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Subscribe via RSSSeason 12, Leg 7: Lost in Italy
Leaving Croatia, the teams cross the Adriatic Sea to Italy and visit the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florance. Long distance driving rewards teams who take the road less traveled while other teams encounter an unexpected roadblock (and not one of the race kind, either).
After crossing the Adriatic, each of the remaining teams get the clue sending them 200 miles to Empoli, Italy. The teams start looking for directions from the locals, and while most are sent north toward Bologna, TK & Rachel and Nate & Jen get information on shorter routes through the mountains. This info proves significant when the other teams encounter a construction project on the way to Bologna that has closed the highway.
Ron & Christina and Kynt & Vyxsin both decide to find an alternate route around the road closure while Nick & Don, who appear to be further back in the traffic jam, decide to wait it out until morning.
As the teams arrive at the airfield in Empoli, they discover that it doesn’t open till 7AM. With the road closure, however, this doesn’t create the mega-bunch the lead teams were concerned about. Instead, Jen and TK are able to take to the skies in ultralights to look for their next clue in the Roadblock.
TK can’t seem to find the clue and, over the course of his 4 attempts, is passed by all of the trailing teams. Surprisingly, Rachel is supportive of him and keeps her frustration to herself, expressing just a little bit to the camera. What a strangely functional relationship. Nate & Jen should pay attention.
Also included in the Roadblock clue is the one and only Fast Forward on this race. Nick & Don decide to go for only to discover that they must get a tattoo in order to earn the clue. After much build up, and even a commercial break, they decide to go ahead. This earns them a first place finish at the pit stop in Florence.
With the Roadblock out of the way, it was off to da Vinci, the birth place of one Leonardo, for the Detour. Along the way, however, Kynt & Vyxsin manage to break their car and get into an argument with each other.
In the end, Kynt & Vyxsin come in last but are saved by a non-elimination leg. However, Phil takes the opportunity to introduce us to the latest change in the race, the Speed Bump. To misquote Phil, “A Roadblock is a task that only one team must perform.”
