Here is the race report from the american leg of the X-Adventure Raid Series:
STAGE 2 - COURSE PROFILE
At 19h00 local time in Bend, Oregon the 45 teams from around the globe gathered here to compete in the 2nd stage of the 2004 X-adventure Raid Series, received their maps and road books before setting off to pore-over the details and debate probable tactics.
About half an hour after sunrise at 6h00 sharp on Saturday morning, visiting teams nursing varying degrees of jetlag will join those from the North American continent as they set out to face what promises to be, from the point of view of sheer effort alone, a monumental starting section. With sleep still clinging to their limbs, the teams will encounter the mesmerising snowbound slopes of Mount Bachelor for an opening 14.6km trek on crampons and snow shoes that will take them almost straight up and over the summit (2,753m) and down again to the Edisson Snow Park. Once there, they will saddle up for section B, a fast yet sinuous 36km MTB stretch that includes a number of dips and rises combined with several important and possibly telling orienteering choices.
Section C will take them 7km straight across the Crane Prairie Reservoir, an eerie drowned forest, where the teams’ power paddlers can show their mettle early against what should be relatively strong crosswinds. Inline skating takes on a paramount importance on this stage that includes 2 sections devoted to the mini-spinners. First up is section D: a whopping 17km to and fro from the western shore of the reservoir along a recently smoothed road over a slight crest and back again to the canoes.
Section E is a little more strenuous than the first canoeing section with 19.5km of paddling and almost a 1,000m of portage in the middle, not to mention a battering headwind for the entire length of the section. Once off the water, it’s time for the big-wheel wunderkind to take over on section F with a very level, 31km spin around Wickup Reservoir that should only take the fastest teams 1 hour to complete. At North Twin Lake, to maintain the occupational symmetry of this first day’s racing, the teams will take to their feet again for a final 18km run that climbs sharply to the summit of round mountain (1,780m), down again almost just as steeply and then runs NE downhill to the campsite at the Fall River Airstrip. The fastest teams are expected to finish section G and the first day’s racing at around 22:15, though racing in the dark will make navigation all the more arduous on this tricky section.
4 sections await the teams on Sunday with the first, section H, kicking off at 05h00, barely moments before the sun is due to rise. Mountain bikes form the first order of the day, with a very fast portion of track that winds and switchbacks its way over, through and up 28km of demanding and visually stunning dense forest. Teams will have to watch their concentration as they speed along potentially treacherous forest paths in dawn’s first light. A spill here could be costly with more MTB work and some technical sections still to come.
One gauge follows the next as the teams pull on their inline skates again for a section I that could cause a few upsets. It’s rare that a stage contains more than one inline skating section and even rarer that it should be uphill but this is what the teams will have to contend with for almost 13kms as they head due West to the start of the final trekking section, that begins close to the initial starting line of the first day’s racing. The wheels will come off but an equally fancy type of footwear will have to go on with the prospect of deep snow once more on the menu. Snowshoes will help the racers cover the 20.5km trek, with rope works, including flying fox and a “free-fall” rappel.
After taking in the magnificent Tumalo Falls en route, the teams will pick up their MTBs at the Skyliners Snowpark for a final, thrilling downhill dash, rendered all the more technical by potentially high speeds, to the finishing line in Bend. The winners should be skidding to a halt next to the old mill at around 15h00.
STAGE 2 – BEND, OREGON (06H00 LOCAL TIME) - RACE START
The 2nd stage of the X-adventure Raid Series in Bend, Oregon, with 45 of the world’s top multisports teams, gets underway at 06h00 local time.
STAGE 2/SECTION A – THRILLS AND SPILLS AS SALOMON SUISSE (CHE) SHOW PACE
Some familiar faces already in familiar places as the initial trek up and over Mount Bachelor leaves some teams with smiles… and others with scars.
