Results from the 2004 Red Bull Divide and Conquer Adventure Race


	DURANGO, Colorado (June 20, 2004) - Sixty-eight elite athletes trekked through snow, glided over mountains, paddled raging rapids, and conquered the merciless cliffs of Colorado’s treacherous San Juan Mountains, but in the end it was Team Nike ACG/Balance Bar that reigned supreme at Red Bull Divide & Conquer. "The difficulty of this course isn’t something you see in adventure racing," said kayaker Mike Freeburn of Team Nike ACG/Balance Bar. "Winning at this level is something to relish because it’s hard to do."

7:58:50

Nike ACG/Balance Bar
Michael Tobin, Othar Lawrence, Mike Freeburn, Michael Kloser

8:05:34

Internet BillBoard/ OpavaNet
Robert Krupicka, Jan Skrabalek, Kamil Mruzek, Robert Novotny

8:15:39

Specialized/Riversports
Jesse Rickert, Will Gadd, Arron Pruzan, Ned Overend

2004 BEST COMBINED TIME:
Nike ACG/Balance Bar - Michael Tobin, Othar Lawrence, Mike Freeburn, Michael Kloser - 7:58:50

2004 FASTEST RUN TIME:
Internet BillBoard/ OpavaNet - Robert Krupicka - 1:32:41.02

2004 FASTEST FLY TIME:
Nike ACG/Balance Bar - Othar Lawrence - 0:26:41.34

2004 FASTEST PADDLE TIME:
Nike ACG/Balance Bar - Mike Freeburn - 2:53:57

2004 FASTEST PEDAL TIME:
Specialized/Riversports - Ned Overend - 2:49:51.25

Team Internet BillBoard/OpavaNet proved to be a formidable challenge to their US competitors as the two teams battled neck-and-neck throughout the competition crossing the finish line about 6 minutes apart. The well-known Czech team used their experience as Austria’s Dolemitenmann champions to place a close 2nd, earning them respect in both the US and abroad.

"This was the most technical race I’ve ever taken part in," said Kamil Murzek of Team Internet BillBoard/OpavaNet. "[The kayak portion] was 6 times longer and much harder than the Dolomitenmann race."

The Red Bull Divide & Conquer course was set within the dramatic San Juan Mountain range along the Continental Divide – a rugged traverse of land ranging from 7,000 to 13,000 feet. The four-part mountain sports relay race began in Silverton, Colo. with 7-miles of high-altitude trail running, ascending 4,000 feet through the rocky Kendall Mountains. Runners faced all the elements from loose stone and dirt to even knee-high snow before tagging off, or passing the much-coveted silver rock to their paragliding teammate. Paragliders then faced a ½-mile climb to the top of Kendall Mountain where they soared high above Silverton before landing in the meadows alongside the Animas River.

Kayakers then raced down 27-miles of the Animas River facing both numbing waters and Class IV and V rapids. At their take out point, each kayaker hoisted their boats overhead before sprinting up the steep narrow path to their mountain biking teammate. The bikers started out the gate with a 3,000+ foot climb in the first four miles of their ride, and their journey continued with a 20-mile ride before bringing it home in Durango Mountain Resort’s Purgatory Village.

68 elite athletes conquered the merciless terrain of Colorado’s treacherous San Juan Mountains.

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