Tilak Team, befor known as Tilak/Opava.net Team from Czech Republic is the first winner of Euroadventure.net cup. They've managed to race on 3 out of 4 Euroadventure races. Find out more about the team.
The team TILAK/OPAVANET was established in March 2006 – couple months after winning Czech Adventure race 2005; before it was team SK SP Kylesovice/OPAVANET and this team has arised shortly before the first Czech Adventure race in the year 2003. The first idea to take a part in this Czech AR 2003 gave Marek Hajek – adventure racing enthusiast and guru of the czech outdoor and extremsport. Together with him stood on the start at that time Tomas Petrecek and Marek Navratil. The team had only 3 members.
Where did you get your team name. Is it sponsor related?
Our team name is sponsor related. First sponsor was company OpavaNet (http://www.opavanet.cz/). It is local czech telco company provided services in Moravian region (north-east of the Czech rep.). This is mainly our financial partner (helps to cover entry fees, travel costs etc.) After winning Czech Adventure race 2005 we found other new partner/sponsor czech company TILAK (http://www.tilak.cz/) – producer of excellent outdoor clothing. This company support our team with necessary wear and dresses.
Current team members
Main members – Marek Navratil (captain), Tomas Petrecek, Zuzana Kroutilova, Libor Uher
Other members (deputies) – other adventure racers from Czech Republic willig to cooperation Previous team members
Marek Hajek – founder and initiator, Czech AR 2003;
Pavel Peths – Czech AR 2004;
Miroslav Saidl – Czech AR 2005;
Filip Hebelka - Notrh Face Adventure Trophy 2006, AR Slovenia 2006;
Milada Cincerova - Notrh Face Adventure Trophy 2006, AR Slovenia 2006;
Ondrej Bloudek - Notrh Face Adventure Trophy 2006
How much training do you do?
Up to eight times weekly is necessity especially 2 months before the mutli-day adventure race. After the race and in the period between the races is the training programme not so hard. Minimum is three times weekly, sufficiently is four or five times weekly (depending on time). But every team member plans own individual training himself.
Are the trainings individual or team trainings.
The trainings are partly individual and partly teamwork. We live in the same region, but only approximately 1 training in 2 weeks is possible to manage as teamwork.
Where did the name came from? Did you have a different team name before? Is your team name dependet of your sponsor?
The first name was SK SP Kylesovice. Kylesovice is the small district in the city Opava where the team was esthablished. SK means Sport Club and SP means Stari psi – Old Dogs. The second part of the name – OPAVANET is sponzor related – see the question 2. The new Name TILAK/OPAVANET is wholy sponzor related – see the question 2.
2 best moments that occured during races (or training)
Hard to say...meaby the first best moment was to reach the finish line on Czech Adventure Race 2005 on the 1st place and the second moment was one year after (2006), when we won this race the next time; but we love this sport and the best moment is for us nearly every moment on the race route :-)
2 worst moments that occured during your races (or training)
The worst moment was on the polish Bergson winter Challeng 2006. Our team mate sustained injury and it was very serious. So he has to be transfered to hospital...now is he ok, fortunately.
The second worst moment was on Adventure Racing Poland Championship 2006 – we could not find one checkpoint on »Zielona Gora«, because the map was really incorrect and we were there in the night. So we were searching this point 5 or 6 hours!, till the morning come and we could see better the scene arround. This »Zielona Gora« is a black »nightmare« for usJ!
What is your opinion on Euroadventure.net cup?
We are very thankful for this idea. It increases the motivation for racing in included races and it helps to share important informations. But we miss some rules standardization, we think the cooperation with race-organizers is not clear and developed as it should be (for example ARPC not includet to EU cup subsequently after the race...?) We know it is not easy, but this is the big work and challenge for EU cup managers.
What is the biggest difficulty when going to races in foreign countries? Transport, money…?
The biggest difficulty is TIME. On every race we spent one week approximately (inclusive travel). If we participate on 4 Races in the season (one year), we need 4 weeks holiday. And every one of us has a family, every one has a job.... Money is on the second place. We have very good sponzors, but some material (bikes for example) are really expensive and need to be upgraded every 2 years!
How developed is adventure racing as a sport in Czech republic?
The history of AR in the Czech Republic is very joung. First AR event was organized here in the year 2003 (one day event, 3 members teams), but first czech racers took part in adventure races abroad couple years earlier. From 2003 increasis the number of czech adventure racers rapidly, and their level is still going better. Now we have cca 4 teams on the representation level competing on international basis and great many enthusiasts racing on the local basis.
The first multi-day AR event in Czech was oragnized in 2004 (3 days, 4 member inclusive one lady). But 10 years before (1994) we started to organize first outdoor extrem multidiscipline races (halfday events of individuals – http://www.extrememan.cz/ ). These race is the birthplace of czech adventure racers.
Best organized race in Europe – North Face Adventure Trophy, Bergson Winter Challenge
Most beautiful landscape / race track – North Face AT, Adventure race Slovenia
The hardest race in Europe – Bergson Winter Challenge, North Face AT (winter, mountains, very long)
The most expencive race – there are not big difference between races; only travel costs and entry fee are higher or lower (depend on locality and type of event);
What did you think about Adventure race Slovenia 2006
Positiv: amazing region, beautifull nature and conditions (lakes, mountains...), very advantageous date (June) – very good wheater conditions; interesting activities before race; proffesional spirit; proffesional website Negativ: complicated race system and strange evaluation method.
What did you think about German Quest Adventure Challenge 2006
Not present....only the date 3 weeks after previous Czech AR were not very suitable; their website is complicated, not providing good and easy overwiew
What did you think about The North Face Adventure Trophy 2006
Positiv: Interessting and hard nature (Tatra Mountains), many proffesional teams – good competition, very good organization (not only in center but also in transition areas), proffesional website, nice people
Negativ: little bit chaos on pre race briefing, some polish answers not translated to english, dresses distribution on briefing very long (complicated)
What did you think about Czech Adventure Race 2006
Positiv: very nice locality (Karlstejn castle...), good staff (organization team), many interessting disciplines, proffesional website
Negativ: not cleary set detailed rules before the race (especially penalties for not overcoming some part)
What will you do with the award money? Is it going to be spend for future races or for private use?
We will use it first of all for upgrading our race equipment for the next season (bike-repairs, new race boxes, some new sport equipment such as cycle-shoes etc.)
Marek Navratil
Team captain Tilak/Opavanet
web: www.sweb.cz/tilakteam
email:
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