[RC] WEC: Starts List and Teams - John TeeterThe (pre-start:) list of starters and teams is at: http://www.endurance.net/2004wec/coverage/entrylist.html They are circling in the infield now. It's 15 minutes till start. They will start letting them through the in-timer gates on to the course in a few minutes. I sent Lucie out with the camera (so I can have a cup of coffee:) - Steph is with Mercedes and Kasal. Team US is focused. As always - no predicting what will happen today. It will be general chaos (no matter hoe many $s you through at a problem there are always -- wait, the US guys just went by. I think the strategy will be to ride as a team throughout the day (including the individuals) taking turns in the lead - keep the train rolling. The Fench have been very secretive. The Russians very boisterous. Leo (on the great Orfeo - the ONLY horse return in 2005 after having run here in 1998). They are now circling in the area just in front of the gates (having moved up from the two main alleyways by the crew area. -- The first riders are through the gates and it's a large circling at canter in the area of the course before the starting gates. More are through the gate now as it becomes more congested and the circles break into semi-controlled jogging in place. A difficult warm-up for the horses as 178 horse/rider teams from 41 countries fill the area. There is a rush of people from the inside viewing are as to the outside. The riders are extending on past the start line as more fill the area in front. There are a few calm riders still walking around in the back. it's 6 minutes. no telling how fast this will be. There are certainly two objectives. The individual and the team competitions - - I'm sure the UAE wants them both (as this event clearly has some home-court flavor to it. Art Priesz things a cumulative team medal will take somewhere in the 30- hour range - that to compete for the gold, you have to plan for -27 hour cumulative time. Everyone will be watching the timing sheets. (the computer system is already showing a bit of personality - we'll see how it all works out). Team Australia (at least) will rely on pencil/paper for data collection. 3 minutes - the scene out front is calmer now. there are just too many riders out there to have freedom of movement. The first .5 km of this course is fully lighted. The next 2km has rope light wrapped on the track fence (quite pretty actually). It's live on TV. Now it looks much more like a normal endurance race - They're off - one rider off horse free. a lot of milli9ng around the free horse is not yet caught. great fun -- I'd say this looks a little faster than a normal start - breaking away - running onto the track to get the rider who fell off - we'll ... They're off. just looking at them go. Team US is lined out running in a like a a bicycle racers - drafting/shifting leads etc. they looked pretty disciplined in the general milling. it will be normal endurance day ... jt. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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