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 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FLY INTO FIRST AS AMANDA & CHRIS ARE ELIMINATED
Traveling from the snow-capped peaks of Cortina to the intricate latticework of streets in Venice, Italy, the Teams faced a gauntlet of bewildering and sometimes overwhelming challenges, obstacles and mazes. Not liking their chances in a footrace with younger Teams, injured air traffic controllers Steve & Dave took the Fast Forward and finished in first place with a comfortable lead. After a confusing masquerade party Roadblock at a palazzo, dating couple Amanda & Chris raced NFL wives and moms Monica & Sheree through the rainy streets of Venice. In the end, the dating couple from South Dakota was moments too late, becoming the second Team eliminated from THE AMAZING RACE.
 WILD RIDE
After a 12-hour rest period allowing Teams to eat, sleep and mingle, first-place Teams Amanda & Chris, father and son Steve & Josh and 12-year-dating virgins Millie & Chuck departed from the Hotel Lajadira at 11:52 pm. Opening their first clue, the Teams learned they must travel a mile and a half through the streets of Cortina to the foot of Trampolino Olympico, an Olympic ski jump, where they would take part in a favorite pastime: snow rafting, or guiding a large inflatable raft down the hill at breakneck speed.
 Commenting on his relationship with his father, Josh said, "My dad and I had a terrible relationship where we just didn't get along. We just disliked each other immensely. We're finally going to need each other and rely on each other with the race." On their big fight on the mountain in the last leg, Chris remarked, "My aggressive, competitive nature, me going, 'We need to go faster. We need to move now,' makes Amanda upset." ( Monica & Sheree on their matching clothes)
 Once they arrived at the Trampolino Olympico, Chris assessed the hill looming before them, concluding, "That thing is steep, y'all." The more adventurous Millie remarked, "This is going to be fun." Deciding to descend first, Millie & Chuck relished the snow raft ride and screamed and yelled down the hill. The pair opened their next clue, discovering they must travel to Venice by train from one of two train stations: Calalzo, the closer of the two, or Alpi, further away, but with earlier-departing trains. Once in Venice, they were to make their way to the bridge called Ponte della Guglia.
After Amanda & Chris and Steve & Josh rafted down, the three allied Teams asked at the nearest hotel for the fastest route to Venice by train. After being incorrectly told the Calalzo, the three Teams arrived at the closed station, soon realizing that the other Teams would catch up to them before the next available train.
 After Monica & Sheree and Steve & Dave each successfully completed their snow rafting adventure, engaged couple Kelly & Jon departed the Pit Stop in sixth place. Misreading the clue, Kelly & Jon arrived at the top of Trampolino Olympico. After realizing their mistake, the pair slid down the steep hill using their hands and feet. Kelly shrieked, "You're crazy Jonnie!" While waiting for a taxi, Dave, hoping the couple wouldn't get hurt in their slide, quipped, "I did not think they'd be that stupid." After finishing the rafting, Kelly & Jon decided to save money by taking the bus to the train station.
 As circus clowns Jon & Al rafted down the hill, friends and dating couple Russell & Cindy left the Pit Stop, deciding to walk, and soon became lost. About his relationship with Cindy, Russell commented, "We haven't been in a romantic involvement on this Race, because I wasn't traveling 40,000 miles for sex." After becoming frustrated with each other on the mountainside, the pair walked back to the Hotel Lajadira to call a taxi. During this time, married couple Chip & Reichen and best friends David & Jeff successfully completed the rafting. On the line cutting incident at LAX, Reichen remarked, "In the very beginning, we saw people cutting in line at the Los Angeles airport. That really set the tone for us. If they're not going to honor lines, then I'm not going to either." ( Russell & Cindy fight in mountains)
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