Whatever It Takes to Win is the sixth episode of The Amazing Race 1.
Story[]
At the end of the last leg, teams were evacuated from the oasis campground at Ksar Ghilane to Gabès, Tunisia due to impending sandstorms. Kevin & Drew are the first to depart, at 2:24 am. Opening their clue, they learn that teams will have to travel to the Palace Hotel in Tunis. The fraternity brothers look for a cab, with little luck.
At 2:46 am, Joe & Bill are the second to depart. After reading the clue, Team Guido heads toward the main road, wondering if Kevin & Drew are still out there. Kevin & Drew are walking down the main street, not finding any cabs.
- “The other competitors are realizing that they haven't played maybe as smart as we have.”— Bill
- “Team Guido, they're doing fine. They don't make a lot of mistakes, but at the same time, we're doing everything quicker than them.”— Kevin
- “They're totally distracted and they're totally worried about Bill and Joe are doing this, Bill and Joe are doing that.”— Bill
- “But they've been saying this all along, 'There is something special about Bill and Joe.'”— Joe
- “We've pretty much beaten them every single time to every destination just about.”— Drew
- “They're not doing anything fantastic.”— Kevin
- “We're not that impressed with them.”— Drew
Joe & Bill find a taxi, asking the driver to go to Palace Hotel.
Kevin & Drew signal a cab, which stops for them. The driver agrees to take them to Palace Hotel.
At 3:12 am, Nancy & Emily are the third to depart. They open their clue, learning that they have to go to Palace Hotel in Tunis. The mother and daughter head for the main road in search of a taxi.
- “I think we kind of surprised a lot of people, because you would never think that out of all the teams that we would still be here.”— Emily
Eventually, Nancy & Emily find a taxi stand, which will take them to the hotel in Tunis.
At 3:52 am, Rob & Brennan are the fourth to depart.
- “At this point, everybody is competition. I mean, I give all the credit in the world to Emily and Nancy. I never thought they would have made it this far, but they are doing so well. They are really kicking butt right now and they're kicking our butt right now, and I can give them all the credit in the world. It's great to see them doing it.”— Rob
The attorneys, after reading the clue, find a taxi to take them to Tunis.
At 4:42 am, Frank & Margarita are the fifth to depart. After reading their clue, Frank & Margarita head for the main road. While searching, Frank suggests that they should find alternate routes to Tunis other than a taxi, such as a train or a bus.
- “Yesterday, we took a wrong turn in the desert and we almost ended up almost dead last. I'm hoping to recover. Things are not over. We haven't been counted out yet.”— Frank
At 4:43 am, Lenny & Karyn are the last to depart.
- “We're still having, like, our little squabbles, but, you know, that's exactly what they are. We just keep getting up. Believe me, we're arguing all the way.”— Karyn
- “We're gonna butt heads.”— Lenny
After reading their clue, they head to a taxi stand, asking if someone can take them to Tunis.
On the taxi ride to Tunis, Frank motivates himself and Margarita saying they will "dust themselves off, clean themselves up, and start all over again."
Joe & Bill are the first to Palace Hotel, having their taxi drop them off at the front doors. Kevin & Drew find the hotel, leaving their cab outside the entrance gates. After reading the next clue, in which teams will need to fly to Rome, Italy, and make their way to the marked area in the enclosed photo, which is outside of the Colosseum, Joe & Bill head back to their taxi, telling the driver to head straight to the airport. Kevin & Drew find the next clue and read it. After learning they will be going to Rome, they take one of the taxis outside the hotel to the airport.
At Tunis–Carthage International Airport, Joe & Bill head for the Tunisair ticket counter, and talk with the ticket agent. She informs them that there is a strike in the Roman airports, and that the only way to Rome is via connecting flights. She suggests Joe & Bill for one route, which they take. Kevin & Drew arrive, and they head to the same ticket counter as Joe & Bill. Bill informs the agent, in French, that the other contestants have arrived. Drew threatens Team Guido not to anything funny if they want one of their legs broken. The two teams have a little spat, but Drew reluctantly says that he was only kidding about breaking their legs. Kevin & Drew then talk with the agent, asking for the same tickets Joe & Bill got. To their surprise, she informs them that Joe & Bill got the last tickets.
