The Amazing Race 21

The Amazing Race 21
Season run	September 30, 2012 – December 9, 2012
Filming dates	May 26, 2012 (2012-05-26) – June 16, 2012 (2012-06-16)
No. of episodes	11
Winning team	Josh Kilmer-Purcell & Brent Ridge
Continents visited	3
Countries visited	9
Cities visited	21
Distance traveled	25,000 miles (40,000 km)
No. of legs	12
All-Stars	Natalie and Nadiya Anderson
Season Chronology
Season 20 ◄ Chronology ► Season 22

The Amazing Race 21 is the twenty-first installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race on CBS. It features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.

It premiered on September 30, 2012, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and CTV with the two-hour season finale on December 9, 2012. While the prize for winning the Race remains at US$1 million, if the team that came in first in the first leg had won the race, the prize would have been doubled to US$2 million.

The Fabulous Beekman Boys stars and husbands Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge were the winners of The Amazing Race 21.

Production

Development and filming

The starting line for The Amazing Race 21 was at the top of the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena, California

Season 21 was broadcast during the 2012 fall season on CBS. It spanned a little over 25,000 miles (40,000 km) of travel to three continents and nine countries including China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Turkey, and the Netherlands, which hosted a Switchback task.

This season introduced the "Double Your Money" prize for the team who won the first leg, making them eligible win a total of $2 million if they also won the season; only six teams in the previous twenty seasons of the race have ever won both the first and final legs. Elise Doganieri, co-executive producer for the show, called the larger potential prize "a real game-changer". While teams reacted with excitement at the larger prize, Doganieri hoped that if it was won, the additional prize money would be used for "something wonderful" such as supporting charitable medical research. Abbie Ginsberg and Ryan Danz, winners of the Double Your Money prize for its inaugural season, were eliminated from the competition at the conclusion of the Race's ninth leg, after being U-Turned by Jaymes and James.

In Leg 3, Caitlin and Brittany were seen taken in the wrong direction of the Pit Stop, but in a post-elimination interview they stated that they actually knew where the Pit Stop was and were coming back to the Pit Stop after "backtracking" to retrieve a missing clue. During that leg, the race featured the series' first-ever Blind Double U-Turn, where two teams could U-Turn another team, and whichever team used the U-Turn could remain anonymous. It was a combination of components of the U-Turn of previous seasons: Double U-Turn combining with Blind U-Turn.

Although contestants are typically forbidden contact with known family and friends during the filming (except where such contact is part of a task), James LoMenzo was shown video chatting with his wife during the fourth Pit Stop to receive an update on his father's medical condition.

Cast

See also: List of The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series) contestants

Applications for The Amazing Race 21 were open until May 9, 2012.

The cast includes The Fabulous Beekman Boys stars Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, former White Lion and Megadeth metal bassist James LoMenzo, Chippendales performers Jaymes Vaughan and James Davis, double amputee professional snowboarder Amy Purdy, and former The Apprentice: Martha Stewart contestant Ryan Danz. Rob Scheer is also the brother of former Survivor contestant, Tina Scheer.

Natalie and Nadiya were later selected for The Amazing Race: All-Stars, made up of returning teams from seasons 14–23. They later competed on the 29th season of Survivor, making them the first Race contestants to compete on another CBS reality show. Nadiya was the first person voted out and Natalie won the season.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:

Team	Relationship	Position (by leg)												Roadblocks
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Josh & Brent	Goat Farmers	7th	5th	5th	4th	7th	6th	5th	5th	4th	3rd	3rd	1st	Josh 7, Brent 7
Jaymes & James	Chippendales	10th	3rd	3rd	6th	6th	5th	2nd	1st	2nd⊃	2nd	1st	2nd	Jaymes 7, James 7
Trey & Lexi	Dating	9th	2nd	2nd	7th	5th	1st	1st	2nd	3rd⋑	1st	2nd	3rd	Trey 7, Lexi 7
Natalie & Nadiya	Twins	4th	1st	6th	3rd	3rd	4th	3rd	3rdε	1stƒ	4th	4th		Natalie 6, Nadiya 5
Abbie & Ryan	Dating Divorcees	1st	4th	1st	2nd	2nd	2nd	4th	4th	5th⊂				Abbie 4, Ryan 6
James & Abba	Rock Star/Lawyer	6th	6th	4th	1stƒ	1st	3rd	6th	6th					James 3, Abba 5
Rob & Kelley	Married Monster Truckers	5th	8th	7th⊃	5th	4th	7th							Rob 4, Kelley 3
Gary & Will	Substitute Teachers	8th	9th	8th⊂ ⋑	8th									Gary 3, Will 2
Caitlin & Brittany	Best Friends	3rd	7th	9th										Caitlin 2, Brittany 2
Amy & Daniel	Dating On and Off	2nd	10th											Amy 2, Daniel 1
Rob & Sheila	Lumberjack/Marketing Exec	11th												Rob 1, Sheila 1

• A red team placement means the team was eliminated.
• A green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward.
• A purple ε indicates that the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg.
• An underlined blue team's placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump during the next leg of the race.
• A brown ⊃ or a cyan ⋑ indicates that the team chose to use one of the two U-Turns in a Double U-Turn; ⊂ or ⋐ indicates the team who received it; ^⊂
  _⋑ indicates that the team was U-Turned, but they used the second U-Turn on another team.

1. ^ Gary & Will Blind U-Turned Rob & Kelley, who had already passed the U-Turn point and were therefore unaffected by it.
2. ^ In an unaired scene, Caitlin & Brittany initially arrived 6th, but had missed the clue at the U-Turn, having been taken to the Pit Stop by mistake. They had to backtrack to the U-turn to retrieve their clue. During this time, Natalie & Nadiya, Rob & Kelley, and Gary & Will checked in, resulting in their elimination.
3. ^ Rob & Kelley initially arrived 4th, but took a boat directly to the Pit Stop instead of to Swarighat, as instructed in their clue. They had to backtrack to their boat and take the proper route. Josh & Brent checked in during this time, dropping Rob & Kelley to 5th.
4. ^ James & Abba initially arrived 4th, but were not allowed to check in because Abba's passport was amongst the items stolen by their cab driver during the Roadblock. As they tried to retrieve the passport, Abbie & Ryan and Josh & Brent checked in during this time, dropping James & Abba to last place. However, Leg 7 was a non-elimination leg and they were allowed to keep racing until they came to a point where they would need to produce their passports for international travel.
5. ^ In Leg 7, Josh & Brent were unable to complete either Detour before the sites for both Detour options closed for the day. They were issued a 4-hour penalty, which was assessed at the start of Leg 8.
6. ^^{a b} Natalie & Nadiya used the Express Pass to bypass the Roadblock in Leg 8. The official website states that Natalie elected to perform the Roadblock; this is reflected in the total Roadblock count.
7. ^ As they spent much of the Leg trying to retrieve Abba's passport or acquire a new one, James & Abba were only shown retrieving the Speed Bump clue and traveling to the task before arriving at the Pit Stop in last place and being eliminated. On the official website, Abba disclosed that he was able to complete the Roadblock, but it is unknown whether they attempted or completed the Detour.
8. ^ Trey & Lexi U-Turned Jaymes & James, who had already passed the U-Turn point and were therefore unaffected by it.

Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.

1. "Double Your Money" – Phil Keoghan
2. "Long Hair, Don't Care" – Jaymes
3. "There's No Crying in Baseball" – Brittany
4. "Funky Monkey" – Abbie
5. "Chill Out, Freak" – Natalie
6. "Get Your Sexy On" – Nadiya
7. "Off to See the Wizard" – James (of Jaymes & James)
8. "We Was Robbed" – James (of James & Abba)
9. "Fishy Kiss" – Nadiya
10. "Not a Well-Rounded Athlete" – James (of Jaymes & James)
11. "Take Down That Million" – Trey

Prizes

The prize for each leg is awarded to the first place team for that leg. Trips are sponsored by Travelocity.