SALOMON SUISSE (CHE) once again showed their alpine class on this opening 15km trek by finishing almost 10 minutes ahead of following SPIE THE NORTH FACE (FRA), though when they hit the summit at 2,753m almost all the top flight teams were grouped together. “We had a lot of fun on this one but once we hit the forest we poured on the speed in order to build a lead,” confided the Swiss team’s Luc BEGUIN. Michel SIBUET BECQUET drew on his years of orienteering prowess to steer French team SPIE THE NORTH FACE (FRA) towards a fast cross country skiing track. Coupled with a rapid and incident-free descent, they managed to make up for some lost time and maintain pressure on the leaders. Josh SMULIN, new to this kind of event, was feeling the pace slightly, causing LES ARCS-QUECHUA (FRA) to lower their climb rate a little. “They went off faster than I expected but once we reached the top, everything went smoothly,” he said between breaths. The rest of the team seemed very satisfied with their substitutes first outing.
But the very fast and slippery downhill portion leading into the dense pine forest at the foot of the mountain took a serious toll on those teams who were either unlucky or simply miscalculated their route. John JACOBI of MONTRAIL REVO (USA) wiped out completely as the team slid down, like many others, on their rears over the hard packed snow. Unable to brake effectively, he picked up speed and suffered extensive ice burns to his hands and legs. After a session at the paramedic’s van, he was deemed able to continue racing. “John is as tough as they come so this won’t stop him,” affirmed team-mate Novak THOMPSON.
SYBELLES ESF (FRA), dark horses on the X-adventure Raid Series, made an immediate impact with a stunning navigational performance overhauling NIKE ACG/BALANCE BAR (USA) on the forest section and prising them out of 3rd place. Ian ADAMSON, the accomplished American team’s captain, lamented the fact that his team probably lost about 15 minutes in the search for a faster track and will have to make better orienteering choices if they hope to win the race.
A pleasant surprise early on in the race are old favourites SAMURAI SPIRITS (JPN), comfortably placed at 11th though with one of their number, Yokoyama MINEHIRO, sustaining a sprained ankle requiring a tactical rethink. The Argentineans of SALOMON ARGENTINA (ARG) are having the time of their lives, though the going is a lot faster than they are used to, “We did very well on the opening section but we don’t know how long we can keep it up,” said one team member.
SAAB SALOMON (UK), after what seemed like a depressingly slow forest section, are lying at an uncharacteristic 23rd place and 1 hour off the race front, something hitherto unseen on the series and, given the quality of the other teams, a gap that is unlikely to be closed easily.
Provisional ranking after section A
1) SALOMON SUISSE 1:58:21 (CHE)
2) SPIE THE NORTH FACE 2:07:03 (FRA)
3) SYBELLES ESF 2:09:13 (FRA)
4) NIKE ACG/BALANCE BAR 2:12:21 (USA)
5) MONTRAIL-REVO 2:14:18 (USA)
6) LES ARCS-QUECHUA 2:17:48 (FRA)
7) MULTITUDE SAAB SALOMON 2:19:51 (NOR)
8) AVEYRON TERRE D’AVENTURES 2:22:04 (FRA)
9) SALOMON ARGENTINA 2:22:10 (ARG)
10) GOLITE/TIMBERLAND 2:22:12 (USA)
11) SAMURAI SPIRITS 2:23:08 (JPN)
12) WILSA SPORT/HELLY HANSEN 2:24:50 (FRA)
13) MERRELL/ZANFEL ADVENTURE 2:27:39 (NZ)
14) ADVENTURE TEAM TIROL 2:28:00 (AUT)
15) ERTIPS 2:29:17 (FRA)
16) ENDURANCE AVENTURE.COM 2:30:32 (CAN)
17) INTERSPORT 2:30:51 (FRA)
18) THERAPEUTIC ASSOCIATES INC. 2:38:24 (USA)
19) SALOMON USA 2:41:18 (USA)
20) SUNSWEET PLUM ADVENTURE 2:42:51 (USA)
21) FJS 2:44:33 (SWE)
22) DIRTWORLD.COM ADV RACING TEAM 2:44:39 (USA)
23) SAAB SALOMON 2:50:10 (UK)
24) EXPLORER SPORT 2000 2:51:27 (FRA)
Clad in warm weather gear and toting snowshoes and crampons, the teams vying for precious points towards qualifying for the Raid World Championship in Argentina next November, streaked into the first early morning 15km trek up the steep, snow bound slopes of Mount Bachelor. Some even carried lightweight toboggans on their backs for the downhill trip.
