Smackdown: Top 10 Outdoor-Sports Rivalries

Text by Andrea Minarcek

As March Madness kicks off this week, talk around ye old office water-cooler will likely revolve around NCAA basketball. But that doesn’t mean college hoops fans should have all the fun. So we decided to give you ADVENTURE crowd your own bracket-like list to debate: a run-down of the best modern rivalries in outdoor sports. And when we say rivalries, we don’t mean to imply that these athletes snipe and bicker like Rock of Love contestants. We mean, simply, that they’re vying for their sport’s top spot—and pushing each to be better in the process. Here, then, are our picks for today's Top 10 Outdoor-Sports Rivalries in climbing, cycling, ski racing, and more:

Think we missed a rivalry that should’ve made our list? Let us know the Comments section, below.

10. Sailing

Any rivalry pitting the French against the English is sure to be a good one. And the competition between sailing’s Francis Joyon and Ellen MacArthur doesn’t disappoint. Last year, after the Frenchman annihilated the English MacArthur’s around-the-world solo record by a full two weeks, he told her: “I had a hard time beating your record. I hope that you won't be in a hurry to beat mine.” Sorry, buddy. We’d bet she’s already working on it. Here’s a blow-by-blow of Joyon’s arrival last January—and oui, it’s in français, but it’s easy to follow the action:

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