MISSION ACCOMPLISHED . Raid Gaspésie 2016

It’s under a cloudy sky that the teams of the 300 K of the Raid International Gaspésie started the race from the Pointe Taylor in New Richmond, leaving by canoe into the bay at 5:00 am to reach Maria. For the racers of the 150 K, the start was given at 6:00 am.

On their way, they notably had to get the Control Point #2 in the barn lodging the organization team, where some croissant and muffins (from the Boulangerie/Pâtisserie La Mie Véritable) were offered to them. As rain and thunderstorms were threatening on Mount St-Joseph, a rope activity had to be cancelled there for the racers of the 300 K, as for the jump off a fire-fighter truck posted on the Carleton Dock for some teams of the 150 K and the 300 K. But on the finish line, it is with a smile on the face that 67 of the 70 initially participating in the raid arrived at the term of this awesome adventure. The Arns of Sparta(Daniel et Justin Arns) , with one member injured, had to abandon the race today after the canoe section.

At the finish line, in Municipal Park Germain-Deslauriers, many people were gathered to applaud the racers in a festive mood despite the rain. And having now created a tradition, the Microbrewery Le Naufrageur from Carleton waited for the team (and the organization) with a beer!

At the end of Day 3, team Azimut Espresso Sport(Lyne Bessette/Dany Déry-Chamberland/Benoit Simard/Martin Hardy) (6 :01 : 20) preceded by few minutes the leaders of Estonian ACE Adventure(Timmo et Joosep Tammemäe) (6 :11 :30). In the third place, team Dynafit/SkiMoEast.com (George Visser/Jeff Rivest/Patrick Lussier/Évelyne Blouin)(6 :19 :15) continued to reduce the distance with the leading teams, finishing 8 minutes behind the Estonians.

Overall, after 4 days of race, the Estonians are the big winners of the 300 K this year with a total time of22 :32 :21. In second position come team Azimut Espresso Sport, only 5 minutes behind (1) with a time of 22 :37 :56, and in third place,Dynafit/SkiMoEast.com after 24 :35 :12 of race.

At the 150 K, Paysage Navigue.com (Marc-André Toupin, Benoit Poirier, Jean-Sébastien Babin/Louis-Gabriel Pinard) finished once again in the first place(4 :40 :04), followed by the Raideurs matinales (Jean-François et Sébastien Richard, Luc Sévigny, Serge Denis) that are, however, out of race as they lost a member during the week-end (4 :49 :12), and by the teams Intersport Carleton (Keith Sexton, Joël Poirier)(5 :04 :27) and the female duet Rhéal Pitre Sport/Clinique vétérinaire de la Baie (Audrey Bastien/Marianne Desrosiers) (5 :07 :50).

Overall, after 4 days of race, for the 150 K, we find in first and second position Paysage Navigue.com (16 :53 :23), Intersport Carleton (19 :04 :37), and in third position, Rhéal Pitre Sport/Clinique vétérinaire de la Baie (19:46:14)