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The 2010 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race was a close contest between reigning champions Helly Hansen-Prunesco and 13 other quality teams from around the world - and this new graphical interpretation of the race (shown below) displays exactly how the race was run.
It reveals how close the early stages were, where those who dropped out began to fade and where and when the winners broke away from the pack to secure their second consecutive victory in the stunning virgin wilderness of Chilean Patagonia.
The short first section, which ran 16km along a beach on the north western edge of Chilean Tierra Del Fuego, was closely contested, with just 90 minutes covering the entire field. By the time the following 110km bike section had finished, however, there was a pattern forming as the top six eventual finishers already filled the top six places, with East Wind the only other team that would make it to the end of the race settling into a slower but sustainable pace.
There was still all to play for up front, and the race saw four different leaders at the four next checkpoints – with Switzerland taking the early lead but Untamed New England, Helly Hansen-Prunesco and Air Europa Bimont arriving at the next biking section within 10 minutes of each other.
It was here where eventual winners Helly Hansen-Prunesco began to pull away from the fighting pack, though, and Bruce Duncan said: “We just decided to go for it, and it turned out to be a monstrous ride. The pass was absolutely brutal; it just did not stop, and on the way down it was absolutely freezing, wet and cold. But the plan was just to get it done. And we did.”
They arrived at checkpoint eight, the start of the major trek through the Darwin Range, with a three-hour advantage over second-placed team Air Europa Bimont, and they remained in control at the front for the rest of the race.
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Every team made it to that point, but the race ended there for BOE Ejercito de Chile and Fast & light, who were physically unable to continue. Almas Patagónicas made it just one checkpoint further while Terra Mundo Lontra, who had been running with the leading teams early on, slowed on the second biking section and eventually dropped out at the Tyrolean rope crossing at checkpoint ten.
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Eddie Bauer and Almost Famous also saw their races come to an end at the Tyrolean when they failed to make the cut-off time. Druce Finlay, of team Eddie Bauer, said: “The cut-offs sneak up on you and we just couldn’t pull it off. I felt hugely disappointed, we were only an hour behind that thing and we begged to be let across the river but it was just not going to happen.”
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Helly Hansen-Prunesco extended their lead through the Darwin Range, but there was strong competition for the runners-up spot. Untamed New England started the trek in second but dropped to fifth on the way to PC9. Switzerland took over their position but lost it in the middle of the mountains at PC12 to Air Europa Bimont, who then virtually secured the place with a strong section to PC13. They came out of the mountains 14 hours behind Helly Hansen-Prunesco but eight hours ahead of third-placed Switzerland.
The kayak crossing of the Beagle Channel, where Charles Darwin explored in the HMS Beagle, was much anticipated by all of the racers and there were still some moves to be made behind the top two teams. Air Europa Bimont was penalized for splitting up their team during the crossing, but they still ended in second while four teams still had the chance of taking third on the final trek, with Switzerland, Herbertz, GearJunkie.com and Untamed New England covered by just less than three hours.
Despite closing in with a brave kayaking effort, GearJunkie.com failed to jump their rivals and Switzerland and Herbertz came in, amazingly, in joint third, with GearJunkie.com just beating Untamed New England for fifth. East Wind was rewarded by a carefully considered slow and steady approach and was the final team to finish.
Ends
foto di:
C1002wg1127 : Will Gray
C1002th0019 : Tony Hoare
C1002th0222 : Tony Hoare
C1002th0262 : Tony Hoare
C1002vs(TE)116 : Valentino Saldivar
C1002vs(TE)169 : Valentino Saldivar
C1002vs(TE)222 : Valentino Saldivar
C1002wa364 : Walter Alvial
C1002wa520 : Walter Alvial
C1002wa581 : Walter Alvial
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