• Leg 1 – The Double Your Money prize – if the team that wins the first leg of the race also wins the final leg, the prize for winning the race will be doubled from its standard amount to US$2 million.
• Leg 2 – The Express Pass – an item that can be used on the race to skip any one task of the team's choosing.
• Leg 3 – A trip for two to Fiji
• Leg 4 – A trip for two to Antigua
• Leg 5 – A trip for two to Malaysia
• Leg 6 – A trip for two to Australia
• Leg 7 – A trip for two to Maui, Hawaii
• Leg 8 – A trip for two to Costa Rica
• Leg 9 – US$5,000 each
• Leg 10 – A trip for two to the Riviera Maya
• Leg 11 – A 2013 Ford Escape for each racer
• Leg 12 – US$1 million

Race summary

The complete route of the 21st season of The Amazing Race.

Destinations	Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel
Route Markers	Detour    Roadblock    Fast Forward    U-Turn    Speed Bump    Pit Stop

Leg 1 (United States → China)

The first Pit Stop of The Amazing Race 21 was at The Bund Signal Tower in Shanghai.

Airdate: September 30, 2012

• Pasadena, California, United States (Colorado Street Bridge) (starting line)
• Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport) to Shanghai, China (Shanghai Pudong International Airport)
• Shanghai (Yuanshen Sports Centre Stadium)
• Shanghai (Cui Ping Jiu Jia Restaurant)
• Shanghai (The Bund)
• Shanghai (The Bund Signal Tower (Chinese))

In the leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to score one point in a game of table tennis against a 10-year-old Chinese national junior table tennis champion in order to receive their next clue. For each attempt after their first, the table tennis champion would play with an ordinary household object such as a clipboard, frying pan, or tambourine instead of a paddle. Once successful, they would receive their next clue.

In the leg's second Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the first Roadblock had to treat to a Chinese delicacy desert known as hasma, which consists of the fatty connective tissue found near the fallopian tubes of a frog, served to them in two hollowed-out papaya halves. The racer had to finish both servings of hasma, using only a provided pair of chopsticks and without lifting the papaya off of the table, to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At the starting line, teams had to rappel down the side of the bridge to their backpacks, to get their clue that told them their first destination: Shanghai, China. Teams then drove themselves to Los Angeles International Airport, knowing that only seven teams would be able to make the first flight to Shanghai, with the remaining four teams not arriving until 75 minutes later.
• After the second Roadblock, teams were told to head to the Bund where they had to search the promenade for a woman and young boy with traditional Suanpan abacuses who would give them their next clue.

Leg 2 (China → Indonesia)

In Madura, teams participated in the traditional Indonesian bull race known as karapan sapi; teams participated on motorcycles.

Airdate: October 7, 2012

• Shanghai (Shanghai Pudong International Airport) to Surabaya, Indonesia (Juanda International Airport)
• Bangkalan, Madura (Alun-alun Stadium)
• Surabaya (Genteng Kali Bridge)
• Surabaya (Taman Ekspresi)
• Surabaya (Wijaya Motor Shop)
• Surabaya (Tirta Maya Ice Factory and Pabean Fish Market or Pabean Fish Market)
• Surabaya (Pabean Market)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to select four children and operate a pedal-powered ride (known to locals as an odong-odong) while making eight different pieces of balloon art for the children (four hats and four animals). Once complete, they would receive their next clue.

The Race's first Detour was a choice between Ice-by-the-Pound or Fish-by-the-Barrel. In Ice-by-the-Pound, teams loaded ten 65-pound (29 kg) blocks of ice from an industrial machine at Tirta Maya Ice Factory onto a waiting truck, rode the truck to a local market, then transported the ice by cart to an unloading zone at the Pabean Market to get their next clue. In Fish-by-the-Barrel, teams carried two barrels full of fish to a vacant fishmonger's stall inside the Pabean Fish Market. They then had to set up the stall in the same manner as an example stall, including breaking a block of ice into chips to keep the fish cold. Once the stall's layout was approved, teams got their next clue.

