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Distance Takes Toll On Teams
Thursday, April 20, 2000

At 847 kilometers in length, the 2000 Elf Authentic Adventure is the longest adventure race yet attempted. With teams changing disciplines 11 times, encompassing a multitude of physical, mental and logistical challenges, it's not hard to see why teams have begun to break up, drop out and shut down.

The international team of Ford Raca Forte, which had been doing so well until the trekking section, at this hour is lost and wandering between checkpoints 17 and 18. Organizers have left the back door of the race open for four more hours, to allow it and three other teams to arrive here at HQ3 in time to continue this arduous journey with official status.

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Team Compaq of France is down to just two members, as Primus Lambert and David Ogden dropped out of competition with feet problems. "It's like walking on broken glass every day," they said.

Teams Zip.net and GN Resound Tchibouela also lost a member to fatigue Thursday, and Jean Etienne Beaune of Team Accor – Reussir Ensemble, who also raced last year in the Philippines, retired from racing two days ago after suffering heat exhaustion during the horse section.

The all-women team of Atenah from Sao Paolo was close to being demoted to the Discovery Class yesterday, but made it into HQ3 just in time to maintain the Adventure classification. The women have now teamed up with the two remaining members of Team Compaq, five women and one man now racing with Gerard Fusil's blessing and singing their way across the Nordeste mountains.

There is a saying that the candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long. And, with this race just one-third of the way through, those brilliant first days have burned some teams out. Team EMA Brazil for example, having raced in the lead group for much of the first four days before driving into HQ3 Thursday night, is completely shattered from the experience and unable to continue.

Other teams, like AR Zone, have methodically worked through the field, arriving at CP18 yesterday looking fresh and organized. The team was surprised to learn that it was now in third position. "We have a navigator who has picked up enough Portuguese to ask for directions," said Geoffry John Hunt. "It's critical."

That opinion was echoed by one of the field's most colorful competitors, FujiFilm's Karine Duret. "Look at many of the lead teams," she said in a French accent. "They have Portugese-speaking members."

When asked what FujiFilm's excuse was for doing so well thus far (it has consistently been in the top-3), Duret shrugged and said, "I don't know, we're not training for this, we just have a good spirit."

Responding to whether or not Team FujiFilm prefers to travel in the heat of the sun or the cool — yet wet — environs of the daily rainstorms, Duret quipped, "When it is sunny and hot, you wish for rain, and when it is raining, you wish for sun!"

Neither of which condition has been a problem for the lead team, Spie Pharmanex. Comprised of American Captain Cathy Sassin and three tough-as-nails Aussies and Kiwis, Spie Pharmanex continues to amaze competitors, journalists and organizers with the team's speed. It is now 10 hours ahead of the next team (Paul Vatine No. 69), and show no signs of slowing as the team heads for the end of the mountain bike section — some 50km ahead of the race.

Such is adventure racing, as both complete and partial teams continue into Friday's mountain biking section — 147km of rutted roads and singletrack en route to awaiting kayaks at CP27.

—Elf Authentic Adventure Correspondent

EXPEDITION DISPATCHES