Multisports: Vector earn 12-hour lead

New Zealand team Balance Vector, led by Nelson's Nathan Fa'avae, continue to dominate the adventure racing world championships on the West Coast.

Fa'avae and his teammates Richard Ussher, of Nelson, Taupo's Marcel Hagener and Kristina Anglem, of Christchurch, were this morning almost 12 hours ahead of their nearest challengers, Swedish teams Cross Sportswear and Halti.

Interest now focuses on how fast the Balance Vector team can go over the final stages and which one of the chasing teams will finish second.

Balance Vector were about four hours ahead going into the trekking stage in the Brunner Range, emerging 22 hours later at 9.57am yesterday.

They extended that lead to almost 12 hours overnight during a 89km mountain biking trek, arriving at the Buller River at 5.04am today.

The team then had a sleep before starting the 45km rafting stage on the Buller River.

They have a 31km trek through the Paparoa Ranges followed by a caving section, 20km mountainbike, cliff climbing stage before the final 16km beach walk to the finish at Westport.

"We have a little bit of a buffer and it's a nice position to be in," Fa'avae said after the trekking stage yesterday.

Anglem said it had been almost impossible to navigate on the Brunner Range, because it was snowing at times and visibility was bad.

The team holed up in a two-man tent for a couple of hours before moving on.

Ussher has been nursing a sore eye that was scratched by tree branch early in the race.

Twenty-four teams have withdrawn from the race with more expected as the rugged terrain and hectic pace take their toll.

Balance Vector are expected to arrive at the finish in Westport at about 3pm tomorrow.

- NZPA