The ATLANTIDE ORGANISATION
Internationale team would like to wish all you fans of adventure
sports a very happy and healthy New Year. Faced with the bellicose
mood of some world leaders, we can only hope good sense wins
the day and peace triumphs over war.
As the years kicks off, competitors enrolled on the 18th MDS
are fast approaching the dream they've been harbouring for so
long. Now begins the fine-tuning phase when the choice of equipment
becomes crucial. Backpacks, shoes and dehydrated foods have
to be thoroughly tried and tested. How many bars per day ? How
much energy drink to take along ? To eat a midday meal or not
? Should you have a change of clothes ? No easy decision!
These preliminaries are just a taste of what's to come during
the course and will take on real importance at the time. However
there's no point in stressing out: although MDS is an international
competition, the main point should be to enjoy yourself. If
you1re not out to win then you should keep to this state of
mind and feel free to bring along whatever helps to flatter
the tastebuds and spice up daily life. Notebooks, books, walkman,
camera and other little objects are all part of the kit that1s
sometimes needed to get the best out of a week of intense effort.
To sum up, you have to dedramatise and not get bogged down in
non-essential details.
Once again this year more than 600 participants from all over
the world will be meeting up in the Moroccan desert to live
out their passion. Considerable energy is needed to do the race
and even to make it to the starting line, competitors will have
overcome many obstacles and shown an iron will so as not to
feel discouraged! Out of respect for the steely determination
of these runners, the AOI team has to aim to ensure the best
race conditions possible. Those who've already been on the race
know the extent of the safety measures in place.
However, due to the real threats of war in Iraq and in view
of the risks of tension in the Middle East generally, it has
been decided to change the destination of the DESERT CUP. The
concept remains the same: long distance non-stop race, food
self-sufficiency, maximum pre-defined time-limit. You1ll find
all the necessary information in the next edition of the Sahara
News.
Needless to say you can count on Patrick BAUER and his team
to come up with an itinerary worthy of the AOI’s reputation.
Good luck with the training and we'll be in touch soon.
AOI
TIMING MARATHON DES SABLES
Next edition 04 - 14 april 2003
PLANE TIMES Several planes are chartered
for the 18th MDS operation. AOI does not yet know the times
of these special flights. All competitors enrolled will be
sent details of their flight transfer times by post in mid-March.
However, you should allow for an early departure on 04 April
from ROISSY CHARLES DE GAULLE airport.
For those enrolled with our AOI representatives abroad, please
contact them directly for flight information.
SLEEPING BAGS Sleeping bags should provide sufficient
warmth (temperatures can be low in April, reduced calorie intake,
fatigue). Simple sheets or sleeping bag linings are not enough and
are not accepted by the organisation.
MEDICAL CERTIFICATE & ELECTROCARDIOGRAM Some competitors have already sent
AOI one or other of these two medical documents. The organisation
cannot take them into account. In order to be valid, these certificates
must be carried out and dated the month preceding the start of the
race (see Art. 25 of race regulations). You will therefore have
to repeat the medical check and electrocardiogram if you've made
this mistake. The documents must be presented during the day of
technical checks once in Morocco.
N.B: the medical certificate to be validated by the doctor (date,
signature and stamp are obligatory, failing which they'll be refused)
is the one in the registration file sent by AOI.
IDENTIFICATIONS MARKS
The race organisers
will be very strict about the positioning of your number panels.
Therefore, make sure right now that you think carefully about
where to position you advertising and publicity on your tee-shirts
and backpacks.
RECAP OF PENALTIES
(see Art. 8, 27 and 28 )
Misplacement
of ID marking
1st time : warning
2nd time : 30 minutes
3rd time : elimination
Your advertising and publicity
positions are here
Your advertising and publicity
positions are here
TIMING DC
Next edition : novembre 2003
(8 jours, date précisée dans le prochain sahara news)
Information packs will be sent in April and
enrolments will be open until
July/august 2003.
