Raid Caneo Nature 27th July - 8th August 2008

The second Raid Canéo Nature from 27 July to 8 August 2009

The preparations for the second Raid Canéo Nature are already under way.

The holding of the first Raid Canéo Nature demonstrated the interest of its race concept. The
crossing of France without motorised sports, relying only on nature-sports equipment, makes
it without doubt the biggest new adventure in recent times. After Versailles-Marseille in 2008,
next year’s contestants will be crossing France from East to West. The reconnaissance of the
course will be starting very shortly and the types of sport on the programme will be
announced as soon as possible.

The first edition was magnificent and heroic. 20 teams finished out of the 34 teams that
signed up, but almost everyone reached Marseille eventually, which was a real exploit in
itself.

In 2009, the principle of the three categories: Extreme, Raiders and Adventure, has been
kept, but with a greater difference between the itineraries. The Extreme contestants do
not want to see the level of difficulty reduced, but the other two categories would like
more time to recuperate. So the 2009 event will be less intense to allow a greater chance
for newcomers to the world of endurance adventure racing.

The Raid Canéo Nature obtained the best media coverage ever achieved in France with –
notably – a daily report on TF1 (the most popular TV channel). We can already say that the
2009 competition will satisfy even more than this year the innumerable fans of exciting and
exemplary human adventures in multisport competitions in a natural setting.
Registration is now open,

The End Of The world

 

Raid CaneO Day 1 007

 

Day 10 Sea Kayak delayed by headwinds

The Winners of the first CaneO Nature Adventure race were expected to
arrive in Marseilles tonight having travelled 1100 from Paris, where
they started ten days ago with Horse Riding.

The final stage included another leg of horse riding, mountain biking
and Kayaking, however when teams arrived at the sea a force 4 wind was
blowing onshore and as some of the teams had only sit on top kayaks
the Organisation decided to postpone the section until tomorrow, when
they would move the start nearer to Marseilles and restarting.

The Ride and Run on local Camargue horses, saw teams starting at one
minute intervals in reverse order. There was little need to trot as
the teams had plenty of time to complete the section. The horses
tended to group naturally together, so this was a relaxing non
competitive stage. Only one team MARINE NATIONALE - LATTITUDE 55
appeared to have a problem when the changed over, as their mount
wanted to catch up with the others without waiting to be mounted. All
the teams exceeded the minimum two hour time limited so had to wait at
the end of the leg before they could enter transition.

The next leg was ride a run using mountain Bikes, and here its was
noticeable that teams who had competed previously in The Oman Bike and
Run Adventure. Had an advantage, so it was no surprise to see MARINE
NATIONALE - LATTITUDE 55 who are unclassified leading the teams onto
the beach, WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN posted the fastest time and HELLY
HANSEN UK were seen to be running at race pace despite the heat. They
consumed between 10-12 liters of water during the six hours they were
racing.

Tonight the racers will camp on a beach with their support crews
before setting off in the early hours of the morning for a short 30K
paddle to the finish at a Beach to the East of Marseilles.

A Number of teams were given penalties in stage 5 for leaving the
canyon by an unauthorisd road and werr spotted by the GeoPointer
tracking system, on of the teams caught were HELLY HANSEN UK and they
have dropped to sixth posisition in the ranking

Barring accidents the lead in the three classes is not likely to
change during the final leg. WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN will be crowned
winners tomorrow night by The Mayor of Marseilles at the prize giving
in the town hall.

A Day in Camargue

All teams were held up by dark zone in the river Gardon, some had more
rest than others and a few at the back no rest at all.Helly Hansen UK,
were one of the teams who had little time to sleep as they had been
held up at the cave the previous afternoon and then lost one hour when
a member of a team ahead of them panic which delayed them a further
hour.

The pace of the race has been very demanding and all the support crews
are suffering as they rush from one transition to another to support
their team. Today proved to be especially difficult with a short Kayak
of 7 K followed by orienteering and then mountain biking bfoe a 56K
kayak leg down the river Rhone.

The early morning restart saw teams departing in race order and only
team 6 made a mistake when they capsized 20 seconds prior to their
start. All the teams found the orienteering difficult as the final
checkpoint was at the entrance to an old Roman aqueduct tunnel, the
GPS position brought teams onto a high rock above the tunnel when they
needed to backtrack to a hidden entrance. The leading teams were close
together with Wilsa Sport Helly Hansen running safely in 3rd place.

Gerard Fusil stated earlier this year said there would be no sailing
leg, however a favorable wind blowing down the Rhone for the Kayak leg
saw many teams trying out sails with good results. Helly Hansen UK,
had planned to use K2's on this stage but changed to sea kayak with a
sail in front and an umbrella at the back to bake best use of the
following wind. One team did use a k2 and Vaucluse Aventures Evasions
were first away using a sail followed a few minutes later by Wilsa
Sport Helly Hansen, who used sea kayaks without sails.

Various sailing devices were used from off the shelf products to
custom devices and last minute DIY using trekking poles and shirts.
LES FOUS DE BASSIN TDR BX probably had the biggest sail at 2Sq meters
a square sail mounted in the middle of their sit on top kayak, Lieues
aventures used a small spinnaker on mast forward, but it meant the
front person could not paddle.

Wilsa Sport Helly Hansen tactics proved to be the best as they
finished the stage ahead of Vaucluse Aventures Evasions with WILSA
WCUP CHTI Raid in third place. The sails had worked on the Rhone but
once the teams turned into the lesser Rhone the direction was wrong,

A Hot Day on The Ardeche For Raid CaneO Nature Teams

Another day of kayaking, bit with a difference as it was down the Adeche River and passed through a gorge with sections of rapids. Teams set off at 1 minute intervals in race order, so WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN was first away shortly after six. Most teams usd sea kayaks but a couple of teams used K2, which they had to portage them around the rapid. A few of the teams got caught out in the rapids and had a early bath.

Once again HELLY HANSEN UK had a excellent start and were in 2nd place at the first transition Saint-Martin- D'Ardeche, but then once on mountain bikes they lost their way allowing all but one of the  extreme teams to overtake them. Extreme and Raider classes spent the afternoon underground in the 2 K Fees Cave, around Thaaux.

WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN took longer than expected to complete the caving as they had to backtrack when they went the wrong way. The team are pacing themselves as thre of the mebrs have a race in China in a few weeks time.

Tonight the teams will doing orienteering, Mountain biking and along kayak of 51K.

There have been no further changes in ranking at mis stage of this leg, and due to limited internet access there will be no further news until tomorrow

Rest Day and results of Stage

A rest day is a new concept for Gerard Fusils' races, but looking at the teams most are need a break to refresh themselves. As dawn broke however, only a few times had arrived. The first two team were from the Adventure class as they missed out on the second cave.

WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN seem to have a firm grip on the race and once again won the stage, but they were chased home by COLUMBIA Lozère Sport Nature who were only a few minutes behind and then ABSOLUE RAID Décathlon St Orens. The UK challenge failed when HELLY HANSEN UK misread the route and as a result took them on a track which caused many punctures, it is a question if they will retain 5th place overall.

