CORSICA RAID 2007

To three only, with a list of materials reduced, the stiffnesses arrived to Corsica full with courage, with for only and single goal to finish one of the most difficult raids of Europe which this year integrated environmental tests in its course.

Appointment on Saturday June 2 with 8h30 with the Cultural Space of Pianottolli-Caldarello for the technical and administrative checks. The material is spread out beside the vehicles and the organizers check the least detail méticuleusement (satellite telephone with plates VTT while passing by the stickers on the vehicles). The green light is given and it is the briefing which starts in a slackened environment and good child. The questions fuse: “will one be able to call upon the vote of the public on the tests Corsica Raid Environment? ” request the Belgian team Intersport Arlon and it is all the room which bursts of laughing.

The serious things start at the beginning of afternoon with Pianotolli-Caldarello on the beach of the International Marine Park with a first test of Corsica Raid Environment. This one is composed of a coastering, and a snorkelling having for goal to remark fauna, and the Corsica flora to answer correctly the questionnaire prepared carefully by the organizers. “The palm tree it was a question traps there is everywhere but it is not the same species” will tell us Victor of the team Ruff Raiders. It is a question for the competitors of recognizing the ten species present on the site traversed among the twenties posted. The second part of the identification consists in associating the names the photographs. Each good answer brings back one minute. This small play in fact the TEAM Expéraid the MBK appeared the most fixed and fastest on the course.

But Corsica Raid Aventure in fact especially night tests put the organizations at hard test. Logic is respected because even if for the first: Town of Sartène, it is only one formality of 3h00, for the last the hell starts with one night complete of galère to arrive in the early morning after 12h00 of mislaying for the team “Australo-Anglo-SudAfricaine” Southern Cross. It is 8h00 and it already set out again since Monacia d' Aullène for a trail towards the hamlet of Giannuccio, then a VTT which will carry out the stiffnesses on the beach of Roccapina (that of the famous rock in the shape of lion) for a new test Corsica Raid Environment.

Water is turquoise, the splendid landscapes but the rain is invited to start even more moral competitors. “The weather is hotter in Germany than in Corsica” Jakob the stiffness of the TEAM Loosers points out to us. Sunday evening, the raid leaves the Extreme South to move to High-Corsican in Venachais and to find the sun there.

Superb test canyoning on Richiusa with Bocognano the stiffnesses are regaled. “Full with jumps, abseils and toboggans it is superb! ” entrusts to us Karina member of the team Brésilienne Tribalistas. Will be followed from there a remarkable test of cords to the top of the river of Vecchio which will put full the eyes of them at all the participants.

A night test later and it is Assembles it of Oro and its 2389 meters which are profiled at the horizon. The leaders Planet TESTSTEMXÀ Spinner and their prosecutors with the classification, Expéraids MBK, will be the only ones with being able to overcome it. The other teams having arrived at the moment when the climatic conditions were degraded, they will not have the advisability of attacking. But not time to rest, the assistant with already prepared the VTT for the test of the end of afternoon. With the program of the collar of Vizzavona, large rise, punctures, two hundred meters with the bicycle on the back, a pretty descent, punctures and shifting tracks broken, the record was beaten by the team Expéraid MBK with approximately five punctures and two shifting tracks except service… “a superb test of Mountain Bike! ” the Belgian stiffnesses of Intersport Arlon specialist in the test will entrust to us. The night approaches and it with the collar of Scallela is lost in the fog that gathers the teams of the version Expert (the Challenger being at rest blotti in their sleeping bags). The night trail of orientation will take along the stiffnesses towards the artificial lake of Tolla, nested in the middle of the throats of Prunelli. Small village very hones some, moved back in a valley with the variation of the Corsican principal roads, it draws any sound charms lake and splendid sight which it gets. Arrived in the night, it is in the early morning that the stiffnesses discover all the beauty of the site.

Wednesday gives the blow of sending of the last day with for certain teams the objective taking time with their direct competitors: Iwan Vis captain of the team Intersport Arlon launched out the challenge “to aim at the podium today”.

With the program intramural trail, long test of VTT followed of via ferrata to the top of the famous dam Tolla and a finish in the kayak environment (test Corsica Raid Environment). For the team Expéraids MBK it is the first place which flies away “us did not see the barrier with leaving the turn I entered in full inside” will explain Guillaume Lenormand. This last finished the test while running while its fellow-member carried on his back and to bicycle, the VTT of Guillaume who broke into two. More for fear of evil, the stiffness complained just about cervical but with been able to finish the last day of competition.

It was the first time that Corsica Raid Aventure went to Tolla, but the stiffnesses will remember this day a long time when the multi activities of the raid ventures took all its dimension. Via ferrata was “a pure moment of pleasure” according to southern Alida it African of the team Southern Cross, and the kayak was “of a beauty to cut the breath” will tell us Pierre Racineux of the Twix team. The Belgians amateurs of mountain bike appreciated also the day “superb test even if the punctures delayed us” will entrust Pierre Collin on arrival.

To close the day and Corsica Raid Aventure, the two straw huts of the village awoke the papillae of the competitors and the members of the organization. Those divided in one moment of user-friendliness a calf to the pin accompanied by Corsican products. We can be sure that all the participants will return on their premises with the head rem folds images and memories of this extreme and unforgettable race to return still better prepared the next year.