Team Oskalunga International land 3rd- Updated

It was not too pretty, but we clawed out way onto the podium once again. 3rd place at Ecomotion  Brazil

A rather sizable early mistake on a big trekking section put us behind the 8 ball.

Team LONTRA and Adventure Camp (having the other 50% of SOLE) were moving at screaming pace. We spent much of the race just off the heals of the leaders, and running with the Spanish and other Brazilian teams.

Mikael Lindnord and Lico  were incredible teammates, and it was a blast. Seeing this interior of Brazil by bike and feet and kayak was fascinating. Our support team: General Barabara Bonfim (the BEST ever), Jordan Romero, Carlinhos, and Cesar. These guys delt with horrible roads, broken bikes, support car problems, sleep deprivation and more dust than you can imagine.

We’ve all finished sunburned, many wounds of different sorts, but we’re all still standing.

Details coming ASAP

Some sites to check out:

Sleepmonsters and Webventure (in  Portuguese)

COOL PICTURE!, and another!

In it’s 6th year running, Ecomotion has established itself as the
pure expedition race surrounded with flair, color and prestige,
something only the likes of EcoChallenge ever did match. Ecomotion
travels around Brazil, where there are enough locales to run unique
expedition races for 100 years, and never cross the same region
twice. Brazil is it’s own world.

Last year’s dynamic 4-some Team SOLE would not run together, on
account of sponsorship coordination issues.  Instead the duo of Ian
and Nora of NZ would run with Team Adventure Camp and Paul Romero and
Karen Lundgren and on a last minute offer, we create the Oskalunga
International consisting of Mikael Lindnord of Sweden and the famous
fast man, Lico, from Brasilia, the founder of Team Oskalunga (a name
refering to the mysterious tribe of slave refugees deep in the heart
of Brazil).

A small handful of internationals would join the line up from the
likes of Russia, Argentina, Spain, Chile and Uruguay.
Minas Gerais is a state north or Rio de Janiero, and it’s known for
hardened people, rough savannah terrain.  It was diamonds and gold
that drew the settlers to this unfriendly terrain, away from the
beautiful beaches and lush jungles that we imagine of Brazil.
Diamantina is the race headquarters and an amazing strange sight in
the middle of nowhere. Built on a steep mountainside, it’s streets
and buildings are of old world Portuguese style, and cobblestone
streets from centuries past demanding only the best footing just to
get around town.

The vibe is bursting at the seams with college students, live music
and dancing everywhere, and that hypnotic trance that comes with
capoiera (the local fighting dance). It reeks of Ecomotion.

About the race- Imagine a region that was 100% mountains, and the
road builders knew only to build roads straight up. Climate- bone dry
with oppressive heat. Rivers run steep and fast.  Toss in 50 trucks
and a few hundred adventure racers. You have Ecomotion 2009.

The race would be 85% leg, and most notably 6 bike sections that
consist of non stop giant climbs, requiring only the best climbing
abilities followed by an equal number of technical, single track
downhills, that have never seen bikes before. River paddling through
some treacherous white water AT NIGHT, something only found at
Ecomotion.

Per standard protocol in this day and age, the field blasts out as if
from a canon. The field of top teams in Brazil have stepped things
up. Selva, Competition, Lontra, Cosa Nostra, Adventure Camp,
Oskalunga International and a few others run like the hair is on
fire. The race would be, well fought in the front by the
aforementioned teams and Lontra leading most of the race.

14 race sections would test the support teams to the maximum with
trecharous roads and dust. The heat and scorching sun had every set
of lips blistered, and any exposed skin bright red. A looming and
controversial dark zone toward the end of the race would be big
decision maker as the lead team missed it by only 11 minutes.  All
the the top teams would gather again for a restart on the last
morning of the race. Race times would be frozen, so while it looked
like a restart, Lontra would ride it’s way into Diamantina with a
lead not to be touched by Adventure Camp (2nd place), Oskalunga
International (3rd place) nor the others.

Lontra earning itself a race entry fee into the World Championships
taking place in Spain in October ‘10, and an entry to the Explore
Sweden MONSTER  of ‘10.  Ecomotion is a qualifier for the Adventure
Racing World Championships. www.ecomotion.com.br