Cyanosis strikes out in the Abu Dhabi desert

Thursday, 09 December 2010 12:26

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Team Cyanosis tackle desert and marshes of Abu Dhabi

Team Cyanosis are about to start their final adventure race of 2010, the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. Starting on Friday, the team will face the desert sands and tranquil blue seas in and around Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

The fourth edition of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge sees 50 teams from 20 countries competing. Three South African teams are taking part: Cyanosis, Team www.AR.co.za (racing in an unusual 3-ladies and 1-man combination) and Team Mzansi. The Cyanosis team of Nicholas Mulder, Clinton Mackintosh and Landie Visser have been joined by Brian Gardner of Team Red Ants for this race, which will take place in 5 stages over 6 days and will cover just under 430 km by means of mountain biking, desert trekking, ocean kayaking and canyoneering..

The race will see competing teams racing in and around the city of Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. Although Dubai is probably the more famous of the United Arab Emirates due to its focus on tourism and fame for being a playground for the rich and famous, it is Abu Dhabi that has invested heavily on big sports events such as the Grand Prix, the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon and the Red Bull Air Race. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority is unsurprisingly a big sponsor on this race, allowing for a lucrative prize money pool of $ 226'000.

The first two stages of the Adventure Challenge get underway on Friday. The race will start with an 20km long 'adventure triathlon' around downtown Abu Dhabi and its offshore islands. Teams will then be bussed to an inland venue for a further 35km long stage of mountain biking and adventure racing in the afternoon. Saturday sees another short stage of 30km of mountaineering and mountain biking before the fist long stage on Sunday. This will be an 90km mountain bike followed by 120km of desert trekking, which should takes the teams in excess of 28 hours to complete. The terrain is expected to be unforgiving, with steep sand dunes and significant sections of soft sand making for some interesting route choices. The race concludes with a final 120km sea-kayaking leg starting on Monday morning.

Cyanosis are looking forward to the race and will be eager to prove themselves on this fast-paced race against a world-class field featuring many top multi-sport athletes. The high intensity and low navigational requirement don't play in the favour of the team, so this will be a tough and demanding race for the team who will be hoping for a top-15 placing on the finish line.

Teams competing in the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge will be tracked real-time via satellite on www.abudhabi-adventure.com.  

Team Cyanosis is proud to have the following brands supporting them:
- First Ascent outdoor apparel, Salomon and Crocs adventure, trail running and casual footwear, Petzl headlamps, Foodstate vitamins and supplements, Island Tribe sun lotion.

-  Specialized bikes and accessories, Summit Cycles in Midrand, Suunto field compasses and wristop computers, O'Neill wetsuits, BSC compression garments, Kreature.co.za outdoor and survival shop.

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