The Raider class is led by SOFERMI - RAID NATURE 46 once again stretching their lead over the other teams, RAID NATURE 09 and PIC ST LOUP AVENTURE.

The Adventure class were led in by SPORT-OUTDOOR.COM, who are now fighting back to regain the overall lead in the class which is held by BAYER - Vet Adventure Team who arrived in 3rd place this morning, the two teams were separated by Petit Casino.

The caving caused some controversy amongst the Raider and Adventure teams. When they were given a choice of a shorter route due to a long queue at the entrance, team already in the cave had not had a choice and as a result lost some three hours of daylight, which slowed them down.

The overall lead in Extreme is still held by WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN but WILSA WCUP CHTI Riad has lost 3rd place having lost time in the caving. HELLY HANSEN UK still remains in 5th place as a result of a bonus for fixing the damaged rope in the cave.
Raider classification is still led by SOFERMI - RAID NATURE 46 but Flying Avent'Hure Palfinger has dropped from 2nd to 4th place as a result of the caving.

The Adventure class has a completely new look again as a result of losses and gains in the canyoning and caving sections, those teams caught at the back loosing time with slower teams ahead of them blocking process in the cave where passing was impossible
.


Race reflections from HELLY HANSEN UK the best parts of the race on the canal with all the portages and yesterdays canyoning. The worst memories so far was the 14 punctures yesterday when they passed along a road where the hedge had been trimmed leaving many sharp points to puncture tyres. The team only had one spare tyre and after this had to resort to patches. They worked together as a team on the assembly line to save time, however at one point Nicola could not find her blue handled tyre lever. A few minutes later another puncture solved the mystery, the level was inside the tyre and caused a new puncture.


The worst part of the race for Nicola was, the Dragonnairr cave, crawling though tight passages with your nose in the mud over stalagmites' and banging ones head against stalactites in an underground traffic jam. Her constant complaining caused the rest of the team to request ear defenders for the next cave!

A Good Start To the Day for the British

Nat's-Colla del Matí – Bombers de Lleida withdrew from the race
yesterday having had difficulties understanding the race instruction
since the beginning of the race.

All teams spent the night with their support teams near LA GARDE
GUERIN the site of a 12th Century village which has been partly
restored. The enforced stop was because the canyon had a dark zone and
teams were forbidden to start until 5.30 in the morning. Many teams
made full use of this time to get much needed sleep, before 10 k of
canyoning, 37k mountain biking, 19K of caving hiking and ropes,
followed by more biking, caving canyoning and orienteering.

HELLY HANSEN UK started the day in fine form having at last had a good
four hours of sleep, they were the first team to reach the start of
the canyon, minutes ahead of the other Extreme teams. WILSA SPORT
HELLY HANSEN made a navigation error and took the wrong track as a
result of which they lost around 10 minuits.

The canyon was quite slippery and a few teams had unexpected early
baths although they did have wetsuits to protect them from the cold.
One member of LYS AVENTURE fell off a boulder in a dry section of the
canyon and bruised his hip, the team withdrew from the stage but may
continue as an incomplete team.

LES FOUS DE BASSIN TDR BX had been fighting the sleepmonster since the
start of the race and finally succumbed in the Canyon dropping down to
Raider classification.

All teams enjoyed the canyon especially those that were incomplete or
out of classification.

The second leg of the day consisted of 38 k of mountain biking and the
British team lost their lead when they incurred 14 punctures which
allowed WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN, COLUMBIA Lozère Sport Nature and
ABSOLUE RAID Décathlon St Orens to slip past them prior to the 1st of
two caving sections.

WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN entered the Dragonnière de BANNE cave during
the late afternoon via a small hole in field but had to wait in a
queue for Adventure and Raider classes who had arrived ahead of them
directly from the canyon.

The results of first three stages show WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN, some
four hours ahead of COLUMBIA Lozère Sport Nature who have a one hour
buffer over WILSA WCUP CHTI Raid.

The Raider classification is much closer with SOFERMI - RAID NATURE 46
around one and a half hours ahead of Flying Avent'Hure Palfinger who
incurred a penalty of 1 hour along with a number of other teams for
missing equipment, but they still are ahead of OAHU.

The Adventure class is very close with thre teams in contention BAYER
- Vet Adventure Team, EMSA: RAID'EPERNON and INTERSPORT LIEGE

Ten teams are out of classification including LATTITUDE 55 as they
missed a section yesterday but thy ar still enjoying themselves.

As this press release was issued the latest leaders of the day are
WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN, SOFERMI - RAID NATURE 46 and
SPORT-OUTDOOR.COM as they entered the first cave so it is possible
that the lead in Adventure might change.

A Day of Multi Sport

One team The Fous de Bassin TDR BX barely made it to the start of stage 4. In fact the start was delayed to allow them to quickly change to restart the race.

The pace of the race seemed to pick up today wil a short 6k Kayak across lake Naussac, then on to mountain bikes. The Adventure teams had only a short ride before being transferred to the start of trekking stage, whilst the other teams cycled the full 46K, before setting of intothe mountains for a 35 K hike.

Once again favorites WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN were in the vanguard but The Fous de Bassin TDR BX was in close contention even though they had had no sleep. British team HELLY HANSEN UK, had a bad night taking the wrong route twice and Nicola MacLeod cracked her elbow as a result of falling off her bike some many times as the team raced to stay in the Extreme classification.’

Team 16 LATTITUDE 55 in Adventure are enjoying the race without stressing themselves and even found a way to save time on the river section, using a tactic I myself used in in the Elf Authentique Adventure.

At CP 19 the end of 1st leg of Mountain biking a SPORT-OUTDOOR.COM in Adventure class was nck and neck with WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN and the leading Raider team SOFERMI - RAID NATURE 46 one minute behind, Little had changed at the end of the second leg zprt from the fact that adventure teams arrived via support vehicle so some were on the course ahead of the other classification, however WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN opened up a lead of 5 minutes over Columbia Lozère Sport Nature and ABSOLUE RAID - Décathlon Saint-Orens, further down the field HELLY HANSEN UK had gained a six place but was loosing ground on the leaders.

The trekking is expected to take teams all day as they orienteer across the mountains, thankfully the heat of the last few days has abated and provided the rain holds off the conditions are pretty good.

A full classification will only be available later, but it is not expected to change the overall leaders in any class. Many teams are incomplete or out of classification but racing for fun, which Gerard Fusil encourages all to do , it’s the taking part that matters not the winning.

A Long Day on The River

Yesterday one of the leading teams TEAM SPORT 2000 LAFUMA VIBRAM
abandoned the Raid CaneO Nature ,at CP 8,due to a team member
suffering severe dehydration which resulted in provided a three hour
buffer for leading team Wilsa Sport Helly Hansen. At this stage the
race order for the section in Extreme was WILSA WCUP CHTI Raid, Helly
Hansen UK, Wilsa Sport Helly Hansen, Columbia Lozère Sport Nature and
The Fous de Bassin TDR BX.

