Sahara News N°37 - January 2000BB


This time it's for real, we've hit the year 2000.
For many of you it will be the year of the MDS. In less than 3 months you'll be at the start asking yourselves if you've prepared enough, if your backpack isn't a bit too heavy or if you've brought enough food. The magic moment when you set off will inevitably give way to a series of mishaps ; only you can decide how to deal with them before the crowning moment of crossing the finish line. There's no magic recipe or manual to follow. Just remember that it's not those that struggle the most who have the best time. There is happiness to be had though in successfully overcoming the difficulties: a way of cashing in on the months or years of training. If you know yourself and pace yourself in relation to your own level then you'll be in keeping with the real MDS spirit; easier said than done of course.
As we start the new year, we hope you all cross the finish line and above all give and receive as much love as possible.
Happy new year and see you soon.
ATLANTIDE ORGANISATION Internationale

All about the 15th MARATHON DES SABLES
on our web site :
www.aoicimbaly.com

IDENTIFICATIONS MARKS - ATTENTION !!!
The race organisers will be very strict about the positioning of your number panels. Therefore, make sure right now that you think carefully about where to position you advertising and publicity on your tee-shirts and backpacks RECAP OF PENALTIES Misplacement of ID marking 1st time : warning - 2nd time : 30 minutes - 3rd time : elimination, (see Art. 8, 27 et 28).

FLIGHT TIMES (From France)
No need to panic and start ringing us to get flight times for 07 and 17 April; we don't yet know ourselves. You'll be informed in writing early March. As they're special flights, the times are not confirmed a long time in advance. You should however allow for a very early flight from Paris 07 April, and a late arrival in Paris 17 April.

SURVIVAL KIT
Your survival kit* weights 350 g, with: 1 distress signal + 1 survival sheet. Add salt tablets to this weight.
*will be supplied in Morocco by AOI the 8/04/2000

LAST ISSUE
This is the last edition of Sahara News to be sent to those not enrolled on the 15th MDS. To follow what's happening during the race and read the forthcoming numbers, check out our Internet site :
http ://www.aoicimbaly.com

RANDOM EXCESS MEMORY
A book will be coming out to celebrate 15 years of MDS. If you've lived through a particular event or have an original anecdote to share, then summarize it in around 10 lines and send it to us by fax: 01 45 09 07 15 or Email : rolo@club-internet.fr as soon as possible.

LONG LIVE SCHOOL !
J. Michel FERON(F) will be followed by Sainte Marie school in Dinard and by the chamber of trade and Sacré-Coeur school in St Malo. Through many different subjects these pupils will be looking at MDS from all angles: physical preparation, food intake and typology but to mention a few. They'll access daily live news about the race through various media and a video conference will finish off the project to a treat. www.multimania.com /jeanferron/marathon/htlm
www.multimania.com/jeanferron/ marathon/htlm

Cimbaly International 2000- France- Webmaster : Neuromedias

 

SWITZERLAND
Cédric GRANT has enrolled 28 competitors including 4 from Luxembourg, 1 Spaniard, 1 French, 20 Swiss and 2 Americans (he and his son). It's thebiggest SWISS delegation to have come along yet.

GERMANY
For the 15th MDS, our representative in Germany, Anke MOLKENTHIN (D), has enrolled 70 competitors from Germany and Austria. They include 8 Austrians, 1 Canadian, 2 Swiss and of course 61 Germans. A big welcome to all of you and bravo to Anke for her contagious enthusiasm.

NO NEED FOR AN ANORAK
This "Spartatlonian" Austrian likes contrasts; he'll get them... After -44 degrees Celsius in the Arctic Circle, W. WESSIAK (AUT) will have the pleasure of running in +40 degree heat. It's quite different and the snow somehow doesn't last so long.

"DIE DEUTSCEN SAND SACKE"
The only German team in the race includes a fine runner in the form of E. BITTEL (D), 3rd in Verdon 99. He'll be joined by M. SUSSE (D), M.SCHULZ (D), A. DOSE (D) and H.FINKERNGEL (D).

DEAD POET'S SOCIETY
If Rimbaud (F) or Pushkin (Rus) were still alive, they might have run in the MDS. Günter HERBUGER (D) is proof of it. This 67 year old German poet runs the 100km in less than 10 hours. If SHILLER (D) were able to witness that, he's surely have written a poem about it.

RUNNING TOGETHER
Present in 1998, E. and M. BAYER (D) are about as athletic a couple of sexagenarians as you could get. Between two MDS events, our turtledoves spend 24 or 48 hours leaping all over the place to keep in shape. Could that be the secret of eternal youth?

IN TEAMS OF THREE
Teaming up in threes ("trois" - the pun is somewhat lost in English, sorry!) comes naturally for people from "Troyes". E. HUBERT (F) explained it so well to his bank manager S. BORRE (F) that he's now joining him. As for C.SCHNYDER (F) after 2 MDS, he dreamt only of taking off again. And so the BNP-REXAM team was born.

WOT NO KENNEL?
Will they sleep in or on the Berber tent; that's the question. Whatever the case, Anne VIENNOT(F), Christine BUISSON(F) and Karim SASSE(F) from the SNOOPY team are determined to do as many kilometres as possible to feed the coffers of the Docteur Clown association. At 10 FF a kilometre, it's hardly expensive. Don't hold back. Information on
http ://perso.wanadoo.fr/karim.sasse