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Hello
everyone.
The "DESERT CUP 2000 Jordan Telecom" lived
up to all its promises. Some competitors, including
Marco OLMO (I) - the brilliant winner of this first
edition - say the race is the most difficult they've
taken part in. A real leitmotiv in the comments
offered would seem to be the expression "it's
every bit as hard as it's great!"
Whilst waiting for the November 2001 edition, many
of you have already enrolled in the 16th MARATHON
DES SABLES which looks set yet again to be a real
battle. |
For the Moroccan classic, as in Jordan, you must
of course know how to pace yourself. Just ask the
80 who had to abandon the race last year if you
need persuading. This year will be no exception
to the rule: finishing will be a real challenge!
Day after day you have to get through the various
stages, confront the heat, the sand, sometimes the
wind, sleep out, prepare your own food and each
time set off again with your back-pack. It's better
to know in advance that it isn't easy... On the
other hand, those who crossed the finish line will
talk for hours about how beautiful the scenery is,
about the ambiance on the camp-sites, the intensity
of meeting so many different people, the sharing
of emotion through common effort and thousands of
personal anecdotes. There really is no secret, you
have to prepare for the worst to cope the best.
The end of the year is approaching fast and with
that, the time for offering gifts. Slightly later
than planned, the book on the 15 years of the MARATHON
DES SABLES will be out for this time. With a preface
by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, it will make you
relive or discover 15 years' worth of Saharan desert.
Good luck with the training.
Speak to you soon.
AOI |
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Many
thought that the record of 29h50' set by Christian
GINTER (F) during the test run in 1999 would
get beaten, but not to such an extent. In
finishing the 168 km of the DESERT CUP 2000
Jordan Telecom in 21h41'34",Marco OLMO
(I) surpassed all expectations.
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Christian
GINTER took second place with 22h43' 05'' and won
the veteran 2 category. He confirmed his steadfast
qualities with brio, setting off slowly but gradually
moving up to the front to arrive in 2nd place.
The race over, Marco OLMO admitted he had felt under
pressure when finding out during the race that his
advance on the Frenchman was diminishing with each
check-point.
Pascale MARTIN (F) won the women's section in 27h14'23''.
Following her victory in MDS in April, she confirmed
her talents in Jordan, coming in 5th in the general
ranking with the additional bonus of the team victory
with her two accomplices from "LOTUS BLEU"
: Philippe NEUSCHWANDER (F) and Philippe GIFFARD
(F) 7th and 31st respectively.
Alijca BARALLONA (CAN) and Kasuko KAIHATA (J) took
2nd and 3rd place on the women's podium. |
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Walter
WOLF (Germany) won the veteran 3 category. In
addition to the outstanding winners in each category,
all those who crossed the finish line should be
congratulated. Having braved the sand and the
heat of WADI RUM and then faced the wind and cold
as night falls on the desert hills of the Rift
valley, the beauty of PETRA came as some reward.
We should mention that, as is usual with this
type of race, the last to arrive finished in relatively
good shape, happy to have paced themselves over
nearly 60 hours...
With such a difficult itinerary, magnificent sites
and the quality of the participants, the DESERT
CUP henceforth goes on the list of the international
calendar's flagship races. May all fans of adventure
races who wish to take up the challenge take note
for next year.
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All
information on Desert Cup 2000 and 16th Marathon
des sables on our internet site www.aoicimbaly.com
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ATLANTIDE ORGANISATION Internationale
BP 98 - 10003 TROYES Cedex - FRANCE
Phone. : (33) 03 25 76 57 77 / Fax : (33) 03 25
76 87 75
E-Mail : infos@aoicimbaly.com
- WEB :
http://www.aoicimbaly.com
Sahara
News number 42 realized by CIMBALY International
- Pépé and Marie |
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Team
enrolments
La pétillante champenoise
(sparkling wine from the Champagne region): J.DOMINGOS
(P), P. LATHUILLIERE (F), T. LALUN (F), and J.
DA COSTA (F). These 4 will do all they can to
pop the cork in celebrating victory. Rest assured,
they're not aiming to win; being in the desert
is already enough to make their heads spin.
Beaujolais - Normandie : the team
is made up of P. DUNE (F), P. MECA (F) and G.
COMMARMOND (F). Let's hope that they won't overdue
the regional produce : what with the red wine,
cider and Calvados, they risk finding the itinerary
a bit longer than the others ...
Fennecs de Haute Normandie : rather
than give long speeches, M.MANA (F) and A. AKCHA
(F) have joined up with Y. LEGENDRE (F), F. CAILLY
(F), A. MADHAOUI (M) and N AUTRET (F) (who have
already run the MDS) to bring a positive image
to their deprived neighborhood.
