Mzanzi are here with us. They are also cut-off.
Our new desert design gaiters worked fab. Mzansi are also very happy.
I have had about 12 liters to drink since this morning after sleeping at CP4. Stevens legs got some sun today. It's hard work in the dunes but also incredible out here.
I hope Cyanosis make the cut-off.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Desert Trek finished
We are at the last CP on the hike. Can't continue because of a 6pm cut-off at finish, which is 15km away. It would take us longer than the 4hrs max allowed. It took us 4hrs from the last CP to here. We have to be back at the finish for 6pm to get the bus to the start of the paddle.
Saw Mzanzi before CP5. They had two optionals and still had to rest for 1h 15 balance of the compulsory 8hr rest. They won't make it here in time either. I chatted to Alex and he confirms that this year the first two days felt 4x harder than last year.
Yesterday was rough - going from a 95km bike ride from hell onto a desert trek. Legs starting felt like legs at the end. Lizzelle V didn't start with us. We will see her at camp later. Zelle and Steve are great. It's frikkin hot in the desert today. Worse than before Maybe it's me getting soft? Nice to get confirmation from Alex that I'm not completely out of my tree. Because of loonng days we haven't had much of a social vibe in camp either. Which I think made the race special before.
Lisa
Saw Mzanzi before CP5. They had two optionals and still had to rest for 1h 15 balance of the compulsory 8hr rest. They won't make it here in time either. I chatted to Alex and he confirms that this year the first two days felt 4x harder than last year.
Yesterday was rough - going from a 95km bike ride from hell onto a desert trek. Legs starting felt like legs at the end. Lizzelle V didn't start with us. We will see her at camp later. Zelle and Steve are great. It's frikkin hot in the desert today. Worse than before Maybe it's me getting soft? Nice to get confirmation from Alex that I'm not completely out of my tree. Because of loonng days we haven't had much of a social vibe in camp either. Which I think made the race special before.
Lisa
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Media release: Teams Get Tactical
Qasr Al Sarab - The race got underway again this morning at 4 am, on the edge of the Rub al Khali desert, with 94 km of mountain bike and the beginning of a long desert trek...
After two days of quicksilver sections, the ADAC finally got into it’s expeditionary stride at 4 o’clock this morning with the much-anticipated mountain biking and desert trekking sections.
While the sky was still ablaze with a myriad of stars, the 49 teams still in the race took to their bikes for a 94 km ride along a rollercoaster track hampered by encroaching dunes and stretches of treacherous potholes. Leaders THULE ADVENTURE (NZ) and THULE EUROPE (FRA) soon parted company with the pack finishing the testing, sand strewn section in around 4 hours 30 minutes, about 20 minutes ahead WENGER (SUI) and NET COMPETENCE (SWE).
After a 30-minute rest, the teams continued onto the start of an arduous 116 km desert crossing on foot. With gaiters and head protection in place, the fastest teams embarked on this potentially game changing section at 9 o'clock.
17.5 km later (CP H3), as noonday temperatures soared, THULE ADVENTURE (NZL), CHINA TEAM-1 (CHI) and ADIDAS TERREX (GBR) decided to continue into the desert while the rest of the top 10 teams chose to take some of the eight hours of obligatory rest. Both strategies are designed to bring some advantage to their respective proponents during the night. It remains to be seen which one will pay off!
Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/
After two days of quicksilver sections, the ADAC finally got into it’s expeditionary stride at 4 o’clock this morning with the much-anticipated mountain biking and desert trekking sections.
While the sky was still ablaze with a myriad of stars, the 49 teams still in the race took to their bikes for a 94 km ride along a rollercoaster track hampered by encroaching dunes and stretches of treacherous potholes. Leaders THULE ADVENTURE (NZ) and THULE EUROPE (FRA) soon parted company with the pack finishing the testing, sand strewn section in around 4 hours 30 minutes, about 20 minutes ahead WENGER (SUI) and NET COMPETENCE (SWE).
