Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Adventure Racing World Championships 2015 Brazil
Options
Comments
-
-
Up to #35 on the Fantasy
Segate still storming it on their way to the ropes. They passed Peak Performance and are maybe 1.5km behind Raidlight. In front of them in positions 6-8 overall are Merell, GZ and Tencu. They should all congregate on the ropes. Interesting to see how many lines there are...
Positions 2-5. Silva are on their bikes a couple of hours now. I doubt the will make the ropes so probably straight to teh finish for them. Same for SAFAT. They have finally reached their bikes at TA8 but will have to ride all night straight to to make the cut off in about 21 hours.
Estonia have finished the packraft stage 7 after 47 hours :eek: Good God! Not sure what will happen. Wait for Columbia (about 3km or 2-3 hours behind) and fly them to P20 where the plane has dropped Kailash Brou, Enigma Papaventura and East Wind.
Fenix Multisport and R'ADYS are still at TA6 waiting for the plane with a couple of other Brazilian teams. Uncertain whether they will be flown to P20 to their bikes or to the finish in the morning.0 -
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
What is the general consensus post race? I got the impression that a lot of racers/watchers didn't like the course and that it was perhaps just too difficult for the sake of it?
The general feeling I get from reading around is that it was extremely difficult (obviously enough!) but that it was also a great adventure with unreal amounts of wildlife ("like racing in a zoo"). lots of teams seem to have taken plenty of positives from the race. It does sound like the kind of experience that very few people get, so overall I've no erred back to jealousy for not being there
0 -
It sounded pretty epic to me, wild and a great experience. I would be in the jealous camp.
Some teams have criticized the race. I agree with some in so far as safety and rules coming into question. Also I think the race highlighted a lack of cohesion between the Adventure Racing World Series organisation and local Race Organizers. Some guidelines are required so as to ensure races do not descent into a farce with top teams being short coursed when it is too late into the race.
Thule immediately criticized the race and outlined what they would like to see happen to make the sport more mainstream:
https://www.facebook.com/thuleadventureteam/posts/10153395415983668:0
Personally I don't agree with what they are saying. In time, if the sport survives and their are enough advances in technology then the race will become more open to a mass spectator audience. Thule are professional athletes and have their own interests which are centered on making a living from the sport which right now are more aligned to "Racing" as appose to "Adventure".
Recent World Championships have fallen more into the "Adventure" camp. I don't want to get hung up on the definition of "Adventure" which can be broken down further in its own right but it includes for me, the unknown, suffering, misery and endurance in different measures
The top teams have a preference for balance between "Adventure" on one hand and "Racing" on the other. If the race is structured in such a way, with a ~50/50 balance, then the best all round teams will tend to fill out the podium positions and this makes it a lot easier for them to secure sponsorship for the next season. Lucky enough in this instance Seagate and Haglofs Silva managed to push through and secure the top two positions. Tecnu, Columbia, and Merrel will have a more difficult time explaining their result to sponsors especially if they don't understand the sport fully. GodZone seem to have their own sponsorship now but if they had to go back to their old sponsor Adidas and explain things then it might be different. On the other hand I expect the Estonians are ecstatic
For the elite and amateur grueling races like this tend not to be forgotten and that is the source of many a story to share with friends and family for years to come. This will become more important in later years (I hope). If I go to one of these races then that's what I want. I don't have significant sponsors and the costs come entirely out of my own pocket so I want Adventure. I want something very different.
The Olympics happen every 4 years. An Adventure Race happens only once... excluding this years Primal Quest which was a dumb idea anyways 0 -
Advertisement