| Gerald Fusil is a man who always puts his | | | | December 2005. A barmy evening camped by the |
| ideas into action and others follow. The | | | | sea saw Gerard Fusil briefing the gathered |
| founder of the Raid Gauloises, The world's | | | | teams from France, Oman, UK, Réunion, |
| first true expedition race is always on the | | | | Austria, Holland and Australia. Most teams |
| lookout to expand the sport. The cost of | | | | had arrived in the morning so had little time |
| competing in adventure racing has reached a | | | | to prepare. Support vehicles were shared by |
| level that few teams can now afford. | | | | two teams, so competitors spent the night |
| Organisers and adventure racers are faced | | | | poring over maps and packing gear into the |
| with high travel and insurance costs. One way | | | | vehicles by torchlight. |
| to attract racers is to offer large sums in | | | | |
| prize money, and top teams can make a living, | | | | The following day at dawn a convoy of |
| but what about the average racer. | | | | vehicles transported the team to the start |
| | | | line in a nearby Wadi. The first day included |
| Last Year, During the annual Reunion | | | | a section of running only along goat tracks |
| D'Aventures race, Gerard Fusil added a bike | | | | and this proved to be decisive as the |
| and run discipline which required the four | | | | Australian and one local Omani team got lost |
| person team to share two mountain bikes | | | | allowing a French team to build an |
| during a couple of legs of the race. The | | | | unassailable lead. |
| trial was a success as teams were forced to | | | | |
| think of tactics to complete the legs in the | | | | Later in the week Gerard Fusil had mapped out |
| fastest possible way. Some teams doubled up | | | | the course with a 17k twisting climb from the |
| on the downhill sections, others stayed, | | | | sea to 1500 metres and also a section of |
| whilst the more successful set up a relay | | | | canyoning with a number of swims. |
| system with the rider going a set distance | | | | |
| before leaving the bike at the edge of the | | | | Gerard Fusil had arranged camping or bivouacs |
| track for their team mate, who would get on | | | | in a number of scenic areas, with the stages |
| and then leapfrog them. | | | | starting in the early morning most teams |
| | | | would finish around mid-day or early |
| Gerard Fusil saw an opportunity to return | | | | afternoon. |
| once again to the basis of Expedition | | | | |
| Adventure Racing. Providing teams the chance | | | | The terrain in Oman is varied from lush oasis |
| to explore a country, interface with the | | | | to harsh rocky hillsides and of course seas |
| local population and race in exotic locations | | | | of sandiness where the teams finished the |
| with out the need to transport large amounts | | | | race. Gerard Fusil held the prize giving in |
| of gear. Gerard Fusil announced his ideas at | | | | Muscat the winners being a husband and wife |
| the Reunion D'Aventures prize giving and the | | | | team Wilsa Sport Helly Hansen from France. |
| world waited with bated breadth. | | | | Second place went to the Australians and a |
| | | | Local Omani team came in third. |
| September 2005 saw Gerard Fusil Launch the | | | | |
| Bike and Run Concept to the World with the | | | | Teams came from many different backgrounds, |
| Oman Adventure. Details were brief, two | | | | Adventure racers, tri-athletes, marathon |
| person teams to share one bike with only one | | | | runners, mountain bikers; the final count saw |
| person to be on the bike at one time. The | | | | adventure racers however leading the way. |
| race would be run in a number of stages | | | | |
| including a night stage and teams had to be | | | | Virtually all teams adopted the general |
| prepared to camp in the wild. Time was short | | | | tactic of leap frogging, however there were |
| so Gerard Fusil used the course notes from | | | | at least a couple of incidents when teams |
| the 1992 Raid Gauloises for parts of the | | | | missed the bike, including one on the long |
| course. | | | | climb for an all female team which required |
| | | | an extra 4k to be covered to collect the |
| Gerald Fusil made one other departure from | | | | bike! |
| the norm by pre-announcing the lengths of | | | | |
| each stay and the names of the overnight | | | | The Inaugural race proved to be a success and |
| camps. The race was to take place on the East | | | | now Gerald Fusil has announced the second |
| Coast of Oman, however some of the place | | | | race of the series which will return to a |
| names were only known to the locals. | | | | diffrent area of Oman at the end of November. |
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