Multi-sport Challenge – Adventure Racing, March 2009
June 9, 2009 by Coop Dogg
Filed under Featured Content, IW Cycling News, MTB, Navigational, Results
On Saturday 30 March, brothers Lee and Ryan Copeland from the Isle of Wight travelled to the Brecon Beacons in South Wales to compete in a Multi-Sport Challenge, which included kayaking, mountain-biking, trail-running and navigation over a six hour period. They were competing for Wight Mountain/Red Funnel Team.
Their pre-event strategy to concentrate on the biking and kayaking was wrecked at the start. At the briefing competitors were told that they could only run to their kayak slot. For Team Wight Mountain/ Red Funnel they were given an unfavourable kayak slot in the middle of the 6 hours, effectively meaning they had to split the run and bike in to two even halves around their time on the water.
With an incredibly hot sun beating down, they choose their weakest discipline first.
Lee and Ryan Copeland, Brecon Beacons, March 2009
They began a two and a half hour run up some very steep hills at some points having to clamber on all fours to get up the rocky tracks. Over the next eleven miles, Lee and Ryan jogged, ran and scrambled, jumped fallen logs, climbed stiles, gates, fences and danced over rocky river-paths on their way to the canal for the kayaking.
At the canal they jumped into their kayak and paddled to one checkpoint and returned to transition within a few minutes, sacrificing their kayaking to give them more time on the mountain bikes.
The next three hours were taken up with a fast and furious bike ride up some very steep hills and down some fast rocky descents. Covering another 27 miles, they road along farm tracks, country lanes, alongside a reservoir, across streams and bogs, whilst briefly admiring some stunning views. The highlights being a long technical climb up a narrow and rocky bridleway, before thundering down a rocky, slippery descent with drop-offs, jumps and switchbacks, where speed was a friend.
On the last few miles, due to the heat, both were getting cramp and overlooked a checkpoint worth 25 points within easy riding distance of the finish, ultimately costing them one position in their category.
Team Wight Mountain/Red Funnel finished their adventure challenge in 5hrs 45mins with 15 minutes spare, ample time to have got the extra 25-point checkpoint. However, Lee and Ryan still managed to finish 3rd in their category and 15th overall from an entrant of 159.
Team Wight Mountain/Red Funnel are sponsored by:
