The super calm conditions that had blessed the area for the preceding weeks, had changed overnight and whenthe riders awoke to torrential rain and a snowline a mere 500m above Lonquimay’s elevation, the race officials knew they had to take drastic measures. The race was scheduled to peak out at 1850m but with reports of over 10cm of snow at this elevation and sub zero temperatures, and with the competitor’s safety foremost in mind, the decision was made to reroute the course.
Instead of a 130km loop, the race would now be out and back to the second water station, 140km in total with over 3000m of ascent.
With a flat start , the main pack were reluctant to push the pace, allowing Zbigniew Wizner of Poland to break away and build a considerable lead, but once the climbing began, Yuki Ikeda once again excelled, reeling in Zbigniew and completing the 140km course in a little under 6.5 hours, 19 minutes ahead of second placed Federico Guerra of Uruguay.
Sonya Looney took her foot off the throttle today, but still finished in first place in the open female category, 41 minutes ahead of Wendy Lyall, while Jorge Vidart, Uruguay consolidated his place as top +50 male category winner with a 10 minute cushion over Pablo Rodriguez. Stay tuned for more!
Photos: © Harry Kikstra
Source: http://www.theyakattack.com
