Stage Two – Exploration Expedition
Teams rose early on the second day of the BG Energy Challenge, eager to find out where they stood on the leader board. Twenty one minutes separated the top four teams; Team 13 Amec out in front with Team 2 Western Geco, Team 24 Neftex Petroleum and defending champions Team 1 BG Group Strategy chasing hard on their heels. Day two would see teams head off for a record five hour cycling stage around the ancient woodlands and lochs of Rothiemurchus.
Today’s mission was to recover as much natural gas as possible from reservoirs dotted around the course. Teams who answered puzzles correctly were able to increase production and secure additional gas. Furthermore teams had to discover at least two new gas fields in order to avoid penalties. As the stage time passed, the amount of recoverable gas from each reservoir depleted, meaning that strategy and timing was crucial during this five hour set time stage. The total amount of natural gas recovered represented the total amount of bonus time awarded.
From the start leaders Team 13 Amec led a large pack of teams south into the dense woodland whilst a smaller pack, obviously working to differing strategies, filed off south west. Team 39 Ashurst were the first back to base camp for their mandatory 20 minute lunch break using the opportunity to regroup and change in their substitute. By now the weather had turned and with the rain steadily falling most teams ventured in for their breaks, taking advantage of the down time to solve puzzles collected out on the course.
After four hours and 40 minutes had elapsed, Team 18 Xodus Ladies crossed the finish line first closely followed by Team 4 BG Group Capital Projects. However 13 teams including Team 9 BG Group Legal finished after stage close time and incurred costly penalties. Regardless, all teams were in agreement that this had been a tough but thoroughly enjoyable stage.
Team 1 BG Group Strategy was confirmed as the stage winner having discovered two gas fields as well as recovering the most natural gas. This win moved them up two places, to top of the leader board. Captain James Caswell said: “Today’s stage was physically demanding but the scenery was stunning and an amazing location to bike around. The team’s effort was second to none with everyone having key roles to play in successfully completing the stage. We can’t wait for the next stage to start and keep the momentum up!”
With the bikes loaded up, the convoy of cars filtered out of the car park back towards the MacDonald Highland Resort, teams full of anticipation of what the next stage might bring and when it might take place.