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[RC] WEC: Starts List and Teams - John Teeter

The (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.


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