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At 4:17 pm, after the French team's odometers were marking more than 240 covered kilometres, they managed it to arrive at PC9 Lago Fagnano (the organizers extended the last bike section until this point) claiming that they broke their biking distance records ever achieved.
They have crossed Tierra del Fuego on their bicycles, on a road through exuberant and ever changing scenery, from West of Whiteside Channel with steppes and Patagonian forests, pedalling through muddy roads mostly uphill, crossing rivers, then continuing again through flat and monotonous steppes, entering the dense Patagonian forests with Lengas (Nothofagus pumilio) and Ñirres (Nothofagus Antarctica) from the Northern side of the Darwin Mountain Range, from which they ascended, passed two saddles with over 450 metres of elevation to finally descend to Fagnano Lake. |
The strength and discipline of this team is impressive in comparison to the rest of the teams. They prepared themselves for the trekking in less than two hours. The route will lead them through the Cordillera Darwin towards the Beagle Canal, where the last 100 kilometres of the total of 1,112km will continue...
9:53 pm: The Mexican team arrived at PC9 Lago Fagnano, also claiming that they broke their own records of ever travelled biking distances. Even though it was the toughest ever, they enjoyed it a lot!
The Brazilian team has lived through quite an odyssey to be able to get to the PC9 Lago Fagnano. Just arriving one hour after the Mexican team, at 10:58 pm. Here’s the story: Pietro Carlos's bike caused some serious trouble in the team, forcing them to use all the spare parts and creativity to fix it. They arrived at PC9 Lago Fagnano with a mended, fixed, patched, and STILL a semi-destroyed bike! An incredible appearance! Completely out of breath, without the back brakes working, a destroyed pedal, they had to carry the consequences: one lost hour and a lot of extra energy!
Anyway: Did a great job, Camelos on the Rocks! The terrains of Tierra del Fuego witnessed your great discipline, good mood, and capability of reaching your objectives.
| PC9 Lago Fagnano - Km 976 |
| Place |
date/hour
(24 hrs) |
Team |
| 1st |
20/16:17 |
1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz |
 |
| 2nd |
20/ 21:53 |
4-7º Grado Monterrey México |
 |
| 3rd |
Out of Ranking |
11-Camelos on the Rocks |
 |
| 4th |
Out of Ranking |
7-DAP-Armada de Chile |
 |
10:30 am: From PC9 Lago Fagnano, we received a satellite telephone call from Stjepan Pavicic, the race director and creator of the PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE, reporting that the Brazilian team has decided to withdraw; due to the fact that Larissa Rangel is having ankle pains (diagnosed as tendonitis in the medical check – realized right before the kayak section). Even if it doesn't mean to be a present risk, it could cause difficulties crossing the Cordillera Darwin and might be absolutely irresponsible. So the team was transported along with the organizers to the finish line at Puerto Williams. Sorry for them because this is just a real hard lot! Worse of all: welcoming their competitors’ 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz and 4-7º Grado Monterey Mexico, who will finish the race – hopefully without any serious problems!
9:00 am: Thanks to TESAM satellite telephone communication we received a report from one of our mountain support teams in the Cordillera Darwin telling us that 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz was passing the ropes section in that zone. Their estimated time of arrival to PC10 Bahia Yendegaia is set for the later hours of the evening. Perfect timing, as they made it to cover the distance – from the lagoons to this point – in exactly the estimated amount of time.
7:45 pm: We were notified via satellite telephone that the French team 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz arrived safe at PC10 Yendegaia. Their plan now is to rest all night, to be able to go on early tomorrow morning to complete the final kayaking section that awaits them through the historic Beagle Channel.
9:19 pm: Jacobo Magdub, captain of the Mexican team 4-7º Grado Monterrey Mexico, informed the support office in Punta Arenas via their satellite phone that they are “sort of” delayed in their itinerary because of having trouble finding the correct route. Their position at this moment was the entrance into the Rio Condor. They planned to rest the night and to go on with the trekking in the early hours of the next morning. Depending on their ability to find back their way and accelerate their average walking speed, they might make it to PC10-Yendegaia in time, in order to tackle the last kayaking fraction.
“It’s a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful morning – I’m coming home!
It’s a beautiful day, memories are calling – I’m coming home!”
7:30 am: 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz, starts the final kayak section, which counts approximately 30 km through the Beagle channel. No wind and no waves at all! Fantastic, racers are crossing the legendary Beagle Channel the second time in the race’s history.
The Mexican team, 4-7º Grado Monterey Mexico is about 10 hours behind the French team. Hopefully they will manage to get to PC10 Yendegaia towards evening or midnight. The Cordillera Darwin has turned out to be a real challenge, principally for the navigation skills of the teams...
Depending on the time of arrival of the Mexican team at PC10 Yendegaia, the organization will evaluate if it's possible for them to perform the final kayak section or if they have to be transported towards Puerto Navarino to continue with the last section and finish the race at the end of the day. The world's longest expedition race at the end of the world.
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