The Raider classification overall was being lead by OAHU clearly ahead
of chasing teams Les Mureaux –Défis Sports Aventures and Flying
Avent'Hure Palfinger.

The Adventure class Valmo Raid Pink team - Décathlon Sequedin were
one hour ahead of Lys Aventure with Intersport Liège a further hour
behind.

The first of the adventure teams arrived at the abseil ahead of the
overall leaders as they followed a shorter route, however Wilsa Sport
Helly Hansen was once again in the lead at this CP.
.
A storm during the night forced the closure of the Abseil at "the end
of the World ", resulting in an extension of time of some two hours
for closing of the CP's , it also made the skating sections a bit
more difficult .The ropes section proved to be a bottle neck and Helly
Hansen UK,, took advantage of the situation to get an hours sleep with
the clock stopped, whilst in a queue..

Thursday proved to be a day of waiting with slow progress kayaking on
the river Saone as the river was flowing slowly teams expected to take
between two to four hours longer than planned, with mountain biking
and inline skating before finishing the stage in the evening.
..
One of the International teams Nat's-Colla del Matí – Bombers de
Lleida from Spain competing as a Raider had a problem interpreting the
rules and arrived at CP 12 missing out the Roller Blading section in
order to keep within the cutoff time and were given an option to
continue if they took 110% of the time of the last team in the class.

A Hard Night on The Bougogne Canal

It was a hard day's night for all the teams as they struggled to
portage some forty locks, as dawn broke the first team WILSA SPORT
HELLY HANSEN transferred to Mountain bikes for the final leg of the
stage, some 4 hours later than expected. Behind them teams with sea
kayaks were struggling, team ABSOLUE RAID Décathlon St Orens abandoned
the race halfway through the kayak leg.

The Raid CaneO nature organization was forced to make contingency
plans for teams in classification Raider and Adventure to ensure all
teams were ready to start Stage 3 later in the day..The order of
arrival in Extreme class was WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN, around an hour
ahead of TEAM SPORT 2000 LAFUMA VIBRAM who had had a good day, then
team WILSA WCUP CHTI Raid, showing on the leader board for the first
time arrived some 15 minutes later. HELLY HANSEN UK arrived in 5th
place around 3 hours behind the leaders and Nicola MacLeod said it was
the hardest kayak leg she had ever done, the team had stopped for a
ten minute cap nap, and headed strait to camp to eat and sleep before
the 1330 start of the next leg
..
The first two days of the Raid have been a little confusing with
problems of horse riding and the lack of time to finish stage 2 which
effected some 15 teams, details of the Raider and Adventure
classifications are not yet available.
.
Having taken into account all adjustments to date the overall race is
being lead by WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN who have a lead of around a one
and one half hours, over TEAM SPORT 2000 LAFUMA VIBRAM. Second place
is secured by over a two hour gap to a group of three teams chasing
teams. WILSA WCUP CHTI Raid, COLUMBIA Lozère Sport Nature and HELLY
HANSEN UK who are fighting it out for 3rd place and are at present
separated by a few minutes. (all above subject to confirmation)

The first withdrawal of the race came from team DENY in the Raider
classification and they are now unclassified MARINE NATIONALE -
LATTITUDE 55 also lost a team member and two members are continuing
unclassified., VESALIS, FUN EVENTS and VALMO RAID PINK TEAM -
DÉCATHLON SEQUEDIN are also out of classification.

Stage 3 had an interesting start, as the kayak leg started with the
passage through a tunnel, so that whichever team gets tot the entrance
first would have a great advantage as it was very hard to overtake,
this maybe just what current leaders need to consolidate their
position.

WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN took their customary lead from the restart,
but hit the side of the canal entering the tunnel and had to stop at
the exit which allowed WILSA WCUP CHTI Raid to go into the lead for
the first time, HELLY HANSEN UK started carefully and lead the second
group into the mouth of the tunnel

Later this evening there is mountain biking, abseiling, and inline
skating which will be reported tomorrow.

The Field Divides

The first Cut off's took place during the night, with some 16 team
maintaining the Extreme Class. The race is being led by WILSA SPORT
HELLY HANSEN, despite the fact that they lost their tracking system
yesterday and suffered a 1 hour penalty last night they still finished
the stage at 6:15 this morning having built up a lead of some 45
minutes during the mountain bike stage. They commented that the stage
was longer than expected.

The Raider Classification and second team to arrive was OAHU who
walked into the stadium just before 7 AM having missed out on the
final mountain bike section.

Many teams are requesting time adjustments for the Ride and run stage
where the behavior of the horses affected their progress. British team
HELLY HANSEN UK had lost more than 50 minutes on two occasions during
the first half of the ride and run stage, The first stop some 8 k into
the race when one horse panicked and only calmed down following three
injections from a vet, some 12K later the second horse stopped and
would go no further , so all the team had to run to the compulsory
stop to start the second leg with a new horse which was the reason
they became tail end Charlie and had to race against the clock to
continue in the Extreme classification..They have appealed for redress
which might bring them back into contention with the top 5 teams.
Results of pending appeals will be announced tomorrow, prior to the
next stage.
The overall classification is still close at the top with 5 teams
still in contention and allegations were rife concerning possible
contraventions, during the night where some teams may have taken a
short cut to avoid the route which required bike carrying over and
around boulders.
One member of team IMI Groupe complete the stage with a leg injury,
but will continue on as they can still kayak and bike and hope their
leg will recover before the next running event in Stage 3.

Teams were relieved to hear that the start of Stage two had been
delayed by three hours, until 1500 hrs which allowed them time to
sleep for a few hours before they had to leave for a road transit to
the start of the next stage, which starts with nearly 100K of Kayaking
followed by mountain biking

Teams following the Adventure route headed directly to the start of
the next stage and this class is being led by a team of vets - BAYER -
Vet Adventure Team.

This afternoon the race transferred to the boat basin at
Saint-Florentin Teams lined up for a start between two buoys, racing
upstream toward a narrow bridge hole, first to reach the bridge was
WILSA SPORT HELLY HANSEN, Many teams had nervous moments with a few
collisions, some teams with fragile racing boats hung back to stay out
of trouble.

The kayak leg has many locks, where teams have to lift their boat out
of the water below the lock and carry them uphill to the next level
and this is where teams with lighter boats have an advantage, One team
with heavy sea kayaks carried a trolley to help with the transition
around the lock. The order at the first lock was WILSA SPORT HELLY
HANSEN, VAUCLUSE AVENTURES EVASIONS and ABSOLUE RAID Décathlon St
Orens, other teams with K2 kayaks, such as HELLY HANSEN UK were
moving swiftly through the field which also included sit on top
kayaks. The teams at the back of the pack with heavier kayaks such as
LATTITUDE 55 were at a definite disadvantage and seemed to be
struggling even at the first portage, so it is expected they will be
very tired by tomorrow morning.

