Discussion: Raid in France 2017
in: Adventure Racing; General
May 31, 2017 4:34 PM
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Bash:
China isn't the only country hosting an ARWS race this week. Raid in France starts on Sunday.
http://www.raidinfrance.com/en/
The field consists mostly of French teams but Team Canada AR will be there with core team members James Galipeau (Relentless on AP) and Nathalie Long (Frenchie) racing with David Schloss and Wouter Huitzing. I don't think they've raced together before.
http://www.raidinfrance.com/en/team-list/
U.K.'s EnduranceLife will be racing. Some familiar names of top teams include Issy Absolu Aventure 1 and 2, Naturex and R'adys. Anyone connected with any of the teams?
http://www.raidinfrance.com/en/
The field consists mostly of French teams but Team Canada AR will be there with core team members James Galipeau (Relentless on AP) and Nathalie Long (Frenchie) racing with David Schloss and Wouter Huitzing. I don't think they've raced together before.
http://www.raidinfrance.com/en/team-list/
U.K.'s EnduranceLife will be racing. Some familiar names of top teams include Issy Absolu Aventure 1 and 2, Naturex and R'adys. Anyone connected with any of the teams?
May 31, 2017 4:49 PM
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Bash:
• a 4 to 6 days multisport orienteering race
• a 427 kilometres route, with 12 000 meters of positive gain. Some serious climbing.
• 13 stages including mountain biking, trekking, speleology (caving), climbing, kayaking, etc.
• from 90 to 135 hours of non-stop effort
• a 427 kilometres route, with 12 000 meters of positive gain. Some serious climbing.
• 13 stages including mountain biking, trekking, speleology (caving), climbing, kayaking, etc.
• from 90 to 135 hours of non-stop effort
Jun 4, 2017 11:35 PM
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I'll be dot watching for Team Endurancelife. Made up this time of Tom (djtom) and Kevin of the UK Endurancelife squad and two French teammates who will hopefully bring some home turf advantage! Looks like a strong team so keeping fingers crossed they can make their mark on the top 10.
Jun 5, 2017 2:43 AM
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Bash:
Here is the live race site.
https://live.raidinfrance.com/
"The race is now launch. At 00:00am this Monday morning, the 128 racers of this 9th edition of Raid in France have entered into the race with a spectacular swimrun around and in the lake of Devesset. A dark night and cold temperatures gave some atmosphere and the teams have more or less expressed their fear. After these inaugural 45 minutes, the racers launch themselves for a MTB bike of 58 km and 1 550 meters of positive height."
Team Canada AR appears to be mid-pack in the first few hours.
https://live.raidinfrance.com/
"The race is now launch. At 00:00am this Monday morning, the 128 racers of this 9th edition of Raid in France have entered into the race with a spectacular swimrun around and in the lake of Devesset. A dark night and cold temperatures gave some atmosphere and the teams have more or less expressed their fear. After these inaugural 45 minutes, the racers launch themselves for a MTB bike of 58 km and 1 550 meters of positive height."
Team Canada AR appears to be mid-pack in the first few hours.
Jun 5, 2017 5:54 AM
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Excited to see Endurancelife have managed not to drown on the swim and are up in the lead chase pack on the first MTB. Only 5 days to go...no pressure boys and girl!
Jun 5, 2017 5:59 AM
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The teams are already quite spread out. Naturex taking it out strong.
Does anyone have a course guide for this one?
Also, how crazy is it that there are two ARWS races happening simultaneously? You'd think they'd want to spread out their dates...but I guess they are happening on opposite sides of the globe...
Does anyone have a course guide for this one?
Also, how crazy is it that there are two ARWS races happening simultaneously? You'd think they'd want to spread out their dates...but I guess they are happening on opposite sides of the globe...
Jun 5, 2017 7:21 AM
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Pre-race the teams were told that they would receive half the route book/maps at the start line and the rest at a later point so we may not get sight of a copy right away. From the overview the key strategy decision seems to be around a dark zone after leg 5? which the team estimate to be approx 44hrs racing from the start with no sleeps. Given the midnight start, they're unsure how doable this will be but it would explain why they've started fast and will be pushing hard from the beginning.
Jun 6, 2017 6:32 PM
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Is anyone else following RIF? While it's nice watching dots move, I'm still none the wiser on what's going on on the ground. Has anyone seen a route book or map? Where are the dark zone, the caves, the abseil? Can we tell if they've had any sleep? The excellent Craig Cook has given up trying to follow it and the race aren't providing much info...