After a 30-minute rest, the teams continued onto the start of an arduous 116 km desert crossing on foot. With gaiters and head protection in place, the fastest teams embarked on this potentially game changing section at 9 o'clock.
17.5 km later (CP H3), as noonday temperatures soared, THULE ADVENTURE (NZL), CHINA TEAM-1 (CHI) and ADIDAS TERREX (GBR) decided to continue into the desert while the rest of the top 10 teams chose to take some of the eight hours of obligatory rest. Both strategies are designed to bring some advantage to their respective proponents during the night. It remains to be seen which one will pay off!
Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Media release: A long day on the mountain
Al Ain – Since this morning at 06:30, the teams have battled with the sheer slopes and rugged terrain of the Jebel Hafeet.
About 30 minutes before sunrise, the teams took the start from the bivouac in the Jebel Valley for a long, sweltering day of activities up, across and around the precarious slopes of the Jebel Hafeet peak. After an initial 5.5 km adventure run to pick up their bikes they rode 13,7 km along the tightly twisting road to the car park at the summit. As expected, the leaders maintained their brisk pace, established over the first 2 days of relatively short format sections where any lost time can be disastrous. THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL), WENGER (SUI) and THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA) were the only three teams to finish this gruelling ascension in under an hour.
The second day‘s racing was completed with a trek along a ridge to a rope works, made all the more difficult in the blistering heat. Two stunning rappels of around 50m each, one from an overhanging cliff, and a via cordata canyon climb, amplified the truly breathtaking qualities of this jagged peak. The scratched limbs and torn equipment of the athletes bore ample witness to the difficulty of the task. Following closely behind leaders THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL) and THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA), Suisse team WENGER, TEAM NET COMPETENCE (SWE), SALOMON SANTIVERI (ESP), ADIDAS TERREX (GB), GUATS (CAN) and VIBRAM LAFUMA 1 (FRA) are all in contention for top 5 spots. "It was really important to manage this day well given the enormous challenges to come tomorrow," opined Anthony RABEAU as he and the other athletes climbed aboard the buses for the transfer to Um as Zummul. Tomorrow morning at 04:00, the teams will begin their struggle with the sands on a 94 km MTB section.
Provisional Overall Ranking end Day 2:
1 THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL) 9h25:50
2 THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA) 9h49:49
3 WENGER (SUI) 9h52:59
4 TEAM NET COMPETENCE (SWE) 10h04:28
5 SALOMON SANTIVERI (ESP) 10h28:12
Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/
About 30 minutes before sunrise, the teams took the start from the bivouac in the Jebel Valley for a long, sweltering day of activities up, across and around the precarious slopes of the Jebel Hafeet peak. After an initial 5.5 km adventure run to pick up their bikes they rode 13,7 km along the tightly twisting road to the car park at the summit. As expected, the leaders maintained their brisk pace, established over the first 2 days of relatively short format sections where any lost time can be disastrous. THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL), WENGER (SUI) and THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA) were the only three teams to finish this gruelling ascension in under an hour.
The second day‘s racing was completed with a trek along a ridge to a rope works, made all the more difficult in the blistering heat. Two stunning rappels of around 50m each, one from an overhanging cliff, and a via cordata canyon climb, amplified the truly breathtaking qualities of this jagged peak. The scratched limbs and torn equipment of the athletes bore ample witness to the difficulty of the task. Following closely behind leaders THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL) and THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA), Suisse team WENGER, TEAM NET COMPETENCE (SWE), SALOMON SANTIVERI (ESP), ADIDAS TERREX (GB), GUATS (CAN) and VIBRAM LAFUMA 1 (FRA) are all in contention for top 5 spots. "It was really important to manage this day well given the enormous challenges to come tomorrow," opined Anthony RABEAU as he and the other athletes climbed aboard the buses for the transfer to Um as Zummul. Tomorrow morning at 04:00, the teams will begin their struggle with the sands on a 94 km MTB section.