- “The two guys who just purchased tickets ahead of us, just by luck, by chance, they got the last seats.”— Kevin
Kevin asks the agent if there is a strike in Rome, which she affirms. Nancy & Emily arrive, followed by Lenny & Karyn, Frank & Margarita, and Rob & Brennan. Soon, the rest of the teams get frustrated that Team Guido are the only ones on the flight to Rome. Joe & Bill decide to watch and see what happens with the other teams, who are all trying to get tickets. Brennan talks with one of the agents at Tunisair, who informs him that all flights are totally booked. Frank & Margarita also find that Swiss Air and Lufthansa are also fully booked. All the other teams either continue looking for tickets at least out of Tunisia, or decide to get standby tickets. Kevin eventually gets himself and Drew a flight out of Tunisia.
- “Us being New Yorkers and having the perseverance that we have and the luck of the Irish, and Kevin, especially, charmed that girl into getting us a flight and it showed a lot of perseverance on his part. Not only did we get on this flight, but we got two other teams on this flight.”— Drew
Kevin also manages to get Nancy & Emily and Rob & Brennan on the flight as well. All four give a sigh of relief, with Nancy boasting that they are her new heroes, that they are going to Rome.
- “Team Guido saw that. I think they went into shock.”— Drew
Joe & Bill find out that Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan have tickets.
- “We managed to get on a flight that would have landed us in Rome, with a connecting flight, three hours ahead of them.”— Drew
Drew gives the ticket agent a necklace he initially bought for his girlfriend as a gift of thanks for getting on the flight, while Lenny & Karyn continue to look for tickets. Karyn wants to go back to Tunisair, but Lenny does not want to, thinking that they will keep bouncing between airlines. Karyn decides to see if she can find something.
- “They were all overbooked and we were just in a panic. We didn't think we were gonna get out. I got friendly with the people at Tunisair and started talking to them and they told me to come back at 3:00.”— Karyn
Lenny & Karyn decide to wait until direct flights open, as the strike in Rome is a controlled one, as Frank decides to talk to the London ticket agent.
- “Frank happened to be walking by the London ticket agent right before the flight was leaving, and he asked the guy, "You got any more seats?" He was like, "Yes." Luckily we got a flight to London.”— Margarita
Fifteen minutes before Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan's flight leave, they think they are missing one of their tickets, needing twelve (six for the contestants, six for the camera crew). However, it is quickly resolved, getting all the tickets, and head to customs, ten minutes before the flight departs.
- “The three teams, we ended up getting a really good flight out and Bill and Joe saw that we got on a better flight than they did and for some reason, they just went nuts.”— Rob
Joe & Bill head toward the departure gate for Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan's flight in order to hold them up. Their plan works, as their fuss to "board" has security everywhere, preventing Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan from boarding, angering them. However, they are able to make it onto their 1:00 flight to Lyon, France. Five minutes later, Frank & Margarita depart for London, England, United Kingdom. Two hours later, at 3:15, Joe & Bill depart on their flight to Zurich, Switzerland, connecting to Rome. Lenny & Karyn manage to get a 5:00 direct flight to Rome.
Lenny & Karyn arrive at Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport at 7:10 pm. They decide to head to the Colosseum via subway.
Meanwhile in Lyon, at 7:30 pm, Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan's connecting flight to Rome is canceled, leaving them stranded in the airport. They plan to get to Milan, and then travel to Rome.
Back in Rome, Joe & Bill's flight has arrived at 8:10 pm. Team Guido exit the airport and look for taxis to take them to the Colosseum. They hope that the other teams' flights do no\t arrive until the following day.
In Geneva, Switzerland, Frank & Margarita arrive, after they could not find connecting flights to Rome, thinking that Geneva would be close enough to get to Rome on another flight.
Back in Rome, Lenny & Karyn spot the yellow flag on top of the walls.
