17/6/2006 -- Issue 5

In This Issue:   

   1. Major Race Results  

   2. New Race Series In Malaysia

   3. Special Offers 

   4. Tell Us What You Think!

================ FEATURE EDITORIAL =============

(1) Major race results

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The final qualifying race for the AR World  Championships,  the Wilderness ARC was held at the end of May. the race a five day event for  mixed teams covered some 38Km and started at the foot of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain. Nineen teams including teams from Sweden, Ireland and Italy entered the event. The weather during the race was wet and cold and defending champions Aberdeen Asset Management were once again favorites having strengthened their team during the winter with the inclusion of Tom Gibbs andHelen Jackson from Saab Salomon. A Prologue was held in fort Williiam with teams running and cycling around the town to earn points by performing various tasks. the points gained would be used as penalties later in the middle of the race. Aberdeen Asset Management won the event and so would not have to serve a penalty. Other teams were to serve time penalties of between 3 -62 minutes.

The Main course included 140km of trekking, 184km mountain biking, 56km Sea kayaking.  the start was orienteering and then onwards into Glen Nevis for  absieling and canyoning, which caused at least one of the leading team Accelerate penalties when a team member refused a jump from a bridge. the last team to finish the rope section were the Italians who were having a difficult with the maps. the first day was to end with a swim across a loch and then a sea kayak leg, aberdeen Asset Management was beginning to stretch a lead over The North Face and the Swedish team P.S. Communications, Total-Adventure-UK had been in second place but the extreme cold of the swim and battle  against the current saw them drop to 4th place.

Day two saw the leaders break away and managing to get two hour rest during the night. they left   CP 12, where other teams would serve penalties, with other teams still trekking along the Ardnurmucan Peninsular, they set off on Mountain bikes.. The North Face arrived three hours later and left the transition justminutes behind the Swedish team who decided not to take a rest. One of the team of Total Adventure - UK who had a hard first day retired exhausted and the remainder continued unranked. The Leaders were penalised 30 minutes for using a track which was out of bounds during the cycling and they served this before a night Trek over the mountains to TA7. 

Day three, Aberdeen Asset Management arrived at TA 7 in Stontian to find the 2nd and third place teams were still there as the TA5 shared the same location so they knew they now had an eleven hour lead. The Swedish Team withdrew at this time as any hopes of qualifying for the final in their own country were beyond them. Aberdeen Asset Management then blitzed the rest of the course which included a steep mountain bike climb where the teams carried their bikes, they then descended from the mountain crossing a deep and cold stream before starting the final trek

Day 4 Just After 11Am on the 1st June Aberdeen Asset Management finish, some ten hours ahead of  The North Face, with Local Scottish Team  Superfeet an further 9 hours adrift.. The team  will next race in the Primal Quest in July and the World Championships in Sweden during  August.

Ten teams completed the full course with three more taking a shorter course leadin by the Italians, three teams raced incomplete and two further teams withdrew like the Swedish Team.

The USA leg of the Raid X Adventure Series was held in  Idaho, the racing was very close with top US and French  teams  fighting it out for top honours. current champions  Les ARCS QUECHUA splitting the two Nike teams at the end of day one with  TIMBERLAND GOLITE of New Zealand in third place, followed by three more French teams. the 42 kilometres of mountain biking putting the powwerhouse teams of Nike in two of the top three positions. both camps were determined to rule the roost on the second day with Ian Adamson from Nike looking to nab the first two places. the French Teams had other thoughts and on the white water of Payette River they made their move with five places in the top seven compared with one Nike team and the New Zealanders. the water was rough and many of the three person teams swam in the cold water. Back to Mountain Biking again and here the Nike teams once again showed their class powering to the from with Les Arcs Quechua and German team Adidas Natventure in 4th place. Six teams were still in contention at the final Transition with Nike leading by 37 minutes  as they set off paddling ahead of Les Arcs Quechua, behind them due to penalties it was a close race with Nike/Beaver Creek just holding off the strong paddlers of Wilsa Sport Hele Hansan. The British team  of Saab Salomon who in the past had been rivals of Les Arcs Quechua finshed in 7th place and will need to put in more training on the ropes, kayak and mountain bike prior to the next leg in Europe.

Nike has two teams now qualified for the Raid world championships and one in the IAR world championships, so it is probable they will field one team in each event.

More News on this and other races in next issue

Mid July.

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2) New Race Series in Malaysia

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3) Special Offers

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Free Fitness Book

A Step by step guide from top fitmess expert DR Dr. Frank Smoot, and includes excellent ground-breaking health tips and strategies. Although it sells normally for $27.97, we now have permission to offer it to you, absolutely FREE! To open it now, please click on the link directly below!

  Download Your Free Fitness Book Here

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3) Tell Us What You Think!

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We would love to hear what you think of this issue of International AR Newsletter. And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming issues that you'd like to share with us, please send those, too! Just e-mail me at: Contact International Adventurers

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David is a Master Adventure Racer and manages and races, reports on races from around the world

and has published  an e-book  A-Z of Adventure Racing.

How to have fun, keep fit and travel the world, whilst expedition adventure racing. It's not the winning it’s the taking part and you can do it too.