhill / 07.09.2016
Team Seagate is currently on the final kayak section leading to the finish line located in Saint Pierre La Mer. Throughout the last twenty-four hours they have extended their lead over the second place 400 Team and are expected to finish sometime early Wednesday morning.
Temperatures have been in the mid-30’s again today and teams found welcomed relief from the heat on the canyoning and caving sections. Seagate arrived first at the cave next to the hermitage of Saint Antoine of Galamus located in a dramatically steep limestone gorge. The former Franciscan hermitage is popular pilgrimage location, carved midway down the south side of the gorge.
Unfortunately Seagate missed this stunning scenery as they finished the first part of the canyoning on this section at CP19 at 20:20 on Tuesday evening. The second team, 400 Team Naturex arrived at 01:58 and the third, RaidsAventure, at 06:30. Of the full course teams, Issy Aventure AbsoluRaid 1 were fourth, arriving at 08:35. The clock was stopped to enable racers to enjoy the caving and even if they finished earlier, they had 45 minutes to complete it and were held at CP19 until that time was up.
Teams continued to emerge from the gorge and make their way up the steep incline towards the Galamus cave with their heavy water logged wetsuits. Their level of fatigue was apparent as their words slurred and their movements were hesitant. Two professional guides, Norbert and Pierre of Oxygen Aventure were on hand to verify their harnesses and knot-tying skills as there was an abseil in the cave.
Hélène Masson of Aventure Evasion was grateful for their guidance as she explained that she’d just learned to tie her figure-eight knot 10 days ago. In the middle of the caving section Frédy Vilard cracked a saucy joke of a sexual nature and his team mates asked the media if we’d take him off their hands. As they were changing out of their harnesses after finishing the section Frédy launched into another joke for the CP volunteers and his teammates rolled their eyes and said, “This is the fourth time today we’ve heard this one!”
Steve Leconte of Arverne Outdoor decided to do the section in just his race bib with his harness over his underwear, which looked like an uncomfortable set-up. Lionel Villeneuve of Issy Aventure Absolu Raid 1 said that they’d lost about an hour during the night looking for the last kite on the mountain biking section which resulted in a frustrating night.
After the canyoning and caving the racers continued on to a trekking and mountain biking sections interspersed with several rope sections. The organization had installed the ropes in the ruins of two famous Cathar chateaux, including a long tyrolean in the chateau of Peyrepertusse so teams passing through in the day were treated to spectacular scenery. A kite was located in the ruins of the chateau of Termes and racers had an abseil and via ferrata here.
The tiny village at the base of the chateau boasts 35 inhabitants and many of them were present for the transition of RaidsAventure.fr. As they arrived, Benoit quickly looked around and commented to Fanny Frechinet, “There’s too many people here and I need to change, I’m going to put my bike in front of me,” and they both crouched down behind their makeshift protection for their modesty. Lavender and wild thyme is abundant in this area and the air was fragrant and the light crisp.
We are currently waiting at the finish line for team Seagate who are on the last kayak section and Raid in France has reached the sea in the tiny resort town of Saint Pierre La Mer. It’s 00:15 and it’s still hot and humid; we’ll be up for the rest of the night watching the Yellow Brick tracker in anticipation of the arrival of the winners of the 2016 edition of Raid in France.
Live tracking at live.raidinfrance.com
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