ATLANTIDE ORGANISATION Internationale
BP 98 - 10003 TROYES Cedex - FRANCE
Tél. : (33) 03 25 76 57 77 / Fax : (33) 03 25 76 87
75
E-Mail : aoi@darbaroud.com
- WEB : http://www.darbaroud.com
Sahara News n° 62 realized by CIMBALY International
Pépé et Marie - Webmaster : Cimbaly
EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS It is completely unacceptable
to find energy product wrappings on adventure courses.
And yet this is too often the case on many races. So
it1s worth reminding people that the MDS race rules
allow penalties to be issued to those found polluting
the environment (Art. 27 et 28). Much more straightforward
to leave rubbish at check-points or the finish line
of each stage ...
MARATHON DES SABLES WEEK END from 10 to 14 April 2003 As in previous years,
families, friends and sponsors can come along to the
finish line during the last 2 stages of MDS.
For information and details, contact :
TERRES D'AVENTURE - Charles POLIDORI
Tel : 01 53 73 76 76 email : c.polidori@terdav.com
TEAM RACING
Coureurs célestes : Y. MAGNEE
(B) and A. CHARLIER (B) finished the 14th MDS well and
are really looking forward to finding the Moroccan desert
again alongside so many other enthusiasts. F. LEONI
(I) will be discovering the sites and the emotions they
procure for the first time. Sapeurs du 6e Génie : Embarking
on his 4th MDS, A. RABALLAND (F) knows what to expect
and has persuaded 2 other officers in his regiment to
join him. D. BIGOT (F) and T. BERNARDO (F) seem to have
cottoned on fast to the message : they're expecting
"a human adventure that requires strong physical
and mental capacities". EDI-Sime : Having finished in 39th
and 57th place respectively last year, R. COUMENGES
(F) and B. EVRARD (F), are back hoping to surpass themselves
in a team. E. PLANTIN (F), a long-distance triathlon
expert should also be able to perform well. Marseille Extrême : Leaving their
daily problems as doctors or financial advisers behind,
Elisabeth CHUYEN DO (F), G. SPERDUTO (F), C. MIR (F),
J.M POURTAL (F) and S. BENYAHYA (F) are looking for
the simple pleasures of the bivouac and the special
spirit of fraternity you find when sharing physical
effort. Désertude : W. PORGE (F) and
M. BRESJANAC (F) will be leaving behind their notary
studies for the Moroccan desert and want to share the
pleasure of crossing a magnificent environment with
their friend C. MARE (F). Leroy Merlin/Ste Geneviève des Bois
: For his second MDS, O. CAUCHOIS (F) will be accompanied
by J.G. PINTO (F) and F. PETTAROS (F). They're coming
as much for the beauty of the scenery as for the pleasure
of participating in a high level competition even though
they consider themselves fairly average. Schlumberger Sema : thanks to the firm1s
Intranet, 100 000 fellow staff will be able to follow
the adventures of J.M. PAGET (F), A. MARROT (F), S.
DE CROOCK (B) and G. HAYE (F).
TEAM RACING
A real race within a race, the team ranking had many
a turnabout. "VSD " and "Bretagne Ultra
35 Legendre" were leaders in the early stages then
"Jordan team 1" seemed to impose itself. But
with 2 runners in the top ten and a female in 37h, it
was the experience and steadfastness of "Soja Sun"
which won the day. The obligatory mixed nature of the
teams evens out the chances and made for a gripping
challenge right to the very end.
LOVE AND AFFECTION
Stray dogs and runners rarely make a good team but in
Wadi Rum we saw just that. A bitch and her two puppies
followed several runners from CP10 to the
finish line - 47km! Fed and watered, the dog patiently
waited for the runners and kept closely behind. Visibly
in need of affection she ended up falling asleep in
the middle of runners at the finish line and only moved
when the organisation left the site.
