PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE 2005

February 12

Today at 4:30 hrs race director Stjepan Pavicic initiated the start of 2nd edition of the PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE from Cerro Guido.

Forty four participants began the race running 400m to their mountain bikes with the first light of day. Welcome to the wildest expedition race on the planet!

The first cycling section covers 40.7 km. of mainly flat land, but with spectacular views of Torres del Paine National Park, declared a UNESCO Biosphere reserve in 1978. The cycling continues on 54 km of gravel road from PC1 Laguna Amarga to PC2 Lago Grey.

First Times!

PC1: Laguna Amarga National Park Torres del Paine
Position	Arrival time	Arrival day	Team
1	06:18	12	SALOMON RUSSIA
2	06:19	12	LA CLUSAZ RAID AVENTURE
3	06:33	12	MAGALLANES-AUSTRALES
4	06:34	12	LE GROUP IBEROAMERICA
5	06:42	12	GLOBALSTAR ARGENTINA SPAIN
6	06:49	12	ALLIER AVENTURE
7	06:55	12	MENETUE - OPTIMUM NUTRITION
8	07:30	12	THE KING'S OWN CALGARY REGIMENT
9	07:47	12	DAP ANTARTICA
10	07:50	12	FUKAWI
11	07:59	12	JEAN MERMOZ ARGENTINA

The rocky road took its toll on team DAP ANTÁRTICA with 6 punctured tires and the teams FUKAWI, THE KING'S OWN CALGARY REGIMENT and JEAN MERMOZ ARGENTINA lost the route, causing an extra hour of biking, but each team made it to PC1 in time despite the setbacks.

14:30 hrs. Team JEAN MERMOZ ARGENTINA team is disqualified from the race before getting the PC2 Lago Grey. The strong wind made them advance very slowly and they didn’t reach the point on time. The team will continue on from PC3 Perales, but out of ranking.

Excellent weather allows the racers to admire the spectacular Cuernos del Paine, one of the principal attractions for nature lovers at Torres del Paine National Park. The next section of the race, from PC2 Lago Grey to PC3 Perales, consists in 90 km of kayaking along the Rio Grey into the Rio Serrano to the open waters of Seno Ultima Esperanza. PC2 is installed at Hostería LAGO GREY. Its spectacular views to the Grey glacier, lake and river and to the majestic Cerro Paine Grande, highest altitude at the Torres del Paine National Park, make it a perfect transition point from mountain bike to kayak.

During the kayak section the Spanish team GLOBALSTAR CHILE, third in the ranking at PC2, suffered an accident, without injury to the racers. The kayak was crushed against one pillar of the gate in an incline position due to very strong wind, seriously damaging the boat. The racers were rescued from the water and disqualified. The team will continue the race, but out of ranking.

At 18:00 the first teams arrived to Seno Ultima Esperanza the French team LA CLUSAZ RAID ADVENTURE in the lead, but followed very closely by the Russian team SALOMON RUSSIA.

At 20:00 due to worsening weather conditions with wind speeds up to 70 km/hr, the organization pulled the kayaks from the water, temporarily suspending the race.

Last minute information!! One of team SALOMON RUSSIA's kayaks is lost, with the two members of the team Mikhail Pershin and Alexandra Kontorina missing. The captain doesn’t know what happened to them. It is a difficult moments for all of us!
The rescue facilities began the search, made more complicated by the growing darkness. The lost kayak has the emergency kit, with a GPS and a Satellite phone, and the organization is waiting impatiently to hear from the racers.

Good News!! At 23:46, both members of the SALOMON RUSSIA team were found and rescued in good condition. They were at the other side of the fjord, along the southern coast line, waiting with their lamps on. All members of the organization are happy for the good news.

In the last satellite communication, the race director informed us that the race will be suspended until tomorrow midday, when all the teams will be together at PC3 Peales to have a captain meeting before continuing with the race.

February 13

13:40 The last communication tells us that the race has been restarted al 12:40 after all the teams reached PC3 Perales and a captain meeting took place. All the racers are on the next bike stage, a 90 km route to PC4 Pinto.

Only one team, LA CLUSAZ RAID ADVENTURE, was able to reach PC3 Perales by kayak. They remain in the lead.

Teams GLOBALSTAR CHILE was penalized with 24 hours, and team FUKAWI with 36 hours, since both required assistance during the kayak section, but both teams remain in the race.

Team JEAN MERMOZ ARGENTINA decided to leave the race and is currently en route home.

The SALOMON RUSSIA team was disqualified during the kayak section, because they didn't respect the security rules of maintaining a close distance. The first kayak lost communication and visibility with the second one, risking the safety of their partners. The team will continue with the race out of the ranking.

PC3: Perales Seno Última Esperanza
Position	Time difference (hr:min)	Team
1	00:00	LA CLUSAZ RAID AVENTURE
2	04:00	THE KING'S OWN CALGARY REGIMENT
2	04:00	ALLIER AVENTURE
4	07:00	LE GROUP IBEROAMERICA
4	07:00	MAGALLNES-AUSTRALES Team
4	07:00	MENETUE - OPTIMUM NUTRITION
7	12:00	DAP ANTARTICA
8	24:00 penalized	GLOBALSTAR ARGENTINA SPAIN
9	36:00 penalized	FUKAWI
10	out of ranking	SALOMON RUSSIA
11	left race	JEAN MERMOZ ARGENTINA

16:30 We have been informed that all the teams have already passed the town of Puerto Natales. Currently there are three teams in the lead,
LA CLUSAZ RAID AVENTURE, THE KING'S OWN CALGARY REGIMENT and FUKAWI, this group is being lead by the young captain of the Canadian team Tom Zidek.

18:22 hrs Two teams reach PC4 Pinto together, FUKAWI and LA CLUSAZ RAID AVENTURE, in that order, separated only by 30 seconds. Ropes are currently being arranged for a 100 meter rock wall ascent. It’s been estimated that this activity will take about 1 hour per team.

Sandrine Tonnean of team ALLIER AVENTURE, suffered a fall during the bicycle section, so that the team decided not attempt the ropes, getting disqualified. They will continue in race but out of ranking.

PC4: Pinto
Position	Time difference (hr:min)	Team
1	00:00	LA CLUSAZ RAID AVENTURE
2	04:06	THE KING'S OWN CALGARY REGIMENT
3	08:23	MENETUE - OPTIMUM NUTRITION
4	08:40	LE GROUP IBEROAMERICA
5	09:40	MAGALLNES-AUSTRALES Team
6	14:25	DAP ANTARTICA
7	24:35	GLOBALSTAR ARGENTINA SPAIN
8	35:59	FUKAWI
9*	out of ranking	ALLIER AVENTURE
10*	out of ranking	SALOMON RUSSIA
11*	left race in PC3	JEAN MERMOZ ARGENTINA

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February 11 2005 All the teams departed by bus from the city of Punta Arenas to the start of the race at 22 hrs, 661.8 km. of adventure are waiting for them.