A Coastal Finale

Stage 4 of the Perak Amanjaya International Eco Adventure Race ended successfully with most racers feeling good about the experience here in Malaysia, and the potential for this first time event to become a world-class adventure race.

The final stage started with a 70 km 90% road ride on mountain bikes leading to a paddle to Palau Pangkor, one of Malaysia's well known tourist islands on the West Coast. I’d explored Pangkor 10 years ago extensively while setting up the first National Geographic Action Asia race in Malaysia in 2001, so there were no surprises that the rest of the stage would visit all of Pangkor’s best natural areas located on this small island.

First off was a short 4km crossing of the channel to a scenic beach and a quick hike up 60 meters to rock face to abseil. Team Tecnu Extreme/Asolo Adventure Racing had done well to break away on the bike alone and hold a lead over Sweden’s Worldofmultisport.com with our team, Asia Pacific Adventure, chasing close behind.

A quick transition followed to a 6km road run that would link us for the crux of the stage, Pangkor’s only jungle trail following a series of hills across the middle of the island. By now the sun was in full force and hydration and electrolyte replacement was playing as important of a role as the strength left in everyone legs after the three previous hard and fast days of racing. (Teams would later find out why the locals call the area “Leach Hill” when looking down at there legs at the finish !)

Tecnu held on to their lead into the first ascent in the jungle but the experienced and consistent Swedes soon took over the lead, followed by Asia Pacific Adventure moving into second. Team Chiru Racing Bikes, the two South African teams, Malaysia's team Salomon, and the Japanese were all in hot pursuit with close overall positions still at stake.

We were determined to win the stage after our unlucky incident on stage two had put us out of overall podium reach when my team mate had followed 3 other teams off the course (who miraculously re-found the course after climbing down steep jungle and a sketchy waterfall). It was a bizarre and unlucky mix up that left us bitter and eager to crush the final stage.