Additional task

• Upon arriving in Surabaya, teams made their way across the Suramadu Bridge to an alun-alun stadium in Bangkalan where they picked up a numbered bullwhip. This reflected their order in a traditional karapan sapi bull race, as the racers rode on motorcycles alongside the bulls. Once complete, they were given their next clue.

Leg 3 (Indonesia)

For one of the Detour choices in Pasuruan, teams participated in a local Reog Ponorogo, parading through the streets while wearing giant traditional masks.

Airdate: October 14, 2012

• Surabaya (Antika Jaya Padang Restaurant)
• Surabaya (Gubeng Station) to Bangil (Indonesian), Pasuruan (Bangil Railway Station (Indonesian))
• Bangil (Alun-alun)
• Bangil (Perliman Pos I)
• Bangil (SMA Negeri 1 Bangil High School – Green House)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to carry twenty dishes of food in their hands and serve them to waiting diners; if they dropped any of the dishes, they had to start over. Once successful, teams were given their next clue.

The Detour was a choice of Lion's Head or Egg Head. In Lion's Head, teams participated in a reog dance by following dance instructions along a procession route while wearing a 40-pound (18 kg) lion's head mask over their heads and shoulders. Teams received their next clue after successfully completing the procession. In Egg Head, teams had to purchase four eggs from a local market, then participate in a custom called debus (Indonesian), a show of strength where one of the many variations involves frying an egg on one's own head. Local magicians lit a coconut half on fire atop each team member's head and used the fire to fry up the eggs the teams had bought to the task. Racers then had to eat the cooked eggs with a serving of hot sauce before they would receive their next clue.

Additional task

• While on the train to Bangil, teams had to watch for their next clue, eventually finding it carried by a food vendor.

Leg 4 (Indonesia → Bangladesh)

In Dhaka, teams traveled across the Buriganga River for various tasks, including reaching this leg's Pit Stop.

Airdate: October 21, 2012

• Surabaya (Juanda International Airport) to Dhaka, Bangladesh (Shahjalal International Airport)
• Dhaka (Rubel Model Auto Mobiles)
• Dhaka (Kawran Bazaar Shootkir Market)
  • Dhaka
• Dhaka (Keranigonj Kholamora) to Old Dhaka (Swarighat)
• Old Dhaka (Shyambazar Chan Mia Ghat)

In this leg's Roadblock, One team member had to repair one of the public transit buses used in Dhaka. First, teams had to use body putty to fill in the damage, then sand it ready for painting. Once approved by a supervisor, both team members then had to carry three pairs of seats and deliver them to the refurbishing area to receive the next clue.

The Fast Forward required teams to become rat catching assistants to a pest control agent. Both team members had to fill a bag with dead rats – collecting them from three different locations – to complete the task.

The Detour was a choice between Pound the Metal and Pound the Cotton. In Pound the Metal, teams worked with a local blacksmith to hammer and beat an iron rod into a sharp spiked tool using 10-pound sledgehammers. They had to hand-pump the bellows of the smokey, charcoal fire so they could strike while the iron was hot, and get the blacksmith's approval to get their next clue. In Pound the Cotton, teams made a cotton mattress via a traditional Bengali method. Teams had to use bamboo rods to beat clumps of cotton into a fine, feather-like consistency. Then they had to stuff the mattress, and sew it together. Once the craftsman was satisfied with their work, he would hand them their next clue.

Additional tasks

• After the Roadblock, teams told to travel to Kawran Bazaar Shootkir Market where they had to search baskets of dried fish to find one marked with race colors to receive their next clue.
• After completing the Detour, teams told to travel by boat to Swarighat, and then go on foot to the Pit Stop at the Shyambazar Chan Mia ghat.

Leg 5 (Bangladesh)

The Detour in Bangladesh made teams choose between two major parts of Bangladeshi industry: jute (left) and bamboo (right).

Airdate: October 28, 2012

• Dhaka (Jatrabari Boro Bazaar)
• Demra (Ferry Ghat Road)
• Demra (Latif Bawani Jute Mills or Tarabo Bazaar)
• Sonargaon (Lok Shilpa Jadughar)

In this leg's Roadblock, One team member had to construct a balance scale from the provided bamboo, lashing ropes, and other equipment. Once the construction of the scale was approved, they then had to weigh out the proper amount of wood to balance with 4 large stones. Once the weights of stones and logs were even, they would receive their next clue.