Day 1 Ride and Run Chaos

Once again in an Adventure Race, animals played a major part in the
success or failure of teams during the first stage of the race. Some
teams had little time to get to know their horses for the Ride and
run. A collection of ponies and horses of various sizes were
distributed to the teams according to their riding ability. The
British team Helly Hansen UK, were allocated one large horse and once
medium, but they were one of the last teams to start. The first six
teams were started just after 9:30 AM followed 30 seconds later by a
second group, immediately a couple of horses lost their riders. During
the first circuit of the lake at the Palace of Versailles at least
seven teams lost control of their horses. Team DENIV was the final
team to leave the Palace grounds after waiting for a replacement
horse.

Once on the true course a group of five teams broke away and by the
time the time they reached the compulsory rest stop, Team WILSA SPORT
HELLY HANSEN had a 20 minute lead despite Karine Baillet, falling off
in a rocky part of the course and having the horse step on her.

VAUCLUSE AVENTURES EVASIONS lead a pack of four teams separated by a
few minutes followed 10minutes later by TEAM SPORT 2000 LAFUMA VIBRAM.

Teams continued to arrive in groups or singularly and it was noticed
than many of the horses were suffering from the heat and some teams
such as LES FOUS DE BASSIN TDR BX resorted to leading their horses.

Georges CAUCHOIS of Lattitude 55 the oldest competitor finished the
first leg in the middle of the field and the team had no problems and
were happy with their progress.

During the rest stop teams were also treated to a meal and had time to
attend to minor injuries whilst their mounts were inspected. A
Decision was then made to change the format of the second part of the
ride and run with each team departing with only one horse. Cutoff
times were also adjusted with teams allowed to take 3 hours on the
second half without penalty. Subsequently cutoff times for extreme and
adventure have also been extended by 3 hours.

At the time this report goes to press all teams have competed the
initial run and ride with Helly Hansen UK in last position.

Teams face a hard night of racing once they finish the second stage of
the ride and run with some 96K of mountain biking and 15 K of
Orienteering before reaching the end of the stage at Fontainebleau.

The second stage starts at midday tomorrow at Saint-Florentin with
Kayaking and team will either make a road transfer from Fontainebleau
or else will head there directly having dropped to a lower
classification.

Briefing for Raid Caneo Nature

The Raid Caneo Nature briefing was held yesterday at Maison De la Butte Ronde, Gerard Fusil's introduction provided no surprises as teams had already received the Raid Book and a list of maps. Clarification was given regarding sections of the route and the procedures to be used regarding the GeoPointer tracking system and Sports Ident which will b used in orienteering sections. All but one team attended the briefing, Fous de Bassin was expected to arrive during the evening and one member of the all female team was expected to arrive today.

The ride and run which starts the race on Monday in Versailles will be controlled by setting off teams in numerical order to avoid possible confusion as they trot around the palace grounds and out onto the course.



David Ogden - International Adventurers.

Last Minute Rush

British team Helly Hansen UK  like many teams have been racing to get to the start line. Ski Sharp has flown in from the Oman and has been busy with an iron placing race stickers on his gear, lets hope he is better racing than ironing as he made a hole in his Lycra legging. Friends and family have been roped in to help, sewing, preparing rations and even collecting kayaks from the North of England.Maps have been marked up and GPS set up. Now the worse is over as they  head for the camping site outside Versailles to meet up with fellow teams, ready for their longest race, over 11,000 Kilometres.

 

David Ogden - International Adventurers

Sustainable sport sweeps across France

The figures are there for all to see. The most widely practiced sports in France are today sporting activities in a natural environment, sports which defy constraints and schedules and which include foot races, mountainbiking, kayaking, sailing, rollerblading, climbing and orienteering to name but a few.

 

Multi-sport competitions of the "rally" type have "naturally" developed, involving numerous disciplines and requiring both varied sporting skills and an ability to adapt to life in the great outdoors.

 

One of the defining characteristics of these sporting activities is that they are practiced by amateurs, often of a very high level but who have no problem participating alongside competitors with more modest abilities, of differing ages and whose goal is not always to win but rather to develop their spirit of adventure, discover new

horizons or to pursue their quest for excitement and peak physical fitness.

 

This is a sport for all, a sport for our century, a pure sport rather than a business-driven sport… That said it is by no means a sport lacking in entertainment value. Far from it in fact, as we will be demonstrating with the Raid CanéO Nature which will be providing first-hand coverage of these courageous, committed and versatile men

and women with a thirst for knowledge and discovery, capable of amazing feats over an incredible race route across France, a route which changes each year.

 

The Raid CanéO Nature offers a simple route, which for this first event runs from Versailles to Marseille. A total of 40 teams of four men and women will be completing this 1100 km route without motorized transport of any form, by means of a number of sporting disciplines ideally suited to the environment. This event provides an

opportunity to discover a rare and hidden side of France, a France boasting an unrivalled heritage.

 

The Raid CanéO Nature has been designed to offer these outstanding nature sports athletes a competition in which they can push themselves to the limit. The Raid CanéO Nature also seeks to give the regions covered by the event an opportunity to show off their astonishing richness and diversity. The Raid CanéO Nature aims to

inspire and motivate all of those viewers and spectators enthralled by the scenes and events surrounding these determined sportsmen and women, all committed nature lovers with no shortage of pioneering spirit and energy.

 

As a sport which emerged spontaneously of its own accord, from among the ranks of ordinary people, nature sports have now been officially recognized by the Ministry of Sport, which has set up a steering committee given the task of facilitating participation in this sport throughout the country. All that was missing was a major

flagship event. And with the Raid CanéO Nature... here it is!

 

Gérard FUSIL

Route map of Raid Caneo Nature

Click on image for full size picture
























David Ogden - International adventurers

Teams for Raid Caneo Nature 2008

1 – EMSA – Raid’Epernon - Yoanna Gervais, Thierry Grizard, Emmanuel Charberet, Frédéric Clares
Two engineers, a technical training instructor and a senior technician: top quality IQ in the air. But it is quite possible to be brainy while having one’s feet firmly on the ground, and this is certainly the impression that our four adventurers give. Thierry GRIZARD, an engineer with a keen interest in sailing, has taken part in numerous long-distance rallies since the beginning of the 21st century, including a recent TransMoroccan one with his alter-ego Emmanuel CHARBERET who prefers paddling to sailing. In contrast, the technical training instructor Yoanna GERVAIS recognises that her rally pedigree is a bit skimpy and is anxious about her lack of experience. A small handicap that her two engineer mates will make up for, as will Frédéric CLARES, also a former TransMoroccan competitor and a keen devourer of wide-open spaces.