Host Phil Keoghan recaps were the teams are currently. Lenny & Karyn are in the lead, with Joe & Bill not far behind. Frank & Margarita are in Geneva, and Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan have all made it to Milan. Since flights to Rome were booked, they decide to travel to Rome via train.
- “The next flight to Rome on our airline, Air France, is booked. Go right from here to the train station and suck it up. Right now we have no other options.”— Kevin
Joe boasts that he knows the layout of the city, despite the last time he visited being four or five years ago. Before they exit, he asks the cab driver to wait for them while they search for their next clue.
Lenny & Karyn find the next clue and open it, revealing a Detour. Their choices are Foot or Hoof. In Foot, teams receive an image of a statue of a foot. This statue can be easily recognized by locals. The statue is located at the Palazzo dei Conservatori, where teams will find their next clue. In Hoof, teams will have to figure out that the provided photo of a statue of a man riding a horse is located at the Altare della Patria. The statue is relatively more obscure to the locals than the foot statue, but there are taxis waiting nearby to help the teams make up for lost time. Lenny & Karyn leave the area, noting that both locations are closed for the night. Joe & Bill find their next clue and decide to wait until morning to perform the Detour.
Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan arrive in Rome. All three teams head for taxis to go to the Colosseum. Rob & Brennan arrive first, with Kevin & Drew behind them. Both Kevin & Drew and Rob & Brennan decide on Hoof, and they have to wait until 10:00 am to find the statue.
Frank & Margarita arrive in Rome at 9:00 am. They exit the airport to the Colosseum via taxi.
Nancy & Emily find their next clue.
Joe & Bill exit the hotel they stayed at the previous night and head to the Hoof Detour. Nancy & Emily spot them on the way to Altare della Patria. Once at the statue, they find Kevin & Drew and Rob & Brennan, informing them that Team Guido is on foot to the statue. All three teams are given the cold shoulder from Joe & Bill.
- “We know like we have always said that we're focused on the race. They're focused on us. We're going to win the race. They're not focused on the race, they're focused on us.”— Joe
- “Why are they doing that? That's stupid. They should be looking out for the faster, quicker way to get there. It doesn't bother us.”— Bill
- “What it does is it advantagizes us, because we know that they're not focused.”— Joe
Frank and Margarita arrive at the Hoof Detour, greeting the other teams, and giving Joe & Bill the nickname of Siegfried & Roy. Kevin asks them if they know what happened at the airport in Tunisia. They ask what happened, and are informed by Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan that Team Guido held up their departure gate, and even pushed Nancy. Lenny & Karyn arrive at the Hoof Detour and are informed of what happened at the Tunis airport. Karyn, who does not like to hear only one side of the story, decides to talk with Joe & Bill on the matter. Joe & Bill say they happened to arrive at the same gate a few seconds prior to the other three teams, and that they never pushed Nancy; Joe put their bags in front of her, but claims there was no pushing, and that the fraternity brothers were being aggressive, informing Lenny & Karyn of the comment Drew made about breaking their legs. Joe & Bill appreciate Lenny & Karyn talking to them. Lenny & Karyn decide to switch to Foot, since it is open, and all the other teams are at Hoof.
At Palazzo dei Conservatori, the site for Foot, Lenny & Karyn arrive. They quickly find the foot statue and open their next clue. Teams would have to take a train to Castelfranco Emilia in Modena and then travel to the Pagani Auto Factory to find their next clue. Lenny & Karyn head for the train station.
Back at Altare della Patria, the other five teams wait for the gates to descend down to head to the horse statue. All five teams race to the statues. All teams quickly open their clue and head for the streets for a taxi to the train station.
At Roma Termini railway station, Frank & Margarita, Joe & Bill, Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan get on the first train to Castelfranco Emilia. Due to production errors, which will give Lenny & Karyn time credit, Lenny & Karyn get on the second train to Castelfranco Emilia.
