In the world of adventure racing, Bend Racing / 4 Hour Fuel is unlike any other team. Hailing from the harsh winters of Quebec and the dense forests of the American Northeast, this North American team has forged a unique identity: a team that thrives where others falter, finds joy where others endure, and blazes its own trail off the beaten path.
Karine Corbeil, the team captain, who transitioned from elite mountain biking after winning the Canadian Masters Road Championship title, leads the group with the instinct of someone who has learned to read the field in places where maps are no longer enough. Jean-Yves Dionne has been racing since the early 2000s, with the same obsession: to improve, to go faster, to surpass himself at every start. Alexandre Provost, who has been on the starting line of the World Championships since 2004 in Newfoundland, is the quiet architect of a team he has shaped race after race. Finally, American Daniel Staudigel, aka “the Mule,” rounds out the team with a rare skill of bushwhacking and an analytical composure that nothing seems to shake. They make bold choices, thrive in the harshest conditions, and inspire new runners to join the sport.
Together, they form a team where chaos becomes their playground. At the 2025 Endless Mountains Adventure Race, they executed rapid transitions and made bold route choices to win this North American championship and secure their spot in the finals in Corsica. They also finished 5th at the previous World Championship in Canada.
In Corsica, on an island of scrubland, ridges, and rugged terrain, they aren’t looking for a controlled race. They’re here to make their own.