Sapeurs pompier de Dreux (firemen
from Dreux): B. ULLIAC (F), R. LADAME (F), M.
GUILLAUME (F), S. HUBOUD-PERRON (F) and F. GATEAU
(F) will be putting the courage and determination
of fire-fighters to the front.
France Telecom / Maaf assurance
: they have a first-class runner in their ranks.
N. SOBHI (F) has already wound up a marathon in
2h13'43'', so P. NEVEUX (F), R. ANDRO (F) and
G. RACINNE (F), who aren't bad either, will be
putting all their efforts into securing a place
on the podium.
Corenso France : many were moved
by the film "le 8è jour" and have since viewed
the mentally disabled with a different eye. E.
DUPIN-BASSOUS (F) is determined to have us share
the enthusiasm and human warmth of runners capable
of finishing 100km with a smile. He'll be taking
Y. ALBERT (F), D. HERAUD (F) and D. ROCHER (F)
in hand.
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Sahara
News n°42 - www.aoicimbaly.com - Webmaster : Neuromedias
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Record beaten
In running the 168 km in 21h 41'34'', Marco OLMO (I) has proved
once again that he's part of the long-distance running elite.
What's incredible, let's not forget, is that he's in the veteran
2 category! He wins a free enrolment for next year to defend
his title.
It
was a bit windy!
Once again this year, many competitors found they were ground
down by harsh winds from the moment they hit the slopes. It's
true that the slope factor in Jordan is not comparable to
major races in the mountains, but it's tiring nonetheless.
With little shelter, runners were at the mercy of strong winds
and biting cold as soon as the sun went down. Suitable clothing
is a must!
Some
figures
Start : 172 runners - Finish: 135.
Number of nationalities: 19
Number of women finishers: 12.
Speed of the first competitor : 7,74km/h
Speed of the last competitor : 2,82 km/h.
Maximum day-time temperature: 25°.
Minimum night-time temperature:9°.
Maximum wind speed: 100km/h.
In
under 24H
Only Marco OLMO (I) and Christian GINTER (FR) finished this
first edition in less than 24h. A genuine feat! They benefited
from favorable weather conditions throughout the race: not
too hot in Wadi Rum and not too windy in the mountains at
the time they went through. The 21h41'34'' record will be
difficult to beat...
In
pictures
The
film of the race will be broadcast* on EUROSPORT, on 19
December at 23h00 and on 22 December at 12h00 (French
time).
* N.B.: any last minute change to scheduling of the broadcast
is beyond our control. |
Ex
aequo
Eric
MOTTE (F) and François CRESCI (F) crossed the finish
line hand in hand. They tried to separate right up until the
last check-point, but having failed to do it earlier, neither
felt like robbing the other of a 3rd place coveted for so
long.
Marathon Des Sables
Berber weekend
from 05 to 09 April 2001
This trip is reserved exclusively to fans wishing to get a
closer look at the 16th MARATHON DES SABLES.
Thursday 05 April : Paris/Ouarzazate flight and night at hotel
****
Friday 06 April : breakfast, departure for the race, day spent
discovering
the desert, picnic, meeting competitors at finish line of
the day's leg, night under canvas.
Saturday 07 April : breakfast on camp-site, departure to follow
last leg of race, lunch, transfer, dinner and night at hotel.
Sunday 08 April : breakfast at hotel, free day, lunch at own
expense, prize-giving ceremony with cocktail, dinner and night
at hotel.
Monday 09 April : breakfast at hotel, transfer to airport
and flight to Paris.
Price of package : 7 750 FF (double room accommodation)
For more information and details, contact:
TERRES D'AVENTURE
Caroline Matuga
Phone : 01 53 73 77 70
Fax : 01 43 29 96 31
So
15 years of adventure
Hundreds of photos, plus interviews, anecdotes and advice.
But above all there's the emotion of a dream shared by thousands
of men and women form all horizons. The book retracing the
first 15 editions of the MDS will be out in December, available
in bookshops or direct from the editor. Contact the publishing
house SPE, phone : 01 45 67 63 03.
Better
than Tintin
It'll be his 7th MDS and this time he'll be 78 years old,
so wearing ID number 78 of course. He always finishes, and
has never been the last. With his magnesium "aerosol" and
his essential oils, Claude COMPAIN (FR) feels able to run
on for years. You can only admire him...
Our friends from the North
Here are two good runners from a cold climate: the Danish
marathon champion, Torben Moller NIELSEN and the winner of
the Kilimanjaro marathon Peter ELLEHAUGE. The two Danes look
like being up to competing with the best.
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