This complex race continues with lots of things for race watchers to try to understand and interpret.
Overnight (NZ time) there have been updates through from Karyn (Orionhealth.com support crew) and Annie (Nga Rakau support crew) along with several articles posted on Sleepmonsters.com. (Reports and links below.)
Also located overnight were some official race results to the end of Stage 2 ...FINALLY! These are the first results I've seen since the end of the Prologue a few days ago. Unfortunately though they don't contain the best of news for Orionhealth.com - confirming earlier reports/rumours that they had missed one of the bonus check points. A number of other teams (including Nike/Beaver Creek who they have been consistently racing with) have collected that bonus and are therefore now positioned ahead of them on the results table.
So - at the end of Stage 2 Orionhealth.com are positioned in 6th place. I am not sure why they chose to by-pass that bonus CP but it is possible that WayneO's chest infection may have played a part with the CP requiring teams to bike down and back up a huge hill on what was an extremely cold and unpleasant night. No doubt we will all find out the true story in the end! Annie did inform me that Wayne's chest seemed "ok" but that was about 24 hours after the team decided to miss the bonus CP and the weather has significantly improved from what the teams and support crews were experiencing up in the mountains.
UPDATE FROM Karyn ...
We have just moved on from following Orion on the rollerblades. They are looking one of the smoother teams we have seen - no spills on camera anyway!
Orionhealth.com get their skates off for a steep down-hill alongside another team
(This photo and photo below courtesy of Annie) They confirmed they chose not to do one of the optional bonus checkpoints from stage 2. Nike so far have got them all - as the computers are still down I am not sure how the leader board is looking only that some of the teams moving quickly through the course and doing the compulsories and close bonuses may also be a threat.
Til next time
K
UPDATES FROM ANNIE ...
We're currently following Nga Rakau - each team's crew follows behind as 'safety' - on the stage 3 rollerblade leg.
Not the team's strongest discipline ... a European team just flew past us on a downhill at crazy speeds.
Nga Rakau got to the end of the 100km MTB leg at around 4:40am. They got all but one of the checkpoints on that leg, and apparently Neil nailed some tricky nav. They then slept for an hour and a half in the scrub near the checkpoint. They all woke up looking pretty refreshed, just have to endure this 20km of rollerblading before a big day of kayaking. So they should beat the 9pm first cutoff tonight okay.
When we left the last CP, Orion still had a couple of checkpoints to get on that MTB. They had flown through the previous kayak leg, beating the support crew to the end of the leg (not the support crew's fault - Karyn and Roy are doing a brilliant job ! - the assistants were required to wait 1.5 hours before leaving the previous CP, organisers had obviously underestimated the paddling capabilities of some teams).
So at the end of that kayak, Orion were around half an hour ahead of Nike, although we're not sure at this stage whether both have all checkpoints - there was a rumour around that Orion might have skipped one CP, although if that's the case I would think it's a 'bonus' CP not a 'regular' CP. Nike have apparently lodged a protest re the bonus CP they weren't given on Leg 1, no surprise there as it was a ridiculous rule.
Orionhealth.com heading down to the river for the "white water" kayaking
Driving back from the rollerblade 'escort', we came across Orion. In good roller-blading form. They were chirpy and smiling, looking really good. We kept driving, and Nike were about 3km further back down the road.
Orion have skipped one 'bonus' CP only so far. Not sure about Nike - will try to find out this afternoon - but they are currently without the first 'bonus' CP from leg 1 (because of the 100 points issue).
As far as I know, Orion and Nike were the only two of the leading teams to make the kayak darkzone yesterday.
6 teams had pulled out as at yesterday morning. And shortly after Team 'Explore Sweden' - who were picking themselves to win - pulled out after one of the team members needed medical assistance.
LINKS TO SLEEPMONSTERS ARTICLES
Slowly down the River
On the road to Malpica do Tajo
An interesting insight into the life and times of a support crew at ARWC2009 - article by Adventure Sport magazine crew - A View from the Van
RESULTS TABLE TO END OF STAGE 2
Comments