In Bologna, Frank & Margarita and Joe & Bill decide to travel the rest of the way to Castelfranco Emilia by cab, while Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan switch trains to go to Castelfranco Emilia. Rob notes while on the train, that the clue specifically stated to travel Castelfranco Emilia via train from Bologna.
- “When it says take a train, take a train. Take a damn train.”— Emily
- “I never played the taxi to be a cheater. I felt like I was doing how I interpreted the clue. That wasn't cheating. I felt like I was actually being smart.”— Bill
Frank & Margarita are the first to arrive at the Pagani Auto Factory.
Meanwhile, Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, and Rob & Brennan exit the train station at Castelfranco Emilia, and begin to search for cabs. They successfully find some, but there are only two available. Nancy & Emily insist that Kevin & Drew and Rob & Brennan take the cabs, as long as they send a cab back for them.
Frank & Margarita receive their next clue, which is a Roadblock. For the Roadblock, one teammate would have to drive a smart car, through unpaved streets to the Sant'Agata Bolognese Town Square, the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. However, their only mode of navigation is a map written entirely in Italian. The other team member will be driven to the Pit Stop in a Pagani sports car, speeding at 180 mph. Frank decides to perform the Roadblock.
Joe & Bill arrive at the Pagani Auto Factory, seeing Frank & Margarita ready to perform the Roadblock. Frank decides to have his taxi help to get to the pit stop. Margarita passes him on the way to the Pit Stop, and Frank notes that in the recent pit stops, he's been getting the short end of the stick, but at least Margarita is happy.
Team Guido receives their clue, and Joe decides to perform the task. Shortly after departing, though, Joe thinks that he made a mistake. Kevin & Drew then arrive at the factory, sending their taxi back for Nancy and Emily, followed by Rob & Brennan. Brennan and Drew then decide to do the Roadblock, with Drew complaining about the size of the car.
At Sant'Agata Bolognese, Frank arrives in the town square and sees Margarita waiting for him. They check-in in first place, being penalized for taking a cab to Castelfranco Emilia (this did not affect their placement). Team Guido checks-in in second place, also penalized for taking a cab to Castelfranco Emilia (this did not affect their placement).
Lost, Brennan asks for directions to Sant'Agata Bolognese, but has trouble finding someone who speaks English. Meanwhile, Nancy & Emily's cab arrives, taking them to the auto factory. After receiving their next clue, Nancy decides to perform the Roadblock. Lenny & Karyn then arrive in Castelfranco Emilia, meeting a lady with a bike. She leads them to a taxi, which they take to the auto factory.
Both Brennan and Drew continue driving to the Pit Stop, asking people for directions. Drew asks a local, who has him follow her. Eventually, Brennan arrives at the town square, allowing him and Rob to check-in in third place. Drew also finds the Pit Stop, allowing him and Kevin to check-in in fourth place.
Lenny & Karyn arrive at Pagani Auto Factory, receiving their next clue. Karyn decides to drive to the Pit Stop. Eventually, Nancy arrives at the Pit Stop, and she and Emily check-in in fifth place. Meanwhile, Karyn asks a man for directions, who helps her get to the pit stop. As she checks in with Lenny, Phil informs Karyn & Lenny that they are the last team to arrive, but that this leg is a Non-Elimination Leg, and are still in the race.
- “I know now why foreigners hate American tourists. We were awful yesterday. It was an embarrassment. I am embarrassed to be associated with that incident at the airport yesterday.”— Nancy
- “Bill: We're excited. We love it.
Both: We're having a great time.”— Joe & Bill - “Fact of the matter is Bill and Joe are a strong team and have a good chance at winning. It's just a shame because I think things they do spoil the game.”— Rob
- “They're outcasts. They don't talk to anyone. They don't smile and have fun.”— Drew
- “Bill: It started with a verbal threat, "I'll break your legs." Very innocent, I guess, if you want to say that. A parole officer telling me he's going to break my legs. The guy's physically capable of doing that.
Joe: A big burly guy with a shaved head, who we know works in a courthouse.
