Crested Butte was relaxed and happy when I caught up with them at the finish line of today's mountain bike section around Sir Bani Yas Island.

"The teams were really fast on the pavement, but spread out immediately when the route turned to dirt."

Salomon/Crested Butte was among the teams that pulled away from the pack. Yari Kirkland's mind was already planning for the next leg of the team's journey, a 30 kilometer paddle on the Arabian Sea. Teams are to camp there tonight, and begin racing again tomorrow.

"We need to take all our sleeping gear, water for the paddle, all our food and all our mandatory gear," Kirkland said. That will make for heavy boats, which could help in the swells seen on the water today.