Patagonian Expedition Race
Day 4 Interim Report
Pete Clayden (PER) / 20.02.2012
Team Adidas TERREX Prunesco seem to have forged an unassailable lead in the 10th Anniversary Patagonian Expedition Race, though East Wind from Japan are still in the hunt, just a few hours but one checkpoint behind.
The challenge from GearJunkie Yogaslackers now seems to be fading as they appear to be losing ground on the Japanese team. Of course, when racing at this level, one false move or moment of inattention can bring even the strongest of teams down, so as the race enter the Cordillera Darwin, for these teams at least, there is everything still to play for, especially as all gaps between teams are kept in strict confidence by the PC crews.
Further down the field, there have been no further withdrawals and all the remaining teams are enjoying unusually settled conditions as they progress through PC's 7, 8 and 9. As expected, the bike section was fast, allowing teams to recover to some extent prior to the big trek.
Race organiser Stjepan Pavicic was rumoured to have a secret ace up his sleeve for the teams as they passed PC 9 to PC10, which was said to be a gift of a 15 kilo bag of trail markers, so that all the teams would contribute to the completion of the Karukinka trail building project, which a 15 strong team team recently completed in under 3 months on behalf of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Stjepan hopes to showcase this area of outstanding beauty by taking the race through it.
Today the race HQ was visited by American team Discovery and Research, collecting their equipment. Their tales of big seas and tough portaging on the kayak leg to Tierra del Fuego were interspersed with their thanks to the organisation for inviting them and putting on such an amazing race and their promise to come back next year.
You can follow the race live at www.patagonianexpeditionrace.com
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