DART-nuun presented by Thule takes 2nd and 3rd - Press Release
Inaugural Sea Otter Classic Adventure Race draws top teams
DART-nuun presented by Thule takes 2nd and 3rd in fiercely fought race
Monterey, California (April 13th, 2007) - DART-nuun, presented by Thule, took 2nd and 3rd overall at the inaugural Sea Otter Classic (the largest, most celebrated cycling festival in North America) adventure race behind the current World Champions, Nike-Powerblast. The prestigious race was played out at a blistering pace as the top teams exchanged the lead while paddling on a choppy Monterey Bay, mountain biking through a maze of trails in Fort Ord, and running through gullies and on ridges that typify the stunning terrain surrounding the Laguna Seca Raceway.
â??The Sea Otter Classic is an important event that is known throughout the cycling world as the season kick-offâ?? explained Cyril, team captain. â??Thousands of athletes, spectators, media, and sponsors converge on Laguna Seca every April to celebrate all sports related to cycling. As a result, being part of this event and representing our sponsors well was important to us. Weâ??re definitely pleased with our results given the caliber of the teams competing.â??
The pre-race preparations were frantic after the race director handed out the maps and instructions a mere half hour before the start. Teams scrambled to read all the instructions and plot the check points before the gun went off. â??Races where maps and instructions are handed out a few minutes before a race, can be stressful,â?? said Glenn, navigator for one of the teams. â??The outcome of your race is often determined before the start by how well and how fast you can plot your check points and strategize your best routes.â?? Once the race started things settled down as teams embarked on a 7 mile paddle on an agitated Monterey Bay. "The weather couldn't have been any better and the waves made things interesting for us," explained Ryan VanGorder who is fresh off a sea kayaking adventure of a lifetime at the Baja Travesia (www.bajatravesia.com). "The Northwest Kayak's Seascape 3 kept us moving very fast and feeling stable through the swells. We were happy with a 2nd and 3rd place water exit." Both DART-nuun teams exited the water at the same time behind the strong paddlers of Team Wingnut and took off in hot pursuit on their mountain bikes.
The mountain bike section turned out to be the hardest and longest part of the race and was defined by a maze of beautiful single track trails and challenging navigation. The way to the Fort Ord single track trail system was via a paved bike path heading north along the beach after leaving the kayak transition area. All the teams worked hard along this path to catch one another while fighting a stiff headwind. When the 2 DART-nuun teams reached the first single track they had caught up to one another and to Team Wingnut but so had team Nike-Powerblast. What ensued for the next 4 hours was a battle between these top 4 teams as they navigated their way through the challenging trail system. Along the way, the lead changed but no one team was able to open a comfortable gap.
When the teams came into the transition to the adventure running section at Laguna Seca Raceway, only a few minutes still separated them. The 2 DART-nuun teams charged hard in an attempt to push one another and catch the leader through the shorter running section that involved some bushwhacking and fast trail running.
In the end, Nike-Powerblast came in first followed by the 2 DART-nuun teams and closely behind came Team Wingnut.
DART-nuun presented by Thule takes 2nd and 3rd in fiercely fought race
Monterey, California (April 13th, 2007) - DART-nuun, presented by Thule, took 2nd and 3rd overall at the inaugural Sea Otter Classic (the largest, most celebrated cycling festival in North America) adventure race behind the current World Champions, Nike-Powerblast. The prestigious race was played out at a blistering pace as the top teams exchanged the lead while paddling on a choppy Monterey Bay, mountain biking through a maze of trails in Fort Ord, and running through gullies and on ridges that typify the stunning terrain surrounding the Laguna Seca Raceway.
â??The Sea Otter Classic is an important event that is known throughout the cycling world as the season kick-offâ?? explained Cyril, team captain. â??Thousands of athletes, spectators, media, and sponsors converge on Laguna Seca every April to celebrate all sports related to cycling. As a result, being part of this event and representing our sponsors well was important to us. Weâ??re definitely pleased with our results given the caliber of the teams competing.â??
The pre-race preparations were frantic after the race director handed out the maps and instructions a mere half hour before the start. Teams scrambled to read all the instructions and plot the check points before the gun went off. â??Races where maps and instructions are handed out a few minutes before a race, can be stressful,â?? said Glenn, navigator for one of the teams. â??The outcome of your race is often determined before the start by how well and how fast you can plot your check points and strategize your best routes.â?? Once the race started things settled down as teams embarked on a 7 mile paddle on an agitated Monterey Bay. "The weather couldn't have been any better and the waves made things interesting for us," explained Ryan VanGorder who is fresh off a sea kayaking adventure of a lifetime at the Baja Travesia (www.bajatravesia.com). "The Northwest Kayak's Seascape 3 kept us moving very fast and feeling stable through the swells. We were happy with a 2nd and 3rd place water exit." Both DART-nuun teams exited the water at the same time behind the strong paddlers of Team Wingnut and took off in hot pursuit on their mountain bikes.
The mountain bike section turned out to be the hardest and longest part of the race and was defined by a maze of beautiful single track trails and challenging navigation. The way to the Fort Ord single track trail system was via a paved bike path heading north along the beach after leaving the kayak transition area. All the teams worked hard along this path to catch one another while fighting a stiff headwind. When the 2 DART-nuun teams reached the first single track they had caught up to one another and to Team Wingnut but so had team Nike-Powerblast. What ensued for the next 4 hours was a battle between these top 4 teams as they navigated their way through the challenging trail system. Along the way, the lead changed but no one team was able to open a comfortable gap.
When the teams came into the transition to the adventure running section at Laguna Seca Raceway, only a few minutes still separated them. The 2 DART-nuun teams charged hard in an attempt to push one another and catch the leader through the shorter running section that involved some bushwhacking and fast trail running.
In the end, Nike-Powerblast came in first followed by the 2 DART-nuun teams and closely behind came Team Wingnut.
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| Photo Album: Sea Otter Classic 2007 |
Next, DART-nuun will send one team to compete at a Mind Over Mountain race (www.mindovermountain.com/momar) in Squamish, British Columbia which was designed by DART team member Jen Segger-Gigg. Another team will compete at the Desert Wind 24 hour race ( http://adventure-race.kayaklakemead.com ) in the stunning Lake Mead region where Nevada and Arizona meet. Both races will start on May 12th.
Labels: Press Release, Race Results
posted by Nathrop @ 5:28 PM
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