At the head of the charge, Josh SMULIN, the local boy incorporated at the last minute into LES ARCS-QUECHUA (FRA), was about to get his first taste of the X-adventure Raid Series… and an opportunity to accede to adventure racing’s elite. The first teams are expected to arrive at around 08:30 local time when they will switch to the MTB section B
STAGE 2/SECTION B – SALOMON SUISSE (CHE) AND NIKE ACG/BALANCE BAR (USA) TUSSLE FOR RACE LEAD
The leading teams put in the fastest times over this swift and technically demanding MTB section, slightly stretching their lead on a tenacious following pack of 8 teams, all within 17 minutes of each other.
Some very smart racing and some surprising route choices, that made a number of converts among the rest of the teams, enabled the current race leaders SALOMON SUISSE (CHE) and NIKE ACG/BALANCE BAR (USA) to put in the two fastest times over this section and thus extend their tenuous lead over a tightly packed group of teams in hot pursuit. While the Americans managed to make up a little time on the Swiss by using an all male squad on this section, the Swiss went out with a mixed gender team and foiled any attempt at other teams to catch them by zigzagging between check points and the paved road that ran almost parallel to the more obvious track through the forest. Though they had to travel further than those teams that opted to stick to the forest tracks, they could ride much faster along an obstacle free and smooth route. It was all within the rules as long as no Cps were skipped.
French power paddlers ERTIPS (FRA) also put in a fast time rushing through the field from 15th to 3rd overall while a handful of teams, MONTRAIL-REVO (USA) and SAAB SALOMON (UK) among others, achieved relatively mediocre times when serial punctures were often compounded with bad orienteering choices.
Provisional ranking after section B (MTB)
1) SALOMON SUISSE (CHE) 3:36:56
2) NIKE ACG/BALANCE BAR (USA) 3:47:48
3) ERTIPS (FRA) 4:11:58
4) SPIE THE NORTH FACE (FRA) 4:12:08
5) MULTITUDE SAAB SALOMON (NOR) 4:19:48
6) SYBELLES ESF (FRA) 4:20:03
7) LES ARCS-QUECHUA (FRA) 4:20:58
8) INTERSPORT (FRA) 4:22:12
9) WILSA SPORT/HELLY HANSEN (FRA) 4:23:46
10) MONTRAIL-REVO (USA) 4:28:48
11) SALOMON ARGENTINA (ARG) 4:37:31
12) SAMURAI SPIRITS (JPN) 4:38:47
13) GOLITE/TIMBERLAND (USA) 4:42:12
14) FJS (SWE) 4:49:32
15) AVEYRON TERRE D’AVENTURES (FRA) 4:53:44
STAGE 2/SECTION C – LES ARCS QUECHUA (FRA) PADDLE UP THE PLACES
Josh SMULIN, encouraged by the yells in “Franglais” from his adoptive team-mates, digs deep as LES ARCS QUECHUA (FRA) stun other specialist paddling teams with the fastest time across the tree stump strewn Crane Prairie Reservoir.