Bill: Not more than two hours later he's pushing me and shoving me in a line.”— Joe & Bill - “Play hard, but play fair, you know? There's no need to try to sabotage other teams' efforts.”— Rob
- “It's a sequence of violence I feel. I think women experience this all the time.”— Bill
- “And we want to win and it's serious. It's for a lot of money. We want to win, but you know what, I'm going to be a gentleman while I win.”— Drew
- “You tell us: Are our lives in danger?”— Joe
- “I mean, they're like the oldest people left. You would think if they were that old that they would have a little bit more manners than that. I mean, I'm 21, and I have more manners than both of them combined and that's really sad. Really sad.”— Emily
- “The temperature of the race, let's put it that way, has ratcheted up 300 degrees.”— Bill
Route Markers[]
The order of departure from Gabès are as follows:
- Kevin & Drew (2:24 am)
- Joe & Bill (2:46 am)
- Nancy & Emily (3:12 am)
- Rob & Brennan (3:52 am)
- Frank & Margarita (4:42 am)
- Lenny & Karyn (4:43 am)
Teams must travel by taxi to the Palace Hotel in Tunis 250 miles away to retrieve their next clue.
Teams are allowed to take any flight possible to travel from Tunis to Rome, Italy. Upon arriving at the Tunis-Carthage International Airport, the teams find out about an airport strike at the Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, forcing them to book only connecting flights. Once there, they must find the marked location depicted in the photograph provided in the clue, which is somewhere near the vicinity of the Colosseum.
Choice A: Foot
Teams had to find a large, well-known statue of a foot at Palazzo dei Conservatori, using a provided picture that contained the entire statue.
Only Lenny & Karyn chose this task.
Choice B: Hoof
Teams were given a partial picture of another, more obscure statue. The statue was a mounted horse at Altare della Patria, but teams only received a picture of its hoof. However, if teams completed this task, they would find a line of taxis waiting for them to help the teams make up for lost time.
The Fast Forward requires the teams to go to Vatican City and find the "the keys to the arms of St. Peter", which referred to a keyhole carved in a rock that, when looked through, provided a view of the entire Vatican City. The task, however, is not aired on television because none of the teams still eligible for the pass (Nancy & Emily, Joe & Bill, Frank & Margarita and Lenny & Karyn) chose to perform it.
Teams must go by train to the town of Castelfranco Emilia in Modena and find the Pagani (company)Pagani Auto Factory.
"For someone who likes to take things slowly."
Driving a Smart car, one teammate will have to make their way through unpaved streets to the Sant'Agata Bolognese Town Square, the Pit Stop for this leg of the race, using a map written entirely in Italian. The other team member would be driven to the Pit Stop in a Pagani Zonda sports car, speeding at 180 mph.
The Roadblock performers per team are underlined:
Leaderboard[]
First Place • Eliminated • Last placer on a Non-Elimination Leg or continue racing on a No-Rest Leg • Season winner • Season 2nd place • Season 3rd place • ► Used the Fast Forward
Frank & Margarita
Separated Couple |
Joe & Bill
Life Partners |
Rob & Brennan
Best Friends/Lawyers |
Kevin & Drew
Fraternity Brothers |
Nancy & Emily
Mother/Daughter |
Lenny & Karyn
Dating |
Trivia[]
- This leg marks the first Non-Elimination Leg.
- This leg marks the first time The Amazing Race visits the country of Italy.
- This marks the first time a team switches Detour tasks, as Lenny & Karyn intended to perform Hoof, but switched to Foot after all the other teams caught up to one another at the Hoof Detour site.
- The DVD commentary for this episode was done by Joe & Bill and Rob & Brennan.
References[]
| The Amazing Race 1 Episodes |
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"The Race Begins" · "Divide and Conquer" · "Home for Some" · "Colossal Showdown" · "Desert Storm" · "Whatever It Takes to Win" · "Triumph and Loss" · "Competition to the Fullest" · "The Unexpected Twist" · "To the Physical and Mental Limit" · "Fight to the Last Minute" · "Race to the Finish (Part 1)" · "Race to the Finish (Part 2)" |