Tintaldra – population 20 + 150 XPD racers

The XPD is on hold as the weather takes control of the race.

CP8 (TA4) was the end of the leg 4 kayak section, and the start of the 210km leg 6 mountainbike. By around 5pm yesterday (Friday), 8 teams had headed out on their bikes. All the teams still on the full course bar one had left, and a steady stream of the short-coursed teams were arriving at the TA. All teams were warned to be prepared for the severe weather that was forecast to hit first overnight, then again on Saturday afternoon.

The weather at that stage was still fine and clear, but the length of the leg and the severity of the storm warnings were fazing many of the teams, and the longer they stood around and thought about it, the more apprehensive some became. (Note that at this stage, all the Kiwi teams had gathered up their warmest gear and quantities of food and headed out).

The remaining teams called a conference with Craig and Louise, and various people voiced their concerns. A number wanted to be transported to mid-camp to continue from there. Craig was unimpressed with that suggestion, and encouraged teams to remember that they were there for the journey, and to break the MTB down into sections, rather than thinking of it as one massive 210km ride. (There were several little towns along the way). He eventually offered a short-course option to the MTB, which would have cut around 50km off the last section, including two significant climbs. He left the teams to make their own decisions at that point.

Overnight, four teams left the TA at various intervals. Some squalls passed through during the night, but in the morning the weather was still fine. However, by 6am, around 17 teams were still at the CP, and the revised forecast had forced the organisers’ hands; in the 6am forecast, the storm had contracted and intensified, and they felt that the safety issues of having that remaining number of relatively inexperienced teams leaving after that point and being spread over a fairly remote section of the course was too dangerous.

At that stage, their backup plan swung into action, and teams were transported by bus to the mid-camp (Tintaldra Hall). All the checkpoint officials from that point onwards were instructed to stop arriving teams where they were, and wait for a pick-up to mid-camp.

In the meantime, blackheart.com.au had powered through the MTB course, and arrived at the start of the Murray River kayak section at around 5am. The lack of comms at that CP meant that the message to leave the course didn’t make it, and they slept until 7am, then headed off on the paddle. (They have just arrived at mid-camp at around 3pm).

The other teams were stopped at various points..
- Blackheart / Salomon and Tangerine – had already left CP10, so continued to the end of the MTB
- Bull of Africa (UR) and 4TC (UR) were stopped at CP10
- Securify.co.nz, Nga Rakau, Girls on Top, Australaps, Yogi Bears (UR), Mawson and Goldfish (UR) were stopped at CP9A (plus maybe 3 others)
- The remaining teams went straight from CP8 to midcamp

At this stage, we’re here for at least 24 hours; more news in the briefing at 6pm on when the race will restart, and whether any course changes will be made.