Third stage started Wednesday afternoon, with 40 km long canoeing section. The only trouble was a few kilometers from the start, where teams had to get their canoes over dam of the Jesenice Lake. This showed how teams are able to cooperate. Some teams waited for each other and pulled the canoe in all four. But in some teams first canoe left and second had problems. There were no problems on this leg, but it created differences over 12 hours between the teams.

Following section of the third and longest stage was 80 km of walk. It was really challenging. Teams complained about heat, dehydration, and fact, that most of it was on asphalt roads. During the day, it was over 30 degrees centigrade. This all took its toll. Seven teams had withdrawn during this stage or immediately after it. And it is very likely that teams remaining there until second night will follow.

During this stage, Swedish team SVECO managed to get back to the second place, as they were walking really fast. Czech AlpinePro/Nutrend/Merida made a navigational error, and lost a lot of time. But they were able to get back to the third place. But Ukrainian OS-Direct were just incredible. They had beaten all the expectations of the organizers. In the second half of the stage they sped up and they gained and advantage of two hours.

After a boring trekking stage, biking leg was a lunapark ride. There was special task on almost every CP. But teams did not take time to enjoy them, sometimes times for special tasks were less than 10 minutes.

First special task was horse riding. Teams followed to natural swimming pool Michal, where iceberg awaited them. Next CP was on castle Vildstejn and teams had to locate several CPs in the castle. From there racers moved to Goethes rocsks named after the famous poet and then they continued to the Marktredwitz, Germany.

Ukrainans continued in their fast ride, and managed all this in 8 hours. It was supposed to be 100 km, but guys from AlpinePro claimed they rode 150 km. No one knows how Ukrainians made it. From Markterdwitz, another trek followed. This time only 20 km. At this time, it was clear Ukrainians will win, and Swedes pushed hard to secure second place.

Another biking stage followed, that led teams first to Bad Alexandersbad with rock labyrinth. It showed harder than anybody supposed it to be. Teams had to locate 6 CPs inside the labyrinth. But it was 4 km long, and first team arrived at night. Ukrainians arrived at night and complained later, it would be huge advantage for teams arriving during the day.

From there, teams continued to the skating section around Weisenstadt lake, and then back to the Czech Republic. Penultimate discipline was rope traverse over the Slapany quarry. At one point, racers had to leave the traverse and abseil to the water.

Last discipline was in the camp and it was diving. Racers had to locate chemical light two meters deep in the water. It was mainly so that they reached the finish line clean.In line with all the expectations Ukrainian-Russian team crossed the finish line first at 9:30 a.m. Symbolically it was on August 21, on 41st anniversary of Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. But this could not cause any bad blood between Ukrainians and Czechs. Second to finish were Swedes with huge, six hours, gap.

Long waiting followed. The next two teams: AlpinePro/Nutrend/Merida and Chick n’ run (mixed Czech-Finish), had locating CPs in labyrinth. After hours of futile search, they found out, controls falled from the rocks to the ground and were not visible. Meanwhile they joined in the search and finally decided to finish together, as there was nobody in front of them and nobody long behind them. While they were upset (said in polite words) at the labyrinth, they were already reconciled with their fate and they crossed the finish line together shortly after 9 p.m. as one big team with smiles on their faces.