The Detour was a choice strolling around Bangladeshi labor: Straw Dogs or Bamboo Jungle. In Straw Dogs, teams first had to prepare twenty bundles of jute straw by heckling – throwing them against a nailed board, the heckling comb – to straighten and separate the fibers. They then had to deliver twenty bundles of the completed straw to the looms, and at the end of the production line they would receive their next clue in the form of a jute mat with a painting on it. In Bamboo Jungle, teams had to collect three sets of bamboo trunks of different length and diameter from a storage area. They then used a platformed freight bicycle to transport the bamboo to a construction site. Once their delivery was confirmed by the site's foreman, they would get the next clue, a small length of bamboo with a painting on it.

Additional tasks

• At the start of the leg, teams were sent to the Jatrabari Boro bazaar where they were told to find the "bēguna" vendor for their next clue. They were left on their own to figure out that "bēguna" is the Bengali language word for "eggplant". Once they found the vendor, he would receive the next clue.
• The paintings received after the Detour team had to depict the Pit Stop, Lok Shilpa Jadugahr in Sonargaon.

Leg 6 (Bangladesh → Turkey)

In Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, teams faced a Roadblock where they had to sell Turkish sherbet in the busy marketplace.

Airdate: November 4, 2012

• Dhaka (Shahjalal International Airport) to Istanbul, Turkey (Istanbul Atatürk Airport)
• Beyoğlu, Istanbul (Kabataş Ferry Terminal) to Üsküdar (Üsküdar Ferry Terminal)
• Istanbul (Spice Bazaar – Stall No. 14)
• Istanbul (Simit Bakery or Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı)
  • Istanbul (New Mosque)
• Istanbul (Grand Bazaar)
• Istanbul (Kuruçeşme Cemil Topuzlu Parkı – MV Savarona)

The Speed Bump required Josh & Brent and each had to ask for and eat one cone of Maraş ice cream from a nearby marked stall, which included a teasing performance common with the dessert by the vendor. Once they tasted the ice cream from the right vendor, they were allowed to continue onto the Detour with the other racers. The Detour was a choice between Simit or Scrub It. In Simit, teams had to deliver three orders of the traditional Turkish bagel known as a simit to three different vendors, stacked carefully on a delivery board that one team member had to wear on his or her head; if any simit dropped, they would have to restart that delivery. Once they had proof of delivery from the three vendors, the baker would give them their next clue. In Scrub It, teams partook in a traditional Turkish bath, receiving their next clue from the bath attendants when the bath was complete.

In the Roadblock, one team member dressed in vendor garb and had to serve 40 glasses of Turkish sherbet to passersby in the bazaar, selling each for 1 from a long-spouted brass teapot called an ibrik to earn 40 (approx. US$20). Once they returned with the money to the attendant, they would receive their next clue.

Additional task

• At Kabataş Ferry Terminal, teams described from their clue, "Welcome to Europe! Now Make Your Way Back to Asia", leaving to figure out to travel by ferry to Üsküdar (on the Asian side) to get their next clue.

Leg 7 (Turkey → Russia)

The first Roadblock in Moscow had teams opening padlocks on the Luzhkov Bridge's famous Trees of Love.

Airdate: November 11, 2012

• Istanbul (Istanbul Atatürk Airport) to Moscow, Russia (Sheremetyevo International Airport)
• Moscow (Zurab Tsereteli Sculpture Park)
• Moscow (Moskvoretsky Bridge)
• Moscow (Russian State Library or Trud sports complex)
• Moscow (Luzhkov Bridge (Russian) – Trees of Love)
• Moscow (Bolshoi Theatre)

The Detour was a choice between Alphabetized or Synchronized. In Alphabetized, teams went to the Russian State Library and were given a list of books by author, title, and year. They had to use the paper card catalog system, in Russian, to locate four of the books on the list. Once they thought they had the correct location in the stacks, a librarian would direct them to the proper room to allow the team to get the books. Teams then checked their retrieved books with the head librarian to get their next clue. In Synchronized, teams participated in a synchronized swimming routine with six other swimmers of the Russian national developmental team. After practicing the routine, they performed it for a judge – who would either pass them and give them their next clue, or would require the teams to practice more. In both detours, there was a time limit depending on the operating hours of each facility; if they were unable to complete either task before the facilities closed, they would incur a 4-hour penalty (with the Synchronize detour operating longer than the Alphabetize Detour).

