Preview: Relay Rik Thys

On friday 17/10, the biggest relay in Belgium takes place. 155 teams (most of them military) will be present at the startline. So 465 participants will run and orienteer in Gruitrodebos. This forrest (terrain photos) and map is one of the best areas in the north of Belgium. The terrain is pretty technical and challenging. The map 'Gruitrode' was also used during JWOC 1997, the routechoices of Thiery Gueorgiou are available here: part1 and part2.

Map sample Gruitrodebos

Also the organisation (Patrick Wallaert and the army) of this relay is special, compared with other o-organisations in Belgium. In the past, it was possible to follow the competition as spectator by speaker, radiocontrol, tv-screen, spectatorscontrol and at the change-over-area. These factors cause a very good atmosphere during the race.

Last year, the military team 2/4L (Baert, Simkens, Haex) took the victory. But this year they run without Simkens. He's replaced by Jannis because of an injury. Trol was 2nd last year, but they also had to change their team. Laenen and W Franssen will be absent and are replaced by Meeussen and Marinus. The big favourits this year will be Hamok (3th in 2007). Luc Melis and the brothers Jeroen and Dries van der Kleij will represent Hamok1.
Some outsiders: Asub (Bernard, Deneyer and Debehogne), Omega (Jacobs, B Vandemoortel and ?), 10W Tac (Engelen, Anciaux and Goossens), CBOS (Pathoens, Schrans and Tirez), KOL (Michiels, Nijst and Bockx) and Irmep Kmilo (Vandercammen, Marchal and Wathelet).

List of teams and participants (2008)
Article about the edtition 2007
Article about the edition 2006
Results: 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004