2 - WILSA WCUP CHTI Raid - Carine Porret, Laurent Beauquey, Mickael Vignal, Yannick Wojtowski.
Guys from the North and Pas d’Calais region, who are unbeatable according to the old song, always make up a solid contingent of the rallies of Gérard FUSIL who is also a native of “that place up there”. The first two are from Râches, Mickael VIGNAL and Yannick WOJTKOWSKI. Both shared the honor of crossing the finishing line first in the Réunion d’Aventures 2007. Champions in the “Discovery” category, they clocked up 214 kms in 4 days, 3 hours and 25 minutes. With them is another northerner, Laurent BEAUQUEY, French two-seater kayak champion in 1995, for whom the CanéO Nature will be his “first major long-distance rally”. Our trio of northerners are backed up by the engineer Carine PORRET, from Isère, whose experience includes an Oman Adventure 2005 and the Réunion d’Aventures 2007, so she’s no spring chicken when it comes to rallies …

3 – CELLUMAT - LEROUX - WILSA -Nadine Lacheré, Franck Buckman, Luc Andrivon, Brahim Bourrada.
After these youngsters come the forty-something’s, northerners too. They include Luc ANDRIVON, another hero of the Réunion d’Aventures 2007, a competition that remains one of his best sport memories. With him is the teacher Brahim BOURRADA, a marathon runner who is also a keen climber, and Nadine LACHERE, who just adores running, cycling and every type of rally so long as she doesn’t have to run on an empty stomach. This quartet of forty-something’s – all completely new to this level of competition – is completed by Franck BUCKMAN, from Lille, very keen on scuba diving, orienteering races and mountain-biking. His first marathon was also top of the list of his bad memories: “When I crossed the finishing line I could hardly walk!”

4 – Soul of Tribe - Sandra Limouzin, Pierre-Etienne Léonard, Gauthier Bancarel, Thibault Banon-Selves
Pierre-Etienne LEONARD, an all-round sportsman of a high level, took part in the Réunion d’Aventures 2004 which was completely deluged from beginning to end in torrential rain. But that did not stop him from finishing in 4th place in the “Adventure” category, an exploit all the more remarkable as half of the teams had been forced out of the race. This keen lover of Gérard Fusil’s rallies is back with two physical education teachers, Sandra LIMOUZIN who cherishes an excellent memory of the New Caledonia rally (3rd place) and a terrible one in Argentina (she had to pull out early on), while Gauthier BANCAREL has just gobbled up rallies (but not Brussels sprouts) since he turned 18. Thibault BANONSELVES completes the quartet animated by a tribal spirit as its name indicates.

5 – Vaucluse Aventures Evasions - Vincent Bouchut, Jean-Michel Cateau, Josiane Séguier, Frédéric Fabre
Two Vauclusiens plus two Varois equal four athletes adept in nature sports, all keen on mountain biking, two good at running and three in orienteering, which is just as well in the circumstances. Vincent BOUCHUT and Jean-Michel CATEAU had a foretaste of what’s in store at the Réunion d’Aventures 2005 where they won in the “Adventure” category. Both of them, as well as Josiane SEGUIER, have competed in a hundred rallies in France as well as in international competitions. Frédéric FABRE would like to get out and away as often as his team-mates if only he had the time. But he’s in the noble and demanding profession of wine-growing, which keeps him home a lot… Versailles > Marseille

6 - ABSOLUE RAID - Décathlon Saint-Orens - Aline Labourdère, Adrien Séguret, Bruno Bareilles, Eric Maire.
Adrien SEGURET, a physics lab technician from Toulouse, enjoys outdoor sports and mountain biking as does the teacher Philippe LACHAUMETTE who has taken part in dozens of regional rallies and knows all the tracks, torrents and thalwegs of the South-West. Not forgetting caves, as a good native of Lourdes. In contrast, Aline LABOURDERE, from Beaucens and Eric MAIRE, from Colomiers, both of them great runners as well, have a real preference for horse riding. Our four Pyrenean natives look pretty well qualified to take on the challenge of the Raid CanéO Nature. With two reservations, one for Adrien SEGURET whose best sporting memory is a cycling race that he won close to home and among friends, and the other for Eric MAIRE who is not looking forward to the lack of sleep during the long competition. The Raid CanéO Nature does not go by Toulouse and it lasts ten days.

7 – Lys Aventure - Hélène Compignie, Nicolas Mitton, Arnaud Degand, Laurent Nicollo
Hélène was born in Béthune and Mathilde in Saint-Omer, which will not displease the sponsor of the Raid CanéO Nature. The best memory of the COMPIGNIE sisters was the first rally in which they both competed in 2006. Since then, they have continued to run together all over the North of France. Arnaud DEGAND, also a native of Pas-de-Calais, joins them to try to notch up a new rally on his wall of trophies. An ambition shared by Laurent NICOLLO, a forty-something from Auvergne and a specialist in mountain races. Perfectly normal for someone who lives in the Massif Central!

8 – Sport nature – Ville-la-Grand -Caroline Finance, Fred Fleck, Nicolas Bouchardon, Marc Paturel,
The TNRMA, for those still don’t know what it is, is not a military regiment but the Trophée National des Raids Multi Activités. The trophy winners in 2007, for those who may have forgotten, were Messrs Nicolas BOUCHARDON, Marc PATUREL and Fred FLECK. Joking aside, this trio who live very far from each other come together often for top level competitions in France. And they often climb up on the podiums. The Alsatian Caroline FINANCE who joins them today will have no problem keeping up with them thanks to her experience of rallies in Spain, Morocco and Australia. And she picked up a bronze medal down under at the world mountain biking-orienteering relay championships.

9 – Columbia Lozère Sport Nature - Christine Cornez, Benjamin Monier, Yannick Pierrat, Laurent Galtier.
The teacher Laetitia PROUHEZE is more than familiar with all the ski slopes and running tracks of her native Lozère. Her two top passions are cross-country skiing and running. Two other natives of Lozère will be accompanying her for the first Raid CanéO Nature, Laurent GALTIER, a great fan of mountain biking and rugby, and Benjamin MONIER who has distinguished himself in several French rallies. His track record is almost identical to that of Yannick PIERRAT, a Jurassien who completes this plucky foursome who are all taking part in a nature sports competition of this level for the first time.

10 - Flying Avent’Hure Palfinger -Vanessa Frappier, Julien Frappier, Olivier Choteau, Thierry Bellivier.
She loves the effort she puts into sports, and chocolate also. He loves nature. And they love each other (the proof, they’re married): this couple from Deux-Sèvres are sure to love the Raid CanéO Nature. Vanessa and Julien FRAPPIER, both teachers and keen competitors in regional rallies, are joined by Olivier CHOTEAU a colleague who, to quote Churchill, enjoys “blood, sweat and tears” and, to quote Beaudelaire, rejects whatever is “luxury, calm and voluptuousness”. The fourth member of the team is the marathon runner Thierry BELLIVIER who drops a little quote from Sacher Masoch: “Beyond a certain level, pain becomes pleasure”! The Raid CanéO Nature – whose international dimension all four will be discovering – is sure to fulfil their deepest wishes…

11 - OAHU - Christine Lamouche, Hervé Lamouche, Patrick Lamarre, Stéphane Bernier.
Loving means running together in the same direction, Saint-Exupéry might have commented if he’d known the LAMOUCHE couple because Christine, a teacher and Hervé, a film director, won a national mixed trophy in 2006. But their other best memories hardly coincide: for her it is a rally in the Czech Republic, and for him the climbing of Aconcagua. They will have with them another teacher, Stéphane BERNIER, a specialist in cyclo cross and mountain biking as well as a fourth team-member, Patrick LAMARRE who, as well as being an avid DIY fan, (“my McGyver side”) is Versailles > Marseille a helicopter pilot with the gendarmerie. Back on the ground, he had a little accident that sent his car rolling over at more than 40 km/h. Laconic comment of the gendarme: “There was some damage”.

