A definitive split in the field of competitors yesterday at the Discovery Channel Adventure Race A Southern Traverse Partnership saw the lead team Propeller-heads secure its position at the front of the field.
Steve Gurney, Kathy Lynch, Nathen Fa'ave and Jeff Mitchell look repeat last year's win at the 10th Southern Traverse — now known as the Discovery Channel Adventure Race.
First over the Cameron Glacier, down off the Arrowsmiths range and into the transition station at Mount Potts, Propeller-heads knowing that Team Nokia from Finland was right on its tail chose to eat, change their socks and continue on.
Having travelled nonstop since 6am, Tuesday morning, from Lake Coleridge, the team has slept a total of just four hours. Tired but in good spirits, the group quickly enjoyed a lunch of fried rice and porridge before climbing into its kayaks and heading off on the Rangitata River towards the rafting section of the 365-km race.
Nokia arrived two-and-a-half hours later with an injured team member. Travelling at high speed down the the ski road from Erewhon Ski field, at the end of the Arrowsmiths, team member Jukka Pinola crashed off his bike injuring his shoulder and grazing his arm and hands.
In obvious pain, Pinola struggled through the transition area managing to eat and down a couple of pain killers. The transition nurse checked his shoulder before he joined his team on the water. At the raft 33km down the river, the Southern Traverse medical team strapped his arm into place and administered voltaren injections to try and settle the inflammation and pain.
In 3rd place and chasing hard, The Science Team was looking fresh and fit entering the water section and made good time to join the other two teams at the end of the Rangitata raft section. With a no water zone after 7pm, for the raft section, the three lead teams are assured of continuing their lead over the rest of the field. Teams Cromwell and inthepacific.com made it on to the Rangitata River, but were not quick enough to reach the rafting section on time — effectively shutting themselves out of making any gains overnight and remained camped on the side of the river last night.
Other casualties for the day include a med-evac at Boulder Col on the Arrowsmiths for the female team member of Canadian team Voyager. A knee injury forced her off the field and she was flown to Christchurch hospital where she was later discharged.
Iberoamerica-Buff from Mexico and Spain received a four-hour penalty when race director Geoff Hunt came across one team member with his jacket over his race bib in the mountain section. Hunt then reduced the penalty by two hours on account of the team giving all their food away to another team. Disappointed by the penalty the team reported to still loving every minute of the race.
The last team to enter the mountain section was Queenstown team Locations effectively being the last team to have any chance of completing the full course before the first course cut off at Fox Peaks on Friday morning.
Teams now off the course currently are USA teams Seagate, Training Zone and Intrepid, along with Christchurch team Go Lightly and The Netherlands team Mara Holland.
– Southern Traverse Ltd