Jun 6, 2017 7:25 PM
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The YB iOS app leaves quite a bit to be desired. The on-line version for computers has much more info available including leg descriptions and course profiles.
Jun 6, 2017 9:23 PM
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GD44:
Why not follow the chatter on Team Endurancelife's FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/TeamEndurancelife
Plus photos etc
https://www.facebook.com/pg/TeamEndurancelife
Plus photos etc
Jun 6, 2017 9:52 PM
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GD44:
For those of you that weren't aware, Kevin Stephens (Team Endurancelife) and Wouter Hoitzing (Canada AR) ran a 200mile 16,000m ascent footrace in Wales during 22-26th May! They will have not recovered from that fully.
Jun 6, 2017 9:58 PM
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Ha because it's me writing half the stuff on the Endurancelife page Gary
Jun 6, 2017 11:45 PM
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Looks like only the top 5 teams made the dark zone. The restart for 6th place tomorrow would be annoying for those who hit it very early.
Jun 8, 2017 2:14 PM
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Bash:
Darn these ARWS races happening simultaneously! With Slice finished Xtrail, I'm able to spend more time watching the last part of Raid in France. If anyone else is catching up, here is the top of the leaderboard with the race expected to end around 8 pm local time.
1 15. Lozère Sport Nature 9/11 hrs mandatory sleep
2 25. Gravelines Tri DSN 74 Scott Hoka 11/11h
3 4. 400 Team Naturex 11/11h
4 29. R'adys 9/11h
5 23. Ertips 6/11h
6 21. Endurancelife Aventure Absolu Raid 11/11h
Our friends on Team Canada AR are currently sitting 12th of 32 teams. Team Issy Aventure Absolu Raid 1 has withdrawn.
Latest ARWS story:
Lead Three Teams Swap Places at Raid in France
Author : Press Release
400 Team Naturex arrive at TA9
On the third full day of action at Raid in France the race leaders, 400 Team Naturex, stopped for a 3 hour sleep and allowed two other teams to pass them. It was a brave move but could pay dividends in the final quarter of the race - sleep strategy is a vital part of expedition adventure racing. Further back most teams were in the Ardeche Gorge today.
The following is a summary of the situation on Wednesday evening from the race organisation:
Today we could enjoy all the particularities of Ardèche. Between teams located on the South of the route, who sailed the river to Sauze village and those at the first teams which are now in Tanargue massif, teams were on the whole department. Some teams stepped into the prehistoric cave of Saint-Marcel, the deepest of Ardèche, by the natural entry specially opened for Raid in France. Others scaled the Dent de Rez, the highest point of Southern Ardèche from which we can enjoy a beautiful view on the Cévennes, Mont Lozère, Alps, Baronnies, Mont Ventoux and Dentelles de Montmirail. Finally, other teams sailed on Ardèche river between Vogüe and Pradons, going along the picturesque villages of Balazuc and Chauzon.
Lozère Sport Nature, 400 Team Naturex and Gravelines Tri – DSN74 Scott Hoka, the top-trio of this Raid in France, continue their progression and the distance between them is still short, far away from their followers. The winners’ podium of this 9th edition of Raid in France seems known, excepted if a surprise happened during the last kilometers. However, we cannot guess the ranking because each one has adopted its own strategy. The team 400 Team Naturex stopped this afternoon to have a 3 hours sleep at Joannas castle at AT9/CP21. In total, they have already sleep 8 hours out of the 11 mandatory. Whereas Lozère Sport Nature and Gravelines Tri – DSN74 Scott Hoka went ahead and made the choice to sleep during the night to avoid orienteering mistakes. To sum up, Lozère Sport Nature has five hours to take before the end of the race and Gravelines Tri – DSN74 Scott Hoka has four hours. In this context, the final ranking in which the finish line on Devesset lake will be crossed tomorrow is uncertain. The winner is forecast at 8:00 pm.
In the early evening, all the teams abseiled Autridge rock, famous site of the gorges. Tomorrow, the majority of them will start the MTB bike session in the volcanic landscapes of the regional natural park of the Monts d’Ardèche. Among sweet chestnuts, pastures and ridges they will pass through the Tanargue, nicknamed thunder mountain with its altitude of 1511 meters, scale the Abraham rock, take a selfie in front of the statue in honor of Jean Gilly, before continuing along the ridges from which there is a beautiful view on Southern Cévennes.