12 – ABS – Aventure Féminine - Karine Dugrand, Claire Pinatel, Karine Bouchot, Viviane Rognant.
This team is completely female and three quarters of them come from Toulouse. Two Karines, both physical education teachers, paid the price of a knee (Karine DUGRAND) and an ankle (Karine BOUCHOT) to build up a fine record in the field of nature sports. Viviane ROGNANT will be contributing her precious cycling, mountain biking and rollerblade experience. As for Claire PINATEL, who once took part in a race in France dressed as a Michelin Man, she will be the riding expert of this quartet managed by Karine DUGRAND who has chosen for assistants Colette DUGRAND and Jean- Louis DUGRAND. A nice little family-run business that intends to carve out some market share during the Raid CanéO Nature.

13 – Intersport Liège - Laurent Mignon, Jean-Philippe Degey, Hedwige Tilkin, Michel Tilkin
It’s a pleasure to meet again our friends from Liège on this Raid CanéO Nature. The Belgian team looks extremely well qualified in terms of the range of sports practised by each of its members. Laurent MIGNON has clocked up impressive performances on marathons in the Northern fogs and can’t forget one race in which he “forgot” his long-standing friend and team mate. Jean-Philippe DEGEY has a very similar profile with a lot of time devoted to biathlon and triathlon events. As for Hedwige and Michel TILKIN, they have done Croatia, Chamonix and the Jura together. So Belgium is fielding at least one strong team for the competition.

14 – Cap Opale - Nathalie Bourillon, Julien Charlemagne, Patrice Kergosien, Patrice Libert.
Nathalie BOURILLON excels particularly in mountain climbing, with a world cup gold medal as her top achievement, as well as three Raids Gauloises and several international races. And two Réunion d’Aventures, including the Homeric one in 2005 when her team arrived in first place, and the dramatic one in 2007, where she finished outside the classification following the injury of a team mate. CHARLEMAGNE was also in that same Réunion d’Aventures 2007 where he came in third in the “Adventure” category. With the two Patrices – KERGOSIEN and LIBERT – who have very similar profiles to the two others, this team looks very promising for the CanéO Nature

15 – Nat’s-Colla del Matí – Bombers de Lleida -Miguel-Angel Calvo-Oechsle, Franco Javier Rodríguez-Verdès, Gemma Navarro-Najar, Jordi Mas-Dedeu
A fireman, a policeman, a physics lab assistant and a teacher: but more important than the professions of our four athletes is the fact that they all come from Spain, two from Barcelona and two from Lleida. All four know each other well after years of competing on the same tracks. Gemma NAVARRO NAJAR, a teacher, and her husband Jordi MAS DEDEU have clocked up hundreds of kilometers on races in their native Catalonia, Spain and Portugal. Add in to this wealth of experience a Colombian rally in the Andes for Miguel Angel CALVO OECHSLE and Franco Javier RODRÍGUEZ VERDÈS. We guess that they won’t feel too homesick competing among their French neighbours provided that the weather holds up and includes plenty of sunshine.

16 – Lattitude 55 - Dominique Garcia, Marie-Claude Christ, Emmanuel Elalouf, Georges Cauchois.
GARCIA, CAUCHOIS, ELALOUF: this trio has given every proof of fidelity over recent years. Dominique GARCIA, from Montpellier, and Georges CAUCHOIS, from Ste Geneviève des Bois, have often put in brilliant joint performances on the Raid Gauloises, Elf Authentique Aventure, Réunion d’Aventures and Oman Adventure, all races with the stamp of Gérard FUSIL on them. They are joined by another faithful team member, Emmanuel ELALOUF, a real fan of the Oman Adventure in which he competed in one team and sponsored another team! These three hardy campaigners are accompanied today by a newcomer who is no novice, Marie-Claude CHRIST, who already has built up a solid record as a triathlete and will fit into the team with ease.

17 – Fun Events - Catherine Gance, Lionel Boimard, David Louaze, Yann Lahellec.
These four musketeers have two points in common: they are all from Cergy, a noble town on the outskirts of Paris, and they are all very keen on nature sports. With a few nuances, of course. Lionel BOIMARD, after twenty-five years of judo, has put aside his black belt to indulge a real passion for green races, while Catherine GANCE was a recent contestant in the world triathlon championships. David LOUAZE has a keen interest in orienteering races which he shares with Yann LAHELLEC. This very balanced combination of talents will be forged even closer together by the exploits demanded of them in the Raid CanéO Nature in August. 18 – 7 Lieues aventures Katell Corne, Pierre Gagnière, Cyril Ennequin, Jean-Luc Petithomme.
With five classic Raids Gauloises, three Corsica rallies and two “Hannibals”, Pierre GAGNIERE is certainly no greenhorn in the small world of international rallies. Nor is his pal Cyril ENNEQUIN, who wore out a few pairs of trainers on the route between Niger and Mauritania. As for the architect Jean-Luc PETITHOMME (three Gauloises so far), he has already collected fractures and other painful memories right (ankle and kneecap) and left (hand and knee). The tree hardy annuals are joined by the triathlete Katell CORNE who is known for her legendary good humour. Katell, who adores a bit of fun, cannot stand whiners who complain. All set, gentlemen?

19 – Vesalis - Alice Caplier, Catherine Orsi, Régime Lemaitre, Serge Pesanti.
Three women and one man, all from Isère and so no strangers to mountain heights. But their main achievements so far have been in mountain biking. Alice CAPLIER and Catherine ORSI have also built up a solid track record in orienteering races while Régine LEMAITRE and Serge PESENTI, although well experienced in these disciplines, have a clear preference for cross-country skiing which is unfortunately not on the programme of the present Raid CanéO Nature. Until the next Raid is held in the snow of winter, our four Alpine athletes will have to give their full attention to the no less demanding disciplines of horse riding, kayaking, caving, hiking and abseiling in different natural settings between Paris and Marseille.

20 - IMI Groupe -Eddie Berthurel, Laurent Descarpentries, Anne-Lise Rocher, Jérémy Baron
Yet another survivor from the deluge of 2004. In Reunion, Eddy BERTHUREL, despite the calamitous weather, managed to lead his team in the “Extreme” category right to the end. Or just about. A marker that he missed pushed them out of the classification. Our friendly gendarme took his revenge three years later in Oman where he finished a very decent fifth and in the “Extreme” category! He’s back with a Vendéen, Laurent DESCARPENTRIES, a champion in Polynesian dug-out canoes (!), Anne GARCIA, a Bigorroise, who adores mountaineering and a Parisian, Jérémy BARON whose combined talents in running, mountain biking, climbing and orienteering makes him a very all-round team-mate to have.