Provisional Overall Ranking end Day 2:
1 THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL) 9h25:50
2 THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA) 9h49:49
3 WENGER (SUI) 9h52:59
4 TEAM NET COMPETENCE (SWE) 10h04:28
5 SALOMON SANTIVERI (ESP) 10h28:12
Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/
Day 2 update # 2
Waited for 2 other teams and then transferred to current camp in desert. We have a 4am bike start...Aaargh.. Gonna be kuk and then straight on to desert trek. Conditions out here have been good but definitely toughest. Only got to camp after 8am and lots to do before we go to sleep. Up at 2.30...Nasty!
Lisa
19:13 11/12/2010
Day 2 update
Yesterday we blazed on ride (34th) and good run in canyons. Finished day in 40th place. Day 2 started with rocky run, some canyon and then crazy bike ride (road) up to the top of the mountain. Then canyoneering (lots) and a big down. Took a few hours. Girls took strain but did really well. Missed cut off and had to walk few kays to waiting bus.
Lisa 19:08 11/12/2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Media Release: The Abu Dhabi Express…
Al Ain – The first day’s racing was a high-speed affair with stages in Abu Dhabi and the garden city of Al Ain.
At 08:00 sharp, in the early morning heat and bright sunshine, the 50 teams enrolled in the 2010 ADAC raced to their inflatable canoes for the start of the opening prologue. This initial triathlon stage, a circuit linking the Corniche Beach with the Emirates Palace Hotel and Lulu Island, required the teams to alternate between canoeing, adventure running and swimming. At the end of the 2 hours it took the fastest teams to complete the 21.7 km course, it was clear that current title holders, THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL), who finished 6 minutes ahead of closest rivals THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA) and TEAM EXPLORE (SWE), will not be easy to beat.
At midday, as the mercury began to hit the 30°C mark, the 200 competitors clambered aboard buses for the transfer to Al Ain. At 14h30, they continued the day’s racing with a rapid 30 km bike ride along tarmac and gravel roads to the foot of Jebel Hafeet. Although some gaps opened up as the teams swarmed towards the distant, jagged peak, most of the teams remained tightly grouped, with the first 30 finishing within 10 minutes of each other. The final stage is a 6.3 km adventure run across rugged terrain where the first bivouac of the race will conclude a furious and frenetic day’s competition.
Provisional Ranking after Section B (MTB - 28,7km)
1 Thule Adventure Team (NZL) 02:59:14
2 Thule Adventure Team/Europe (FRA) 03:06:14
3 Team Explore (SWE) 03:08:08
4 FJS Powered by Saab (SWE) 03:11:05
5 Vibram Lafuma 1 (FRA) 03:12:15
At 08:00 sharp, in the early morning heat and bright sunshine, the 50 teams enrolled in the 2010 ADAC raced to their inflatable canoes for the start of the opening prologue. This initial triathlon stage, a circuit linking the Corniche Beach with the Emirates Palace Hotel and Lulu Island, required the teams to alternate between canoeing, adventure running and swimming. At the end of the 2 hours it took the fastest teams to complete the 21.7 km course, it was clear that current title holders, THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL), who finished 6 minutes ahead of closest rivals THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA) and TEAM EXPLORE (SWE), will not be easy to beat.
At midday, as the mercury began to hit the 30°C mark, the 200 competitors clambered aboard buses for the transfer to Al Ain. At 14h30, they continued the day’s racing with a rapid 30 km bike ride along tarmac and gravel roads to the foot of Jebel Hafeet. Although some gaps opened up as the teams swarmed towards the distant, jagged peak, most of the teams remained tightly grouped, with the first 30 finishing within 10 minutes of each other. The final stage is a 6.3 km adventure run across rugged terrain where the first bivouac of the race will conclude a furious and frenetic day’s competition.
Provisional Ranking after Section B (MTB - 28,7km)
1 Thule Adventure Team (NZL) 02:59:14
2 Thule Adventure Team/Europe (FRA) 03:06:14
3 Team Explore (SWE) 03:08:08
4 FJS Powered by Saab (SWE) 03:11:05
5 Vibram Lafuma 1 (FRA) 03:12:15
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)