Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge
presented by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority

Building on the unmitigated success of last year's inaugural event and given the wealth of possibilities available in this land of ceaseless splendours, the organisers promise a second edition even more thrilling and spectacular than the first.

For the sake of consistency, the disciplines and overall distance covered will be similar to last year. The teams will still cover around 400km over six days and the dominant disciplines remain the adventure racing staples of mountain biking, sea kayaking, adventure running and rope-works. But that is where the resemblance to last year's course begins to fade. Course designers and country hosts have been working in close liaison, combining the extensive experience acquired last year and some remarkable scenic treasures, to create a challenging course brimming with natural wonders and exciting encounters.

This year's race gets off the mark on December 12th with a fast and furious, "prologue" around Abu Dhabi city. Kayaking, biking and running will constitute an ideal urban showcase for the pleasure of an enthusiastic local media and population. A 170km transfer, directly west along the coast from Abu Dhabi city, brings the teams to the legendary island of Sir Bani Yas, where a bold experiment involving thousands of animals in semi-captivity and countless plants, shrubs and trees has been underway since the eighties. This pearl shaped paradise, with ancient human vestiges dating back 7,000 years, is crowned by a central salt plug that rises to 148m; a surreal centrepiece for 70km of MTB amidst a flora and fauna of Eden-like proportions.

Getting off the island will be a job for the kayaks, with a sleek, 150km paddle along the coast to Mirfa, interrupted only by a bivouac on one of the many attractive islands comprising this picturesque atoll. After 2 days in Poseidon's realm, the contrast couldn't be greater with a 2-day desert trek across the appropriately named "Empty Quarter". The full moon will provide the only ambient light for a night in the dunes with a "sleep where you stop" compulsory bivouac. The spectacular Jebel Hafeet Mountains and the garden city of Al Ain provide the backdrop to the final movement of this epic adventure. The soaring, jagged peaks and unexplored canyons will host the penultimate stage involving trekking, rope-works and mountain biking before a blistering biking dash to the finishing line in Al Ain.

With local media attention already on the increase and the prospect of High Definition images available for global network distribution, last yearâ??s enthusiastic buzz will hit fever pitch as this race is sure to establish itself as a â??must doâ?? season finale in the international adventure racing calendar.

Richard USSHER is currently one of the most impressive performers in a long list of homegrown multisports athletes hailing from the Antipodes. He has spent the last few years travelling the world as an integral member of some of Adventure Racing's most prestigious teams, like SEAGATE and NIKE, perfecting his technical abilities and accumulating an extensive catalogue of experience, not to mention winning almost everything, in the process.

Last year he put together his own handpicked, high-octane squad and continued his winning ways with a well-deserved victory in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. To complement his incredible strength, stamina and 10 years of sporting experience he added his wife, a tried and tested all-rounder and former member of Finish powerhouse team NOKIA Elina USSHER. Aaron PRINCE, one of New Zealand's most accomplished orienteers and a previous teammate of Elina's, was an obvious choice as team navigator. The finishing touch was provided by Gordon WALKER, calm and collected under stress and guaranteed to deliver on any course that involves running, biking or kayaking.

Richard reflects on last year's race:

What was your fondest memory from the race last year?

There were lots of fond memories from the race. Highlights included the first day of sea kayaking, the first day in the desert and the mountain section near Al Ain. Obviously there was also immense satisfaction in winning the race and two factors made it even sweeter. Firstly we had to finance the trip ourselves and having no sponsors added to the pressure to gain financially from the result, otherwise it would have been a very hard time after the race. Secondly, to come away from such a close race, especially with Nike but also Helly Hansen, Lafuma, Orion and all the other top teams, showed great composure and real grit from the whole team.

What did you learn about racing in general and racing in the desert in particular?

No matter what the race you always learn something new, we got a few reminders on the second day about strategy and making sure we knew the rules - especially when there is no one to discuss them with on the course - and to keep a close eye on the competition. In the desert, the overwhelming memory is of not having adequate gaiters and the constant struggle to keep as much sand out of them as possible. For us it became a losing battle.

What makes you want to come back this year?

The reasons to return include the format, which is conducive to fast and close racing, the race organization which always put on a very good race and they seem to try and cater more for the athletes than many race organizations - examples of this are the fact their courses are fun as well as challenging and that they can make good decisions when things don't go to plan, like the camels last year and trying to keep it as fair as possible for the teams when it was out of their hands as to the performance of their beast.

What impact does the race format have on your team selection?

Our team is very much based around competing more in stage races than expedition races so this format suits our strengths. I really feel for AR to move forward and to get more support from the media again it has to have a format that is more compact and has better racing like the stage races. "Suffer fests" where it is all about just survival don't make for compelling viewing when you are competing against "Survivor" style shows where they can manipulate the group dynamics to get more conflict etc. In my opinion, we need the sport to be covered as a sport, not a "freak show".

What is the team dynamic, with respect to individual strengths and weaknesses?

We have based the team around having good strength in the main 3 disciplines - Running, Cycling and kayaking. Individuals are all at different levels for things like rope skills and this is primarily based on the experience each member has had in AR. We're trying to create an environment where everyone can get and give encouragement within the team to improve each other's skills and therefore the overall skill of the team. We also try and put a focus on enjoying the experience

What are your off-season preparations and future training schedules running up to the race?

At present we are all just starting back after a break from our summer of racing here in NZ. Most of our training will be based around getting general fitness up and then we'll look at any technical skills we need to improve for specific races

How does this race fit into your annual sports schedule?

This race will be one of our target events if we can get back there, I think the format suits us and Abu Dhabi was a very interesting place to visit and race in.

How do you feel about your prospects this year?

It will obviously be a tough race with so many good teams there but we'll be taking the same approach as last year and as with any race we'll be aiming to take one day at a time and to try and keep ourselves in contention for the win.

Mark your calendar and prepare for a 2nd edition as unforgivable and challenging as the first!

After considering different options, this autumn's AR agenda and a long holiday period beginning of December in Abu Dhabi, we are back again mid December.