Introduction → Meet the Teams → Race Tracker → Leg 1A → Leg 1B → Leg 2 → Leg 3 → Leg 4 → Leg 5 → Leg 6 → Leg 7 → Leg 8 → Leg 9 → Leg 10 → Leg 11 → Leg 12 → Leg 13
Leg 20.07 – “We might get eliminated, but at least we got in a good workout!”
The 7th Leg of the Race begins as teams must choose a brand new 2020 Kia Sorento and drive themselves to Casino de Spa in Spa, Belgium.
Here, teams will be given 10 chips and must double their money on the roulette table.
If teams run out of chips before they can double their money, they will have to wait out a 30-minute penalty before being given their next clue. If teams are able to double their money, they can keep that money and receive the next clue.
That clue directs teams to the home of the Belgian Grand Prix, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stevelot where they will find a Double Road Block: Quick Mind or Quick Hands.
The team member with a Quick Mind must hop in a Formula One car with a professional driver for four laps. As they zoom around the track, teams must keep an eye out for the names and home country flags of the last six winners of the Belgian Grand Prix which will be on sign boards as they drive past. They must relay the list of names, in order, and correctly match them with their country flag to receive the next clue.
Between the 2nd and 3rd laps, teams will make a short pit stop. The team member with Quick Hands will need to join the pit crew and change all four tires on the car. The safety of their work will be checked before the car can return to the track.
The team who can change the tires in the shortest amount of time will win something at the Pit Stop.
After the Double Road Block, teams will open the next clue which reveals the Detour: Crank the Chores or Rest & Relaxation.
In Crank the Chores, teams must head to the Musee de la Lessive, a museum dedicated to laundry. Here, teams must use old fashioned hand-operated laundry machines to properly wash a load of white linens to receive the next clue.
In Rest & Relaxation, teams must head to Les Thermes de Spa where they will learn how to properly prepare a peat bath. When approved, both team members will enjoy a soak in the bath for a predetermined amount of time in order to receive the next clue.
The Trigger Point parameters were not fulfilled in the last Leg. So the U-Turn is NOT activated on this Leg of the Race.
After the Detour, teams must drive themselves to the Musee de la Ville D’Eaux where they will find the Road Block: Who’s got the look?
The Councour de Beaute, held in Spa in 1888, is considered the first modern beauty pageant in the world. For this Road Block, teams must choose a photo of a beauty pageant model and search through piles of clothes and accessories for what they need to replicate the look on a mannequin. Once they get the thumbs up, they will receive the next clue.
Teams must now invite their new pageant friend with them into their Kia Sorentos and together drive to the Musee de la Vie Wallonne in Liege.
With their beauty pageant friend in tow, teams must search the area around the museum for a matching traditional Liegeois puppet. Once they’ve found the puppet, they must bring it and their pageant friend back to the museum to receive their next clue.
That clue will only tell teams to “Count the Steps.” Teams must figure out they must count the steps at Montagne de Bueren. The correct numbers of steps (374) will open a lockbox containing their next clue. Teams are forbidden from asking anyone for help with the count.
This is also the Trigger Point for this Leg. If any team guesses exactly 373 or 375 steps, the U-Turn or Yield will be activated on the next Leg.
The last clue of the Leg points teams to the Leige-Guillemins train station, the Pit Stop for this Leg of the Race.
The first team to check-in here will win P200,000 courtesy of Shell V-Power Nitro+. The team which the fastest tire change time will also win P200,000 courtesy of Shell V-Power Nitro+ and their Formula One team!
And the last team to check-in WILL be eliminated!
“Director’s” Commentary
Yay! I enjoy an original, not-so-recycled TARPHDME Leg! Lol
First up, it’s always great to have teams driving. Kia will certainly be happy of course. And self-driving helps fill out a Leg that may not be as full in terms of tasks. (Though this Leg is pretty full.)
The roulette task kind of separates teams at the beginning of the Leg. Definitely lots of luck involved. And some may think the 30-minute penalty is too much for an unlucky team. But since it’s the beginning of the Leg, it should be okay.
The Double Road Block is a modified mix of many racetrack tasks from the past. But I think this is a little more unique. Of course, as a Double Road Block, both team members are involved. The keeping an eye out for something and memorizing it should be a little more challenging here with the names and flags. We can even add times as well to make it even harder.
The pit crew side of the Double Road Block is a good, tense-filled task in the middle. And we have the extra incentive with the prize at the end. I saw Shell sponsors one of the cars, so that will be a nice tie-in.
Both Detours are straight forward tasks. I think there could be other, more interesting tasks in the beautiful area. But for now, we have these two and I think they can be interesting enough to keep teams competitive. I will assume the laundry actually takes less time, but teams will go for the spa instead. (We hope!)
It was interesting to learn about the first modern beauty pageant being held in Spa. The Philippines loves their beauty pageants of course. So they should love this task. It’s a fun, attention to details task. Almost a little absurd kind of a task. But it can also provide tension and frustration by being so absurd lol
We move on to Liege for the end of this Leg. I think Liege could even stage a Leg on its own. But we finish up here. Having their mannequin friend ride with them will be another amusing thing to do. And matching the mannequin with the traditional local puppet is a nice cultural task. Plus the fact that they have to drag their friend around lol
The step counting is definitely nothing new. But what is different is it not being the Pit Stop actually. Teams also needing to figure out what the vague clue refers to could challenge teams as well.
Overall, I think this is one of the better, more traditional, but still competitive Legs this season!