21 – Issy Aventure - Grany = Amélie Laurendon, Bruno Girard, Didier Iket, Pierre Ouagne
The Oman Adventure 2007 remains for the two Ecole Normale graduates Bruno GIRARD and Didier IKET the highlight of their sports career. Firstly, because they only met two days before the race started; secondly, because on the eve of the start their derailleur gear, already repaired twice, broke once more; thirdly, because after an extraordinary struggle with the leading competitors throughout the race they fished first in the last stage and second in the overall classification. With them this time is the engineer Pierre OUAGNE who has chalked up a solid number of national rallies including in the Czech Republic and Croatia, and Amélie LAURENDON, who has an impressive array of titles and medals in the many disciplines that she practices. They head off for Versailles with the hope of doing as well as or even better than last year in Oman…

22 - Sport-outdoor.com - Sybille Galindo, Cyril Gautier, Thierry Galindo, Xavier Bloem.
Thierry GALINDO admits it: his principal virtue as well as his worst defect is that he is stubborn! And when Thierry is stubborn enough to keep going right to the end, it usually pays off. As it did at the last Oman Adventure which he won with flying colours although he was taking part for the first time in this type of long bike and run race Nature will also be a new experience for him, one that he’ll be sharing with his wife Sybille GALIN DO. Sybille, a gym teacher with plenty of experience in rallies and mountain biking races, comes from Isère and is a passionate devotee of mountain climbing and keeps a precious memory of her ascent of the Ecrins: she won her first 4,000 metres race at age 12. The same passion is shared by Xavier BLOEM, a triathlete who went even higher than her, all the way up Mont Blanc. The last member of the team, Cyril GAUTIER, was content to climb the Isoard. But in purely sporting terms, this gym teacher has already reached the summit: he is a national technical advisor for the triathlon discipline.

23 – The Fous de Bassin TDR BX - Karine Sanson, Pascal Mouchargue, Hubert Le Guen, Patrice Dugornay
Without music, as Nietzsche once wrote, life would be a mistake. The life of Karine SANSON is far from being one since she teaches music. And when she is asked which foreign language she knows she replies: music. The young lady from Bordeaux has also had time to become a racing champion and completed her first Réunion d’Aventures in 2007 in 7th place in the “Adventure” category. This happy memory she shares with her pal Pascal MOUCHARGUE who came in a brilliant second in the Oman Adventure 2006, just a nose ahead of his other pals Hubert LE GUEN and Patrice DUGORNAY. All of them, before the Oman Adventure and the Réunion d’Aventures, had used up pairs of trainers on the Raids Gauloises. So, when it comes to nature sports, these four really know the ins and outs.

24 – Sofermi - Raid Nature 46 - Lucie Marion, Jean-Marc Marion, Laurent Lestarquit, Charles Loubsens
We have known the CAUCHOIS father and son (who promised us a father, son and grandson trio). In the meantime, here is another unusual couple: MARION, father and daughter. Jean-Marc, a company manager, is a keen fan of mountain biking and skiing. As is his daughter Lucie, who shares his grit and staying power and who will be tackling here her first big competition at international level. Accompanying them are two guys from Toulouse, Laurent ESTARQUIT and Charles LOUBSENS, longstanding fellow team-mates of Jean-Marc, the father. It looks like these four will not have to waste much time on making each other’s acquaintance as they line up at the start of the Raid.

25 – Les Mureaux –Défis Sports Aventures -Patricia Ugolini, Nicolas Ugolini, Dominique Grégoire, Pascal Gillet
Monsieur and Madame UGOLINI share – among other things – a passion for adventure nature sports. They have been together on the climbing of Mont Blanc, on the Réunion d’Aventures and closer to home on the Raid 28 which took them through Eure-et-Loire. Raid 28 is also the common denominator of this team, which includes two teachers, Dominique GREGOIRE, also a fan of Mont Blanc and Pascal GILLET, the doyen with a great future ahead of him. These four team-mates from the Paris region are gearing up for the Raid CanéO Nature, a competition quite different from what they have experienced so far.

26 – Valmo Raid Pink team - Décathlon Sequedin - Heidy Leroy, Maxime Leroy, Thomas Bartos, Axel Ricquebourg
Two of them are from Lille, one from Villeneuve d’Ascq (not far away) and one from Perenchies (fairly near). These Northerners, Maxime and Heidy LEROY, Thomas BARTOS and Axel RICQUEBOURG, have worn out trainers in many local races such as the Raid des Bassins miniers and the Défi des Terrils. They share a fond memory of losing their trainers in the mud at Le Touquet, at night, with the canoe upside down and all of them up to their ears in mud! But Le Touquet, a total nightmare for the LEROY couple, happens to be the very best memory of Axel RICQUEBOURG, who emerged from it in a blaze of glory. This time they are wondering how the cookie will crumble when the tests get tough.

27 – Bayer - Vet Adventure Team -Fanny Hureau, Charly Pignon, Ludovic Simon, Marc Le Petit.
Everything got off to a bad start! On rollers, Charly PIGNON is a champion. However, he got tangled with his team-mate, less of a champion than him, and both fell heavily on the tar just a few minutes into the Réunion d’Aventures 2007. Charly had the tip of his nose torn off and an arm badly cut but still managed to finish 4th in the “Discovery” category. A veterinary student like him, Ludovic SIMON was his team-mate in Reunion. Two other apprentice vets will be joining them for the Raid CanéO Nature, Fanny HUREAU and Marc LE PETIT, both experienced rally contestants and riders. Note: while vets are known for having fun in their free time, out on the terrain they take their work very seriously indeed…

28 – Raid Nature 09 -Elodie Castex, Frédéric Lille, Stéphane Maurel, Bruno Tauziet
Bruno TAUZIET, a gendarme and native of Montpellier, enjoys the wide open air and the fun of strenuous sport and admits that his one small defect is that he hates losing. But he reports a mitigating circumstance: “There are plenty worse than me”! Absolutely, Bruno, so true... This rugby fan who also practices running, swimming and mountain biking has acquired lots of experience on events as far apart as the Philippines and the Elf Authentique Aventure. That is where he met up with another contestant in international races, Frédéric LILLE, from Ariège, whose twin passions are mountain biking and sea / river kayaking. And kayaking just happens to be the favourite sport of Stéphane MAUREL. Elodie CASTEX completes this team of Southerners. The Raid CanéO Nature will be a big first for her this year.

9 – Wilsa Sport Helly Hansen - Karine Baillet, Sébastien Sxay, Marcel Hagener, Franck Salgues
The team of Karine BAILLET was one of the last to sign up for the Raid CanéO Nature. Last but not least. Karine BAILLET is one of the best if not the very best world specialist in adventure nature sports. Perfectly at ease in all the disciplines, over thirteen years she has won all the titles going, on all the continents, in every latitude. First in the Réunion d’Aventures 2003 and 2004, first in the Oman Adventure 2005 and 2006, she now takes on the CanéO Nature with three athletes new to the competitions of Gérard Fusil. New but in no way novices in terms of rallies: Sébastien SXAY, from Grenoble, the New-Zealander Marcel HAGENER and SALGUES, from Marseille, have each taken part in international competitions for many years. So the team captained by Karine has all the right experience to help her towards a new victory.

