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Elf Authentic Adventure
April 14-29, 2000
Two Teams In Water
Majority of teams just finishing mountain bikes, as Pharmanex-Spie continues to punish field.

By Ari Cheren

A member of the Atenah team (19) rests in the doorway of CP 24 Saturday.

Tutoia, Brazil, CP29 (April 22, 2000)—The main field of competitors keep riding, but until this evening they couldn't seem to arrive at their destination. All teams except two were headed for the transition area of HQ4 to drop their mountain bikes and pick up kayaks on the edge of a wide brown river flowing to the sea.

All day Saturday teams rolled into checkpoints on the cusp of exhaustion—close to the edge but not yet beaten by Gérrard Fusil's mastermind of a race course through the wilds of Brazil. The sun was out all day, beating down on competitors as they pedaled through flat single-track, aiming Northwest toward their assistance crews and awaiting kayaks.

Several teams finally arrived at the mosquito-infested mud bog of CP27 by day's end, including—at last—the second and third place teams of FujiFilm and Team Paul Vatine. FujiFilm left CP27 at 9:30 a.m., heading down the river and towards the ocean in their kayaks. Just after 5:00 p.m. the same day, Pharmanex-Spie had left CP29, having completed the kayak leg.

FujiFilm—and third-place Paul Vatine's—only hope for overtaking first place is the final dark zone at the sailing leg, some two days from now. By then Pharmanex-Spie will have cleared all the pending desert sections, and unless they get caught in the ocean dark zone, will have a clear run for the finish on April 25.

Later in the day Saturday, more teams rolled into HQ4 and—as darkness fell—teams prepared for the next leg of racing. Brazilian Teams such as 19—Team Atenah, and 13—Reebok Endurance Team, are spurring each other on, exchanging hugs and conversations whenever they meet up at a checkpoint.

As today marks the 500th anniversary of Portugal's landing at Brazil, the teams from this region celebrated the day by singing "Happy Birthday" to their country in camp. These teams simply refuse to either quit or be discouraged by their pain and fatigue.

At this point, ten teams are racing in the Adventure category, as the Extreme category has yet to be created. Three of those teams are now kayaking in the water, the others in or around HQ4. There are now 14 Discovery Teams, two "Hors Temps" (didn't make a cut-off) and three abandoned teams.

The medical tent has also been seeing some action today, as a male competitor was flown in by chopper and carried to the tent by stretcher, an IV in his arm. Isabelle Viandier of third-ranked Paul Vatine cracked her jaw in a bike crash yesterday, and has a cut cheek as well. She has taken pain killers to allow her to finish the race, but if the pain increases, doctors will force her to abandon.

Pharmanex-Spie spent Saturday night transitioning back to mountain bikes for a long ride up the beach. Team members and to have this race finished within a few days. The remaining teams will try their best to finish by the awards ceremony on the 29th.