Usshers on top in Abu Dhabi

Nelson's Richard Ussher has led his Qasr Al Sarab team to victory in this year's Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, completing a hat-trick of titles for the world class adventure racer.

Ussher's team of wife Elina Ussher, Ohakune's Marcel Hagener and last-minute stand-in Nathan Fa'avae, also of Nelson, yesterday completed the six-day ordeal through 412km of desert wilderness in the United Arab Emirates in 46hr 19min 6sec.

It was the third time the race has been held, with the Usshers now involved in all three winning combinations. They won last year's title with Jarad Kohlar and Jay Henry as the Desert Islands team.

"I put this team together especially for this race," said Ussher after crossing the finish line yesterday.

"After our excellent performance on the prologue and holding our own against the other Kiwi team on the long paddle, we were fairly confident that the race would go according to plan."

Fleur Pawsey's New Zealand-based Compatriots ADCO team of Stuart Lynch, George Christison and Gordon Blythen finished second in 46hr 55min 14sec, with the French team Vibram Sport 2000, including Jacky Boisset, Myriam Guillot, Sylvain Montagny and Kiwi Dwarne Farley, third in 47hr 26min 16sec.

Fa'avae was a late call-up to the team after original member, Jacob Roberts of Christchurch, broke his collarbone in a cycling training accident.

The six-day race, held in stages, involved the core disciplines of mountainbiking, running and sea kayaking, with Qasr Al Sarab taking a handy advantage into the final day.

The first section of day six took the teams on a 21km trek up the harsh, jagged terrain of Jebel Hafeet mountain amidst darkness and low cloud.

Ussher's team was first on to the summit of the 1110m peak, sailing through the exercise in 3hr 4min to establish a seemingly unassailable lead over compatriots ADCO. "It looks like its over," said Ussher then, "but we won't be totally confident of victory until we get to within about 6km of the finish line – if anything goes wrong then, we can carry the bikes to the end."

- © Fairfax NZ News