La Gesta
Team Brazil Multisport - Making AR History
Press Release / 05.02.2023
Team Avaya are unbeatable at the World Championship level, but in South America Team Brazil Multisport, captained by Camila Nicolau, are making their own legend. In South America, they are the team every other team has to beat if they want to win the major titles.
They came to La Gesta in Paraguay to defend their title as South American Adventure Racing Champions. They first won the title at the Vulcania AR in Chile, which was an amazing course and competition, but only 10 teams could compete due to Covid restrictions and closed borders.
Today the stakes were higher with much stronger competition from world ranked teams and athletes, including the Vidaraid Adventure Team (Brazil), Uruguay Ultra Sports and the Paraguayan champions, Team Ulala.
The outcome was the same as the Brazilian team crossed the finish line to win with 2 hours to spare.
Before the race Nicolau said that any decision or small misfortune could make the difference. Both affected the team in the early stages. They were in third at the end of the opening paddling stage, having decided not to take a portage option, which proved faster, and then on the following cycle stage had a flat tire and lost more time.
After heavy rain the day before the race the cycling was affected by thick mud which stuck to the bikes, and the Brazilian team were undaunted and stuck to their task with determination and power.
As their competitors tired they grew stronger, winning minutes on each stage and with fast transitions. They didn’t look at the timing sheets to see how far ahead Uruguay Ultrasport or Vidaraid were, they only worried about one thing: to be the best team they could be. Riding at the back, Captain Camila constantly made smart and fast decisions to guide her teammates, Fernando Perez, Jonas Junckes and Thiago Bonini and help assure their win.
The result was another well deserved and decisive victory, retaining their title as South American Adventure Racing Champions and taking their place in the World Championship in South Africa next October.
This championship race was delayed and completed last year’s calendar, so Brazil Multisport are the 2021 and 2022 Champions, and will surely be favourites to go for a triple win on home soil in December, when the 2023 ARWS South America Championship will be hosted by the Malacara race.
Before then, the teams who were racing today will have the opportunity to score ranking points and win a place in that final at ARWS South America races in Argentina, Ecuador, Chile and Uruguay. The first is the Ansilta XK Race in Argentinean Patagonia from March 23-25th.
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