Team Seagate Charging through Godzone Course on Day Two

Team Seagate Charging through Godzone Course on Day Two

Reigning GODZone and World Adventure Racing Champions Team Seagate are leaving nothing to chance as they race into day two of the weeklong GODZone adventure race firmly in the lead position.

Over night the front running teams have ascended 2400m, passing the Albert Burn saddle in the western arm of Mt Aspiring National Park down into the majestic Matukituki Valley.

“ Despite yesterday being a real challenge for teams with cold, wet conditions, the pace of these lead teams has not slowed at all. As predicted Seagate are keeping to their usual strategy of racing at the front but they are being chased quite closely by some very good teams at the moment so the pressure is mounting,” says Race Director Warren Bates.

“ Swordfox have managed to hold second place overnight but the big movers have been the number one world ranked team Vidaraid who have jumped several places to third. They are really gunning for Seagate so today might be when they close the gap.”

There are some good Kiwi teams in this chasing bunch with Wanaka based teams Torpedo 7 led by Richard Anderson and Tiki Tour led by Tom Lucas in the mix.” says Bates.

The bulk of the field of 52 teams are now travelling towards the Whare Kea hut checkpoint situated at 1740m on the Albert Burn alpine trek.

“ Seagate have set a scorching pace from the get go. They are ahead of our estimated fast times by aprox one hour and it does not seem anything is slowing them down. Certainly there has not been much sleep had by any of the leaders but we wouldn’t expect that at this stage of the race.”

Stage four of the 560km course begins today with a 30km white-water canoe down the Matukituki River followed by a short coasteering section around a section of Lake Wanaka that will take teams into Glendu Bay.

“ Today will be refreshing for these teams with the river flow at a reasonably constant level taking them all the way down through the wide glacial valley – it's a beautiful stretch of water. There are some good rapids where the east and west branches meet which will keep them awake,” says Bates.

The coasteering at the end will bring an element of surprise because the teams have to swim some 400 meters to get into Glendu Bay. “

From there, the competitors will mountain bike along the spectacular Dampner Bay track on the western shores of Lake Wanaka to the GODZone race headquarters to pick up maps for the next 400km of the course.

“We have never split the maps up before like this and so we are taking the opportunity to get a video clip of each team when they come into HQ which will give a great insight into how the teams are coping,” says Bates.

He says the back of the field may take the next 24 to 48 hours to finish the Albert Burn trek.

“ The middle teams should reach the Matukituki river section by the end of today but the back teams may not appear until sometime on Monday. We will start to see a wider split between the leaders and the middle pack by the end of today and then it will be almost impossible for anyone to close that gap.”

ENDS

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