Nopesport

Every year, when the days are short and the joys of Christmas are a distant memory the thoughts of the top orienteers turn to the coming season. With the UK Cup starting in two weeks and the international season opening at Spring Cup in 6 weeks its time to put the winter training to the test with some top quality orienteering. But why would you want to do that in some mucky corner of Britain, all rain and wind, snow and sleet? So every year, around about February, some of the worlds best orienteers head to the Iberian Peninsula for the first World Ranking Events of the year.

It does have to be said that orienteering is not a big sport in spain, and the areas available are pretty limited. But what is there is generally superb. The February events usually fall into two classes: fast sand dune-o as found in Barbate and south of Alicante, and rougher, tougher mountain-o over scrubby, rocky hillsides.

The second set of WREs were held last weekend and the terrain fell neatly into the categories above: Saturdays classic distance in the Mediterranean pine forest followed by a Middle distance on Sunday in Guardamar, the sand dune forest where Matt Speake recorded his 9th place at JWOC '02.

Results

Day One, Mens Elite
1. Roger Casal Fernandez SPAIN 67.32
2. peter Oberg SWEDEN 67.37
3. Oskar Arlebo SWEDEN 68.21

12.Clive Parry GBR 70.44
21.Matt Crane GBR 72.44
47.Rob Baker GBR 78.13
74.Neil Northrop GBR 86.19
DSQOli Johnson GBR MP
DSQAndrew Middleditch GBR MP

Womens Elite

1. Birgitte Huseby NORWAY 57.39
2. Eva Ohlund SWEDEN 60.36
3. Anne S. Klavestad NORWAY 62.17

17.Kim Buckley GBR 68.32
26.Jenny Whitehead GBR 72.05
35.Alice Bedwell GBR 75.55

Mens Elite Day 2

1. Tommy Juhani Tolkko FINLAND28.35
2. Roger Casal Fernandez SPAIN 30.14
3. Per Oberg SWEDEN 30.28

10.Oli Johnson GBR 31.11
30.Matt Crane GBR 34.30
31.Neil Northrop GBR 34.34
33.Clive Parry GBR 35.10
55.Andrew Middleditch GBR 37.58
94.Rob Baker GBR 49.10

Womens Elite

1. Pinja Satri FINLAND32.50
2. Esther Gil Brontons SPAIN 33.19
3. Kim Buckley GBR 33.40

28.Jenny Whitehead GBR 43.22
DSQAlice Bedwell GBR

Full results avalable here.