GASPESIE INTERNATIONAL RAID
A Very Appreciated Atypical Race Course
Press Release / 11.09.2017
The participants of the fourth edition of the Raid International Gaspésie had the chance to start by canoe on the Petit lac Cascapédiacovered by a light morning mist. The 74 teams were ready to complete an atypical race course across the wilderness of the Parc national de la Gaspésie. Has yesterday, some nautical activities had to be modified because of the abnormal high level of the Sainte-Anne River. The race course was not significantly modified though, but the raiders could be initiated to a new discipline: canoe portage on road!
The athletes were warmly cheered by an impressive crowd in some sections as it was Open Entree for the public in the Parc national de la Gaspésie. One of the most attractive points was the Sainte-Anne Falls where the organizers had installed a net over the falls. The raiders had to cross it before punching a CP in a cave under the falls. Not for sensible ones!
Once again today, solidarity has spread among the participants, and such action of helping a team experience difficulties have granted some bonus time to some teams, like it was the case yesterday for Pascal Arsenault and Anthony Audet from Team Race Fit Sani Sable and Jean-François Lemieux and Sylvain Levac from Team Dixie Lee Carleton/Urba Habitation who had respectively 2 hours and 1 hour retrieve from their timing.
The Alpine landscapes, the rough terrain and impressive elevation gain in addition to the many outstanding lookout on the mountain have enchanted all the participants. All the teams have done well in orientation in this isolated and wild environment, as only one team had to be rescued by the organization as they had lost their way.
Thanks to the GPS tracking of Team France TUC Tri – Team Raid INSA INP (François Villenchon and Juliette Lafitte) who had received yesterday a penalty of 5 hours 30 min because they had lost their punch card, but after having analyzed their race course that passed at each CP, the organizers decided to reduce this penalty to three hours. So, the French team is back in the race!
Up to now, 2 teams of the 300 K had to abandoned because of an injury to one of the teammates: Teams NB Trekkers Acadie (Pascal Leblanc and Denis Devos) and Clinique vétérinaire de la Baie(Jean-Michel Landry and Sylvain Porlier), Pascal Leblanc may be matched with Jean-Michel Landry tomorrow to finish the race course… to be followed.
Overall, for the 300 K, Team Espesso Sport (CAN) from the Olympian Lyne Bessette is in first position with a time of 12:37:06. In second position, Team Raid Azimut (CAN) (Danny Déry-Chamberland and Martin Hardy) finish with a time of 12:43:18 while Team Outeractive/Dynafit/Espresso Sport (CAN) (Patrick Lussier and Alexandre Provost) took the third position with a time of 12:46:05.
For the 150, overall, Team Vélo Café/Dynafit SkimoEast (CAN) (Arnaud Boisvert and Jeff Rivest) had only one goal today: remain in first position. Mission accomplished! Thanks to a performance worthy of the best raiders, Team Pedini-Iret (ITA) (Emanuel Lang and Alexander Keim) is very close behind and managed to reduce the gap between the two teams that is now of only 7 min 35 sec. Vélo Café/Dynafit SkimoEast finished with a time of 7:29:14 s while Pedini-Iret finished with a time of 7:36:49. Team Power Raid/LFG Construction (Jean-Sébastien Simon and David Litalien) are now in third position with a time of 8:04:23 s.
Tomorrow, last day of competition: the starts of the 300 K and of the 150 K will be given in 2 times from the Nouvelle Horse Race Course, next to Carleton-sur-Mer, the raiders of the 300 K will leave at 5:00 am and the ones of the 150 K at 6:30 am.
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