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