Multisport: NZ Team Seagate in touch in US adventure race

New Zealand team Seagate were well placed third at the halfway point of the Subaru Primal Quest, a 640km adventure race in the United States today.

The race was developing into a four-team battle after AROC, Montrail, Seagate and Nike AGC opened a break on the rest of the field on day three of the non-stop event across Washington State.

Seagate, led by Nelson's Nathan Fa'avae, was the only New Zealand team in the lead group although Merrell, with Neil Jones and Chris Morrissey of Whakatane and Jeff Mitchell of Christchurch, were still in pursuit.

The combined US-Australian team Montrail and AROC of Australia were racing together in the lead as they neared the end of a 70km mountainbike stage.

Seagate were almost two hours back in third with Nike 20 minutes further back, although both teams have slept longer than the co-leaders. Merrell were fifth, two hours behind Nike.

However, even the big four are finding the course hard going. The race started with a marathon 80km sea kayak on Monday and yesterday stepped up in intensity with a brutal 88km mountainbiking stage into the Cascade mountains.

"Distance wise we probably rode more but were probably pushing or carrying our bikes for 80 per cent of the time we were out there," Fa'avae said.

"It was a pretty horrible bike ride actually."

The race ends with a 35km sea kayak back to Orcas Island in the Puget Sound. The fastest teams are expected to finish on Friday or Saturday.

- NZPA