At daylight this morning there was a virtual re-start to the race. A dark zone imposed on the first kayak leg of the course has meant any teams arriving at transition 2 during the night have been forced to wait until
6am to continue. Team Propeller-heads arrived just after midnight and seemed annoyed at the compulsory hold, which allowed the competition to catch up.
Following them into the transition area were Teams Nokia,
inthepacific.com, science, Merrell Footware, and Cromwell, all met by their support crews and ushered off to hot food and warm sleeping bags. The large lakeside camp village has become a hub of activity as assistants organize kayak equipment, stash the bikes and pamper the competitors.
At exactly 6am, these five teams, after getting up to five hours of sleep, eagerly headed off on the 39-km paddle section, which will take them across the freezing waters of Lake Coleridge into Hydro Electric canals and down the Wilberforce and Rakaia rivers.
At 10am there are 16 teams into the transition area with most deciding that sleep of some sort is essential after a long night on foot and mountain bikes. Several teams have elected to continue without a break, Fresh Choice NZ Army saying that the sunrise had re-energized them and they are eager to make up time. A move organizer Geoff Hunt says the team "could pay dearly for later in the race," and enforcing his motto: "Sleep
when you dare. Move when you can."
| At the back of the course, an average 24 hours behind, the Argentinian team is reportedly lost... |
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After a rough night in the bush, team Outside Sports (NZ) has decided to sleep. At one point it lost two hours walking in circles in the dense bush. And, adding insult to injury, or vice versa, for one member, John Knight twice went over the handlebars on the short biking section. His team plans to make up for lost time by going hard in the paddle.
Several medical emergencies took their toll on
teams durting the night. Jennifer Sunnerton, 19, of Canada's Team Adrenaline Junkies badly
twisted her knee at the top of the abseil course. At first light this
morning she was to be heli-evaced to a hospital in Christchurch. At last report, Team Subaru Outback member Nancy Dassie was stopped at transition 2 and the team is deciding if it will continue later today.
Michael Johnson of Team Orion Blue Duck (USA), has also been evacuated from way
back at the abseil course, after suffering from exhaustion.
At the back of the course, an average 24 hours behind, the Argentinian team is reportedly lost
between checkpoints 1 and 2.
The weather has now begun to change with stronger winds hampering those
teams only now beginning the kayak section.
– Chris Vile, MountainZone.com Correspondent
