Nathan and Stuart in the ill-fated inflatable canoes!
The first stage of Day One of the Abu Dhabi Adventure challenge has been completed - a short, sharp run, swim and canoe stage on the main waterfront area in downtown Abu Dhabi.
Race favourites Thule have put their stamp on the race already, leading the pack by over six minutes already after only one and a half hours of racing. Orion had some very bad luck in their inflatable kayak - the base of one of their kayaks deflated early in the kayak stage, leaving them desperately trying to complete the course and lose as little time as possible. Unfortunately 2km is still a long way to paddle, and they have finished the prologue in 12th place 15 minutes down on Thule, where they had hoped to be snapping at thier heels. I asked Stu about the possibility of a time credit from the race, as the problem was with gear provided by the race organisation, but he seemed to think it unlikely - "It's just the luck of the draw, but its a shame it had to be us!". Ironically, Orion had helped out another team earlier in the kayak stage who had broken one of their paddles by lending them a spare...then with Orion's boat trouble, that team then went on to beat them!
Team Orion before the Start
Don't lose heart just yet though - at last years ADAC the team accumulated 15 minutes worth of penalties during the race, and still took second place comfortabley. There is a long way left to race! It will make Thule's lead more secure however, knowing one of their main rivals have been effectively handicapped so early in the race. Other than the kayak troubles Stu felt like the team was racing strongly - look for the team to be motivated and fighting hard to make up for lost time - my money says they will start working their way back up through the field with every stage.
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