Jim Ryan of the 2004 4x Team Falcons calculated out the stage splits and average speed stats for the 2004 Furnace Creek 508 team race. (Thanks, Jim!) Below is the average speed rankings for each stage for all 4x teams, the lead 2x team (which beat all but one of the 4x teams) and for solo champ Marko Baloh (who also beat all the 2x and 4x teams.) Note that ties are listed on the same line and separated by a /. Also, all 2x teams are listed with the 4x teams and Baloh for overal standings at the end.
As you can see, this is pretty interesting stuff! The new "stage race format" really shakes things up, with stage wins and stage placings bouncing all through the field. These numbers represent some awesome racing and some awesome teamwork!
For 2005 and beyond, the webcast splits page will denote which rider on which team completed which stages. (How's that for peer pressure?!)
Also remember that team relay riders race in a fixed order (of their choosing) from the beginning and that order must be announced at racer check-in. For two-rider teams, that order is A-B-A-B-A-B-A-B and for four-rider teams, that order is A-B-C-D-A-B-C-D.
Click here to download a spreadsheet (.xls) of all the splits for all 2x and 4x teams from 2004, including average speeds for each team for each stage.
2004 RELAY STAGE SPLITS
(All teams mentioned are 4X unless otherwise noted)
Stage One, Santa Clarita to California City, 82.25 miles. Elevation Gain: 6176':
21.48 Marko Tweety Bird Baloh (solo champ)
21.39 Sasquatch
20.5 2x Yak (50+)
19.07 Javelina
18.29 Western Wood Pewee
18.02 Velociraptor
17.70 Falcons
17.63 Agouti
15.57 Dogfish
14.43 Serval (women)
Stage Two: California City to Trona, 70.25 miles. Elevation Gain: 4212':
24.28 Dogfish
24.00 Marko Tweety Bird Baloh
23.73 Falcons / 2x Yak (50+)
21.43 Velociraptor (mixed)
20.10 Javelina / Western Wood Pewee
19.44 Sasquatch
18.42 Agouti
17.43 Serval (women)
Stage Three: Trona to Furnace Creek, 99.2 miles. Elevation Gain: 7538':
20.03 Marko Tweety Bird Baloh
19.42 2x Yak (50+)
19.30 Velociraptor (mixed)
19.18 Sasquatch
17.17 Javelina
16.60 Falcons
15.50 Dogfish
14.43 Agouti
13.65 Western Wood Pewee
13.44 Serval (women)
Stage Four: Furnace Creek to Shoshone, 73.6 miles. Elevation Gain: 6744' (Major Headwind Stage):
12.93 Velociraptor (mixed)
12.27 Marko Tweety Bird Baloh
10.77 Sasquatch
10.49 Agouti
10.33 Falcons
10.12 2x Yak (50+)
9.82 Serval (women)
8.93 Wester Wood Pewee
8.45 Dogfish
8.32 Javelina
Stage Five: Shoshone to Baker, 56.3 miles. Elevation Gain: 2186':
18.69 Sasquatch
18.29 2x Yak (50+)
16.44 Javelina
15.48 Marko Tweety Bird Baloh
14.74 Agouti
14.49 Falcons / Velociraptor (mixed)
14.02 Western Wood Pewee
11.29 Serval (women)
11.25 Dogfish
Stage Six: Baker to Kelso, 34.90 miles. Elevation Gain: 2920':
17.21 Falcons
15.79 2x Yak (50+)
15.11 Velociraptor (mixed)
14.38 Dogfish
14.00 Sasquatch
13.91 Javelina
13.38 Western Wood Pewee / Serval (women)
13.29 Marko Tweety Bird Baloh
12.41 Agouti
Stage Seven: Kelso to Almost Amboy, 33.8 miles. Elevation Gain: 2280':
20.00 Marko Tweety Bird Baloh
19.81 Velociraptor (mixed)
19.25 Sasquatch
19.07 2x Yak (50+)
16.32 Javelina
15.57 Falcons
15.34 Dogfish
14.78 Agouti
14.37 Serval (women)
12.91 Western Wood Pewee
Stage Eight: Almost Amboy to Twenty Nine Palms, 58.2 miles. Elevation Gain: 4170'
(Major Headwind Stage):
15.02 Marko Tweety Bird Baloh
14.96 Velociraptor (mixed)
13.38 2x Yak (50+)
12.43 Agouti
11.75 Serval (women)
11.50 Sasquatch
11.11 Falcons
10.27 Javelina
10.10 Western Wood Pewee
Final Standings by Average Speed for all 2x teams, all 4x teams, plus the solo (and overall) winner:
17.26 Marko Tweety Bird Baloh (solo)
16.69 4x Velociraptor (mixed)
16.55 2x Yak (50+)
16.01 4x Sasquatch
14.95 4x Falcons
14.69 2x Basenji
14.19 2x Pupfish (women)
14.11 4x Agouti
14.11 4x Javelina
14.09 2x Grizz
13.93 2x Pronghorn
13.90 2x Rollie Pollie
13.86 4x Dogfish / 2x Golden Sun Dragon (women)
13.21 4x Western Wood Pewee
13.10 2x Mongolian Wild Asses (mixed)
12.89 4x Serval (women)
12.84 2x Chinook (mixed)
12.73 2x Leatherback Turtles (70+)
12.26 2x Desert Tortoise
11.63 2x Mahi Mahi
