These teams in Paris and NYC CAN'T be decoys. Here's why. There are 5 teams spotted in Finland -- Tyler/James, Lynn/Karlyn, the brunette couple, the Asian couple, and the blonde girls. This is the 10th leg of the race, so these are probably the only teams left. Just a couple legs later, we have 3 teams spotted in Paris -- Tyler/James, Lynn/Karyln, and the brunette couple. There are simply NOT ENOUGH teams left in the race at this stage to send these 3 teams as decoys. The Asian team and the blonde girls would be the only teams left. Make sense? Puddin called it - TBTB just put the last leg wide out in the open.
Updated route spec -- not a TON new, but it's become a lot easier to figure out where some of our teams get eliminated...
EP1: Seattle, Washington (USA) to Beijing, China
DATES: May 27-29, 2006
EV: Teams start on Kite Hill in Gasworks Park, near Burke Gilman Trail, teams spotted by pilot in Seattle airport, teams spotted on plane (blonde F/F and couple specifically)
TASKS: UNKNOWN
TEAMS: 11 left after episode
EP2: Beijing, China to Terelj, Mongolia
DATES: May 30-31, 2006
EV: Mongolian blogger helps Lynn/Karlyn
TASKS: Train to Chinese/Mongolian border, Chojin Lama monastery in Ulan Bator, Proceed to Terelj
TEAMS: 10 left after episode
EP3: Terelj, Mongolia to Devonport/Auckland, New Zealand
DATES: June 1-2, 2006
EV: Sighting at ferry
TASKS: Old war tunnels(?), naval base(?)
TEAMS: 9 left after episode
EP4: Devonport/Auckland, New Zealand to Queenstown, New Zealand
DATES: June 3-4, 2006
EV: Rented field(?), Teams spotted on flight from Queenstown in South New Zealand
TASKS: UNKNOWN
TEAMS: 8 left after episode
EP5: Queenstown, New Zealand to UNKNOWN (possibly Singapore?)
DATES: June 5-6, 2006
EV: Teams spotted on flight from Queenstown to Auckland (en route to Singapore)
TASKS: UNKNOWN
TEAMS: 7 left after episode
EP6: UNKNOWN to UNKNOWN
DATES: June 7-8, 2006
EV: UNKNOWN
TASKS: UNKNOWN
TEAMS: 6 left after episode
EP7: UNKNOWN to Kuwait City, Kuwait
DATES: June 9-10, 2006
EV: Teams spotted in airport
TASKS: Drive to Kuwait Towers
TEAMS: 6 left at START of episode (Asian team, blonde F/F, Lynn/Karlyn, Tyler/James, M/F (yellow shirts), brunette M/F), 5 left at END of episode (Asian team, blonde F/F, Lynn/Karlyn, Tyler/James, brunette M/F – yellow shirt M/F eliminated)
EP8: Kuwait City, Kuwait to Grand Baie, Mauritius
DATES: June 11-12, 2006
EV: Teams spotted on beach in AM of June 12
TASKS: Something involving kayaks near Merville Beach Hotel
TEAMS: NEL? 5 left at END of episode (Asian team, blonde F/F, Lynn/Karlyn, Tyler/James, brunette M/F)
EP9: Grand Baie, Mauritius to Madagascar
DATES: June 13-14, 2006
EV: Told by one racer "couple" to a Finnish woman in the train – brunette or Asian M/F?
TASKS: UNKNOWN
TEAMS: NEL? 5 left at END of episode (Asian team, blonde F/F, Lynn/Karlyn, Tyler/James, brunette M/F)
EP10: Madagascar to Lohja, Finland
DATES: June 15-17, 2006
EV: Told by one racer "couple" to a Finnish woman in the train – brunette or Asian M/F?
TASKS: Climbing tower at Helsingin Olympiastadionilla, not known how they travelled from Helsinki to Tampere (maybe with a train since teams with cameras spotted in the train station), proceed to Ylojarvi (to do obstacle course in swamp), and back to Tampere, train to Turku where cars waiting at the station, task at quarries in Lohja
TEAMS: 5 left at START of episode (brunette M/F, Asian team, blonde F/F, Lynn/Karlyn, Tyler/James), 4 left at END of episode (Asian team eliminated?)
EP11: Lohja, Finland to Belarus
DATES: June 18-20, 2006
EV: UNKNOWN
TASKS: UNKNOWN
TEAMS: 3 teams left at END of episode (blonde F/F eliminated?)
EP12a: Belarus to Barcelona, Spain
DATES: June 21 (arriving around 8:35pm) – June 22, 2006 (ending in afternoon)
EV: Spotted/Race agenda revealed
TASKS: Something involving tomatoes, something in Colonia Guell (art picture car?), something at Maremagnum
TEAMS: NEL? 3 teams left at END of hour (Lynn/Karlyn, brunette M/F, Tyler/James)
EP12b: Barcelona, Spain to Paris, France to New York City, New York (USA)
DATES: June 23-24, 2006
EV: All teams spotted at Eiffel Tower (Paris), Lynn/Karlyn spotted near Rockefeller Center (NYC)
TASKS: Climb Eiffel Tower (Paris), go to News Building (NYC)
TEAMS: 3 teams race to finish (Lynn/Karlyn, brunette M/F, Tyler/James)