Athletes Go! Go! Go! on final 48 hour push as Chrigel closes on goal
An interview filmed with Chrigel Maurer before the Red Bull X-Alps 2011. He won the 2009 event
Day 11 of the Red Bull X-Alps brought some light relief for the leader Chrigel Maurer, but a bit of a slog for those 150km+ behind.
As Chrigel entertained himself and others while sitting out the rain in the south of France, Toma and Paul Guschlbauer battled it out for second place. Toma kept ahead, flying down where he could and running on foot.
By the end of the day the gap had expanded to 15km – and that’s where it was early Thursday morning.
Chrigel is sitting at 2,600m on an east-facing launch. Perfect for launching into early thermals and starting the flight to goal. Surely he will get there today?
In fourth, Martin Muller is in the Chamonix valley. The weather there according to Cross Country’s Bob Drury who lives there is “Sh*t,” and expected to stay that way for a couple of days.
Behind him three pilots, Jon Chambers (GBR2), Ferdinand van Schelven (NED) and Michael Gebert (GER) are all neck and neck as they hike over the Col de Balme towards the Mont Blanc turnpoint.
There’s another gaggle at the back, near the Matterhorn turnpoint, and then the backmarkers at around the 400km-to-goal mark. Keep going guys – you’re still in the race.
One who isn’t though is Czech Jan Skrebalek, cut from the pack at 7am today. He wasn’t too bothered it seems, telling organiser he’d enjoyed himself and the experience.
So, all eyes on Live Tracking this morning.
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