Posted: November 16, 2005

Adventure Racing: Chase Teams Create Action at 2005 World Championship

Balance Vector is stamping its mark on the 2005 Adventure Racing World Championship on the West Coast of the Southern Alps with a seven hour lead while the race is on in the chase pack for podium finishes.

The hot Kiwi team has built up a significant gap from its closest challengers but there is an intense battle developing between the NZ/US/South African mix team Merrell Wigwam and Powered by Velvet.org.nz.

Merrrell Wigwam was in second place this morning, during the 30km trek over the Brunner Range, arriving at checkpoint 12 at 2.12am more than an hour before Powered by Velvet, having passed them on the way.

Powered by Velvet arrived at 3.30am with the Kiwi Port Nelson team next to clock in at 7.00am. Port Nelson has almost moved through the field passing several teams. Defending world champions Nike Balance Bar, from the US arrived there at 8.00am.

Three Swedish teams Cross Sportswear, Lundhags Adventures and Halti were in hot pursuit all reaching the checkpoint at 8.18am. The jostling for positions began, and Nike Balance was left in the wake of the Swedish teams, who took off before them.

Meanwhile Powered by Velvet lived up to its name and charged past Merrell Wigwam arriving at checkpoint 13 at 2.13pm. to put them back in second place.

There was more excitement when Merrell Wigwam, Cross Sports and Nike Balance Bar all came into check point 12 at 3.20pm, in third place, and left again at 3.25. Port Nelson was four minutes behind and Halti and Lundhags Adventure came in 20 minutes later.

Balance Vector completed the mountain trek at 9.57am after around 22 hours battling the tough country. The team is now on an 89km mountain biking trek through Perseverance Mine, Waiuta and Big River. They are moving fast and passed through CP16 at 2.46pm.

Team captain Nathan Fa'avae said it was good to have a substantial lead and be in a position to dictate the race.

"We have a little bit of a buffer and it's nice a position to be in."

Kristina Anglem says it was almost impossible to navigate on the Brunner Range last night because the visibility was bad and it was snowing at times.

The team was holed up in a two-man tent last night for a couple of hours and moved again at daylight. In total the team has had three hours sleep.

Team member Richard Ussher is nursing a sore eye after being scratched by a tree branch early in the race and says Fa'avae did most of the navigation in the Brunner.

For 18 teams the race is over. Fifteen have withdrawn for injury or other reasons but Subaru Canada, West Coast team Solid Energy and Aussies Hardtale.com Mountain Designs who did not make it to the Buller River rafting section last night before the curfew last night continuing unranked.

The West Coast Development Trust is the principal sponsor for the World Championship.

For up to date race coverage www.arworldchampionship.com or for alternative coverage www.sleepmonsters.com.

Southern Traverse Ltd is a premier international sports event management company operating elite events around the world, including the Adventure Racing World Championship, the AR World Series and the Southern Traverse.

The Adventure Racing World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races representing 10 countries creating a 12-month calendar of professional events around the world. The series events are: Beast of the East-USA, Raid the North Extreme- Canada, Ecomotion/Pro - Brazil, Explore Sweden - Sweden, The Bull of Africa - S.Africa, Terra Incognita - Croatia, Bergson Winter Challenge - Poland, Wilderness ARC - Scotland and Southern Traverse -New Zealand. Adventure Racing World Series events are qualifiers for the Adventure Racing World Championship

Website: www.southerntraverse.com.