1 15. Lozère Sport Nature 9/11 hrs mandatory sleep
2 25. Gravelines Tri DSN 74 Scott Hoka 11/11h
3 4. 400 Team Naturex 11/11h
4 29. R'adys 9/11h
5 23. Ertips 6/11h
6 21. Endurancelife Aventure Absolu Raid 11/11h
Our friends on Team Canada AR are currently sitting 12th of 32 teams. Team Issy Aventure Absolu Raid 1 has withdrawn.
Latest ARWS story:
Lead Three Teams Swap Places at Raid in France
Author : Press Release
400 Team Naturex arrive at TA9
On the third full day of action at Raid in France the race leaders, 400 Team Naturex, stopped for a 3 hour sleep and allowed two other teams to pass them. It was a brave move but could pay dividends in the final quarter of the race - sleep strategy is a vital part of expedition adventure racing. Further back most teams were in the Ardeche Gorge today.
The following is a summary of the situation on Wednesday evening from the race organisation:
Today we could enjoy all the particularities of Ardèche. Between teams located on the South of the route, who sailed the river to Sauze village and those at the first teams which are now in Tanargue massif, teams were on the whole department. Some teams stepped into the prehistoric cave of Saint-Marcel, the deepest of Ardèche, by the natural entry specially opened for Raid in France. Others scaled the Dent de Rez, the highest point of Southern Ardèche from which we can enjoy a beautiful view on the Cévennes, Mont Lozère, Alps, Baronnies, Mont Ventoux and Dentelles de Montmirail. Finally, other teams sailed on Ardèche river between Vogüe and Pradons, going along the picturesque villages of Balazuc and Chauzon.
Lozère Sport Nature, 400 Team Naturex and Gravelines Tri – DSN74 Scott Hoka, the top-trio of this Raid in France, continue their progression and the distance between them is still short, far away from their followers. The winners’ podium of this 9th edition of Raid in France seems known, excepted if a surprise happened during the last kilometers. However, we cannot guess the ranking because each one has adopted its own strategy. The team 400 Team Naturex stopped this afternoon to have a 3 hours sleep at Joannas castle at AT9/CP21. In total, they have already sleep 8 hours out of the 11 mandatory. Whereas Lozère Sport Nature and Gravelines Tri – DSN74 Scott Hoka went ahead and made the choice to sleep during the night to avoid orienteering mistakes. To sum up, Lozère Sport Nature has five hours to take before the end of the race and Gravelines Tri – DSN74 Scott Hoka has four hours. In this context, the final ranking in which the finish line on Devesset lake will be crossed tomorrow is uncertain. The winner is forecast at 8:00 pm.
In the early evening, all the teams abseiled Autridge rock, famous site of the gorges. Tomorrow, the majority of them will start the MTB bike session in the volcanic landscapes of the regional natural park of the Monts d’Ardèche. Among sweet chestnuts, pastures and ridges they will pass through the Tanargue, nicknamed thunder mountain with its altitude of 1511 meters, scale the Abraham rock, take a selfie in front of the statue in honor of Jean Gilly, before continuing along the ridges from which there is a beautiful view on Southern Cévennes.
Jun 8, 2017 9:02 PM
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Bash:
Team Lozère Sport Nature just crossed the finish line at 10:55pm to win Raid in France.
Jun 9, 2017 2:43 AM
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Bash:
Tie for 2nd place! Gravelines Tri and Team Naturex both crossed the finish line after 97 hrs 10 mins, a little more than 2 hrs behind the winners.
Jun 9, 2017 1:39 PM
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Canada AR is now show in 9th on the leaderboard but I think they're actually in 8th on the tracking map now. As of late yesterday a number of teams ahead of them still had sleep hours to burn while Canada AR had used all of theirs up so in theory that should have helped them move up the leaderboard as those teams ahead of them stopped to fulfill their 11 hr requirement (that seems like a lot of rest for a 5 day race...).
Jun 10, 2017 3:25 AM
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Phatty worked with Fanny on the winning team when we lived in France. I wonder why she didn't ever ask him to race while we were there? Hmmmmmmm. :)
Jun 16, 2017 5:47 AM
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Bash:
23-min film on the race. I haven't seen it yet but Nathalie of Team Canada AR says it's awesome.
Jun 16, 2017 6:23 PM
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I just saw Fanny today in Annecy and she was super stoked to have won the race. She deserves it because she trains so hard!
Jun 19, 2017 9:20 PM
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Awesome video. I'll have to get my French-speaking wife to translate...I love the last quote though!
"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine - it's lethal!"
"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine - it's lethal!"
This discussion thread is closed.