Some action from Task 7...
Classic Flatland flying out in the valley on a huge 117km task. Between TP3 and TP4, a small leader group of Pat Dower and Luciano Pagnoni pushed out in front and found a great climb.
A big gaggle formed between TP 3 and TP4 as some pilots looked to max out climbs instead of pushing ahead. Looks like cloudbase was 2500m and climbs were good but not spectacular.
Downer, Pagnoni and Colonia were nearly 5km ahead at TP4, but getting low with no climbs in sight around the river..
As the leaders struggled on, Richardo Arroyave found at great climb at TP4 and the second gaggle stormed towards him at full bar.
Seeing the rest of the field catching rapidly, Alex Zapata pulled ahead on his own and stormed into the lead.
Between TP4 and TP5, the lead changed multiple times as conditions improved along the low hills
Decision making became critical at the end of the hills, before heading off out into the flats again for TP5. The leaders again got low, while the group that pushed away from the course line to the bigger hills got the best climbs of the day up to 2600m.
With former race leader Pagnoni decked just before TP5, and Alex Zapata struggling on the low hills behind, Stephan Drouin, Jacques Fournier and Ricardo Arroyave blasted through TP5 and flew over the heads of the group that had chosen the direct line up the valley instead of the hills.
With weak lift over the fields stalling progress, the leaders made the unusual move of back tracking several kilometers towards TP5 to get to thermals that later pilots had found.
After the final sprint, Julian Carreno won with height to spare, having been the highest in the last thermal. Winning time was about 4hrs 30mins.
Seeing the rest of the field catching rapidly, Alex Zapata pulled ahead on his own and stormed into the lead.
Between TP4 and TP5, the lead changed multiple times as conditions improved along the low hills
Decision making became critical at the end of the hills, before heading off out into the flats again for TP5. The leaders again got low, while the group that pushed away from the course line to the bigger hills got the best climbs of the day up to 2600m.
With former race leader Pagnoni decked just before TP5, and Alex Zapata struggling on the low hills behind, Stephan Drouin, Jacques Fournier and Ricardo Arroyave blasted through TP5 and flew over the heads of the group that had chosen the direct line up the valley instead of the hills.
With weak lift over the fields stalling progress, the leaders made the unusual move of back tracking several kilometers towards TP5 to get to thermals that later pilots had found.
In the true spirit of paragliding racing, the leaders had been helped by those further back in the field. In how many other sports does that happen? Everyone in the group climbed out to 2400m, ready for a final 10km towards goal.
After the final sprint, Julian Carreno won with height to spare, having been the highest in the last thermal. Winning time was about 4hrs 30mins.
