On April 15, the 2014 Wenzhou International Mountain Outdoor Sports Challenge concluded. After four days of racing spanning 280 kilometers, all athletes' final standings were confirmed. On the final day, Team Red Bull secured third place overall with a time of 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 23 seconds, and Team Red Bull II ranked 13th overall with a time of 4 hours, 20 minutes, and 15 seconds. Looking back at the four-day competition, Team Red Bull finished second overall with a cumulative time of 20 hours, 56 minutes, and 54 seconds, while Team Red Bull II took 10th place with a time of 23 hours, 32 minutes, and 46 seconds, firmly holding the top spot among Chinese teams. The overall champions, New Zealand Adventure Team, achieved a total time of 20 hours, 23 minutes, and 15 seconds.
The final day of the 2014 China Wenzhou Mountain Outdoor Cross-Country Challenge concluded, with Team Red Bull finishing third overall with a time of 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 22 seconds.
Team Red Bull II successfully completed the 2014 Wenzhou Outdoor Race, earning a finisher’s medal and securing the top domestic ranking in the overall competition.
Nestled among rolling mountains, the emerald Feiyun Lake weaves through the landscape. The picturesque Baihe Mountain Villa not only served as the starting point for the final day of the 2014 Wenzhou International Mountain Outdoor Sports Challenge but also marked Wenzhou’s most gentle farewell to the athletes. At the start, following race rules, three members of each four-person team had to wait in a kayak while one teammate descended from a suspension bridge using a rope and swam to join their team in the kayak. This steel cable bridge, known as the “White Crane Flight,” is the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge, stretching 358 meters in length and suspended 58 meters above the water. Team Red Bull naturally assigned their most versatile athlete, Richard, to perform the bridge jump, while Team Red Bull II substituted Hu Wanzhe for Yersin "Shiwohen, Puzula," who had set the fastest rope descent record the previous day. Puzula explained, “Hu Wanzhe is our best swimmer, and he has incredible upper body strength—he’s my very own Schwarzenegger.”
The third day of the race featured a bridge descent event, where participants had to rappel down from a 58-meter-high suspension bridge using ropes.
As Richard mentioned yesterday, water-based events are one of their strengths. As soon as Team Red Bull entered the water, they took the lead on Feiyun Lake, though five teams remained in the leading pack, closely bunched together with no clear advantage. Richard said, “The scenery here is absolutely stunning, and the air is so fresh. I almost forgot I was in a race—it all felt so relaxed.” It’s worth noting that Feiyun Lake, a source of drinking water for Wenzhou residents, is known as the “Wenzhou Water Reservoir.”
The scenery during the kayaking segment on the fourth day of the race was breathtaking, earning high praise from the athletes. The photo shows Team Red Bull during the competition.
Team Red Bull led throughout the kayaking stage.
After paddling 16 kilometers, Team Red Bull were the first to reach Xianju Bridge and transition to the 24.2-kilometer mountain bike climb. Compared to the foggy conditions or rocky terrain of the previous days, today’s course was much more manageable—but Team Red Bull lost their lead here. According to Richard after the race, just minutes into the ride, teammate Peter Vos’s tire suddenly went flat. This could have been due to low pressure or a puncture. Unable to quickly diagnose the issue, the team opted to inflate the tire, but it went flat again shortly after, forcing them to replace the inner tube. This roughly six-minute delay allowed Team Thule Adventure and the New Zealand Adventure Team to overtake them.
In the final 9-kilometer cross-country run, Team Red Bull gave it their all, impressing even race director Wei Jun: “It’s not easy for them to push so hard on the last day.” Unfortunately, the “tire incident” cost them too much time, and Team Red Bull had to settle for third place that day. Thankfully, Team Thule Adventure also failed to capitalize on the opportunity, allowing Team Red Bull to secure second place overall.
Team Red Bull II's Puzula during the mountain bike segment on the fourth day of the race.
With that, the four-day 2014 Wenzhou Outdoor Challenge came to a close. This year’s event saw a comprehensive upgrade compared to previous years, featuring larger orienteering sections that tested athletes’ self-reliance even more. Race director Wei Jun commented, “This edition of the Wenzhou Outdoor Race is among the most challenging in China, and in terms of technical difficulty, it’s arguably the toughest race organized by our association in the past decade.” The performances of Team Red Bull and Team Red Bull II were commendable. Wei Jun noted, “Team Red Bull II performed well in mountain biking and cross-country running, but their kayaking was weaker. A single weak event can significantly drag down overall performance—that’s an area they urgently need to improve.” Regarding Team Red Bull’s near-miss at the championship, Wei Jun expressed some regret: “Team Red Bull had some bad luck, including Alina falling ill, the penalty from the first day’s roller skating, and today’s tire blowout. Without these factors, their result would definitely have been better. But the level of competition this year was extremely high—the top 10 athletes were all world-class. For Team Red Bull to secure second place despite the setbacks is truly impressive.”
Team Red Bull won second place overall in the 2014 Wenzhou Outdoor Race.
Back at the finish line, Richard smiled and embraced his teammates, but he also pointed out that luck hadn’t been on their side this time—they faced too many “setbacks”: “On the first day, we reached the finish line first, but it was a bit later than we expected. Then the setbacks kept coming—Alina had stomach issues, and today we had a tire blowout. I think we didn’t manage our energy distribution very well.” Alina added, “I’m feeling fine today—I ate something in the hotel room. But catching up to the leaders isn’t easy.”
Team Red Bull finished third on the fourth day of the race with a time of 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 22 seconds.
Reflecting on the entire four-day competition, Alina said, “This was a really tough race—the weather made me feel like I was melting. There were so many top athletes here, so I’m really satisfied with second place.” Richard added, “This was much harder than last year—not only was the course longer, but it also tested our orienteering skills a lot more. From day one, we were always in second place, and we kept planning how to overtake the others. But when you’re that far behind such strong teams, there aren’t many strategies you can use—you never know what might happen during the race. Still, this was one of the most exciting races I’ve ever been in, and I really, really enjoyed it.”
Team Red Bull II achieved 10th place overall and first among Chinese teams in the 2014 Wenzhou Outdoor Race.
Right after the race, Alina was already planning how to spend the prize money: “After this race, we have a few days off. I’m going to have Richard take me shopping in Hong Kong for a few days.” When asked what she planned to buy, Alina laughed, “Haha, clothes, of course!”