30 – Marine Nationale – Lattitude 55 - Laurence Maurin, Gilles Guellenoc, Claude Blot, Philippe Kerbaol
When we heard at the end of the Oman Adventure 2006 that Laurence and Gilles were never going to run together again, the aftershock was tremendous. The duo formed by these two Navy champions, Laurence MAURIN and Gilles GUELLENOC, had become, over the years, a living legend in the Gérard FUSIL competitions. To her credit: seven Gauloises, two Réunion d’Aventures, two Oman Adventures and other laurels won all over the world. His track record includes three Réunion d’Aventures and three Oman Adventure plus all the rest. And they were splitting up? Whew, they’re back together! Along with Frédeéric CANTIN, who won 32 raids on a hundred competed, between Annapurna and Equator. The fourth, Philippe KERBAOL, is a newcomer but no novice either: two ascents of Mont Blanc, eleven out of nineteen rallies won, plus some titles as champion of Brittany in biathlon and triathlon. As a track record, we’ve seen worse.

31 - Team SPORT 2000 - LAFUMA - VIBRAM - Magali Moreau, Anthony Rabeau, Marc Balaskovi, Raphaël Leloup.
Anthony rhymes with Magali as RABEAU rhymes with MOREAU and both happen to be gym teachers. But these two share more than that, as they both competed together in the Oman Adventure 2006 for the first time and achieved a magnificent performance by coming in 5th in the “Extreme” category in the overall classification! Their third team-mate is another outstanding veteran of the Raid Gauloises, Marc BALASKOVIC, who competed in them all, from 1989 to 2003, and reaching five podiums for his pains! And he can no longer remember how many rallies he has taken part in on the five continents. This should impress (or reassure?) Guillaume DEMANGEON who competed in Canada in the World Raids Chmpionship.

32 – Pic Saint-Loup Aventure - Patricia Bonneau, Christine Endel-Potriquet, Éric Potriquet, Mickael Poiret.
In September 2003, the team of Patricia BONNEAU was placed first in the “Adventure” category of the first Réunion d’Aventures. In May of the following year, the team of Eric POTRIQUET was less lucky: beaten by the calamitous weather, they finished incomplete and so were unclassified. Both have accumulated a lot of international experience (Raids Gauloises) which they share with Michael POIRET, who took part in two of these rallies. So they will be taking good care of their fourth team-mate, Christine ENDEL-POTRIQUET. Eric’s little sister is interested in many different sports but her top favourite discipline is tennis, in which she won the title of amateur French champion. Alas, as we go to press, the Raid CanéO Nature is not programmed to go through Roland Garros…

33 – Petit Casino - Claire Lagache, Frédéric Cosson, Wilfrid Grossoeuvre, Jean-François Valleix.
This foursome from Normandy, Lyon, Isère and Brittany represent the four corners of the Hexagon, or nearly, and they all share the same passion for adventure nature sports. Claire LAGACHE is keenest on horse riding and, since she is from Saint-Lô, we are not surprised to hear that she took part in the “Tour du Mont Saint Michel” rally, though it is true that she was slower than the treacherous tide there. Frédéric COSSON has already competed in six regional rallies and practices rock-climbing like his neighbour from Voreppe, the highlander Wilfrid GROSSOEUVRE. Completing the team is Jean-François VALLEIX.

34 – Made Agencement – Lattitude 55 - Pierre Diaz, Léonie Cartier, Frédéric Caillat, Nicolas Larroque-Loumiet
Three physiotherapists (for body cramps) and one teacher for special needs (for internal problems): this team is also three quarters masculine and three quarters native of Reunion, but four quarters nature sport fans. Pierre DIAZ, a physiotherapist in Reunion, Nicolas LARROQUE-LOUMIET, a physiotherapist in Pau and Frédéric CAILLAT, a teacher for special needs in Reunion, were on the same team for the Réunion d’Aventures 2005 which ended with them winning 3rd place in the “Adventure” category. Pierre DIAZ did even better: 2nd in the “Adventure” category in 2007. Can anyone do better than him? Léonie CARTIER, a physiotherapist in Reunion. She came 5th in the “Adventure” category during the nightmarish Réunion d’Aventures 2004, was 4th in 2005 and 1st in 2007! On top of that, she got close in the “Extreme” category on the Oman Adventure 2005. Not bad, eh?

35 – Team Adrenaline Aventure - Pamela Quebre, Aurore Gomez, Florine Laquerbe, Ludivine Espi
Pamela, Aurore, Charline and Ludivine are young and single from the Mediterranean and make up the second female team of the Raid CanéO Nature. The experience they bring to the rally is somewhat slim but their morale is second to none. The most experienced of the four is obviously Pamela QUEBRE who has already taken part in ten regional rallies and one particular riding competition that came badly unstuck: in the same fall, she and her horse broke a shin! Charline RIVIERE, like her, is lifeguard and also a good rider. Aurore GOMEZ is a top performer in badminton and Ludivine ESPI has run in two rallies. A bit slight, their track record? Maybe. But the important thing is surely to keep hope in the future, the kind of faith that can move mountains. And upset the forecasts.

36 – DENIV’ - Emilie Scribot, Olivier Decamps, Daniel Juin, Olivier Marty.
Emilie SCRIBOT and Olivier DECAMPS were team-mates on the last Réunion d’Aventures. These two authentic tennis champions had set as their goal to finish in the toughest category, “Extreme”. They pulled off the challenge and were placed 5th in the overall classification. They will be joined for this new exploit by two other top level team mates: Olivier MARTY who took part in the world cup for canoe kayak in the USA and Daniel JUIN, a former French champion in team triathlon. Needless to say, the quartets are keen to realise their ambition to repeat the exploit of the Réunion d’Aventures on the Raid CanéO Nature.

37 – Helly Hansen UK - Sharp Ski, Nicola MacLeod, Mark Humphrey, Howard Lowe
Admirable, impressive, formidable… All these compliments and many others could be used to hail this British team with its long and distinguished track record. Sharp SKI, 3rd in the Oman Adventure 2005, has run all over the world from Quebec to Croatia, from Brazil to Australia, from Canada to Tibet, and from the Hebrides to Newfoundland. And the doctor Nicola MACLEOD? Ditto, or even more. In the recent past, for example, thirteen international rallies and six of them won! And Mark HUMPHREY alongside his team-mate Howard LOWE are not far behind with a mass of titles and experience that would make others go green with envy. We will certainly have to consider them as among the favourites on the Raid CanéO Nature.

Raid Caneo Nature

The Countdown has started for the first edition of Raid Caneo Nature, the longest adventure race in France, which starts next weekend in Paris and will finish around 7^th August in Marseilles. This blog will be updated on a regular basis during the race.

Raid Caneo Nature

7 days and counting until  start of Frances Largst Adventure race