LES ARCS QUECHUA (FRA) continued its inexorable ascension through the standing with an exemplary effort on the first canoeing section of the day that saw “rookie raider” Josh SMULIN, the local kid roped into the ranks of this sleek, swift and suave French outfit after it was hit by a pre-race injury, hold his own against some of the world’s finest paddlers. Even though the race lead was unaffected by this sterling performance, it enabled the team led Helen ROCHAS to not only win a moral victory in a field studded with stroke stars, especially after Josh was forced to paddle on his knees after his seat broke early on, but also to move within striking distance of 3rd place ERTIPS (FRA). Overall the ranking changed little but the distance between the teams jostling for the last spot on the podium, the 2 leading teams looking, even at this point in the race, out of range, was slowly being compressed. MONTRAIL-REVO (USA) suffered a leaky boat that slowed them down but they still managed to put in 4th fastest time whereas race leaders, SALOMON SUISSE (CHE), invincible on Terra Firma were beginning to wish they could use their feet to paddle as they lost time to NIKE ACG/BALANCE BAR (USA).
SAAB SALOMON (UK), despite putting a respectable time on this section still remain over 1 hour off the front of the race in a disappointing 15th place.
Provisional ranking after section C (CANOE)
1) SALOMON SUISSE (CHE) 4:32:09
2) NIKE ACG / BALANCE BAR (USA) 4:40:12
3) ERTIPS (FRA) 5:03:49
4) SPIE THE NORTH FACE (FRA) 5:06:58
5) LES ARCS-QUECHUA (FRA) 5:12:39
6) MULTITUDE SAAB SALOMON (NOR) 5:17:26
7) SYBELLES ESF (FRA) 5:18:18
8) WILSA SPORT/HELLY HANSEN (FRA) 5:18:20
9) INTERSPORT (FRA) 5:18:50
10) MONTRAIL-REVO (USA) 5:22:35
11) SALOMON ARGENTINA (ARG) 5:37:23
12) GOLITE / TIMBERLAND (USA) 5:37:49
13) SAMURAI SPIRITS (JPN) 5:39:03
14) FJS (SWE) 5:45:24
15) SAAB SALOMON (UK) 5:47:54
STAGE 2/SECTION D – ALMOST NO CHANGE AS TEAMS GLIDE THROUGH ROLLER SECTION
The provisional overall ranking barely moves as all the teams in contention for a spot on the podium put in silky smooth performances covering the first 17km inline skating section of the weekend without mishap.
It was like watching the inner workings of a fine Swiss timepiece, as SALOMON SUISSE (CHE) sped off into the distance along the tarmac road followed by the equally rhythmic meter of NIKE ACG/BALANCE BAR (USA). Each of the two race leaders took turns in acting as pace setter to the other over an event free sprint that finished where it started at the campsite on the western shore of the Crane Prairie Reservoir. That man again, Josh SMULIN, came through with flying colours even managing to act as windbreak to his fellow LES ARCS QUECHUA (FRA) team-mates as he “tracted” Helen ROCHAS to the section end.
MONTRAIL-REVO (USA) with the 3rd fastest time on the section managed however to climb into 9th place overall.
Provisional ranking after section D (INLINE)
1) SALOMON SUISSE (CHE) 5:06:11
2) NIKE ACG/BALANCE BAR (USA) 5:14:53
3) ERTIPS (FRA) 5:41:10
4) SPIE THE NORTH FACE (FRA) 5:43:08
5) LES ARCS-QUECHUA (FRA) 5:48:43
6) MULTITUDE SAAB SALOMON (NOR) 5:54:51
7) WILSA SPORT/HELLY HANSEN (FRA) 5:55:46
8) SYBELLES ESF (FRA) 5:56:06
9) MONTRAIL-REVO (USA) 5:57:39
10) INTERSPORT (FRA) 5:59:47
11) GOLITE/TIMBERLAND (USA) 6:15:28
12) SALOMON ARGENTINA (ARG) 6:20:11
13) FJS (SWE) 6:22:06
14) SAMURAI SPIRITS (JPN) 6:24:58
15) SAAB SALOMON (UK) 6:29:08
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