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to select one of the marked Trees of Love—trees covered in padlocks—and unlock 10 of the locks with the provided set of keys to free a banner held to the tree. Once they freed the banner and unfolded it, they would find the next clue.

Additional tasks

• At Zurab Tsereteli sculpture park, teams had to obtain their next clue from Ivan the Terrible's two guards at the Moskvoretsky Bridge bridge, neighboring the Kremlin. Once they made way to the bridge, they picked up the clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams depicted the 100 ruble banknote and left to figure out that they were supposed to head to the location on the reverse of the note: the Bolshoi Theatre, which served as the Pit Stop.

Leg 8 (Russia)

For the Roadblock, teams had to take a quiz on the nine different time zones spanning Russia.

Airdate: November 18, 2012

• Moscow (Timiryazev Agricultural Academy – Study Building #6)
• Moscow (National Hotel)
• Moscow (Sokolniki Park – Veranda Tantsev)

For their Speed Bump, James & Abba had to help a Russian Orthodox priest to get to his church via limousine, however this task was not described by Phil on-air. In the leg's Roadblock, one team member was shown a brief slideshow, showing a sample time in Moscow, a map of Russia's nine different time zones with their UTC offsets and Moscow's location highlighted. Then they were shown multiple instances of the same time zone map without the UTC offsets but with several other Russian cities highlighted. After the show, they had to fill in the corresponding local time for any five cities within an allotted time period. If they completed in time and were correct, teams would receive their next clue. If they were wrong or ran out of time, they had to watch the presentation and do the quiz again.

The Detour was a choice between Movers or Shakers. In Movers, teams had to dress up as Russian soldiers and learn the steps of the Trepak dance. Teams then performed the dance in front of a judge who would give them their next clue if they performed the dance correctly. In Shakers, teams went to a party where several impersonators of Russian historical figures were attending. They had to identify seven specific figures – Catherine the Great, Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Leonid Brezhnev, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Peter the Great, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Nicholas II of Russia, and Vladimir Lenin – and fill out a form identifying how many impersonators of each person were present. If they identified the correct number of impersonators, they would get their next clue from an Alexander Pushkin impersonator.

Leg 9 (Russia → The Netherlands)

The Detour in Amsterdam had teams picking between running a Dutch street organ...

...or re-enacting Rembrandt's masterpiece The Night Watch.

Airdate: November 25, 2012

• Moscow (Sheremetyevo International Airport) to Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol)
• Amsterdam (Schiphol railway station) to (Amsterdam Centraal railway station)
• Amsterdam (Magere Brug – Poffertjesboot)
  • Amsterdam (Van Gogh Café at Prins Hendrikkade (Dutch))
• Amsterdam (Museum Geelvinck)
• Ransdorp (Rural Village Field)
• Ransdorp (House of Rembrandt's Mistress)

For the Fast Forward, the team had to travel to the Van Gogh Café and board a marked amphibious bus called The Floating Dutchman. Once the bus entered the water, teams learned that each team member had to eat five soused herring before the bus returned to land, a trip that took seven minutes. If they ran out of time, the bus would return to the Van Gogh Café and the team would have to wait 10 minutes for the next trip.

The Detour was a choice between Back in Time and Organ to Grind. In Back in Time, teams had to re-create the Rembrandt painting The Night Watch with a group of costumed actors and props, including themselves. If the Rembrandt impersonator was satisfied with the re-creation, he would award the teams their next clue. In Organ to Grind, after finding one of three Dutch street organs, one team member had to run the machine while the other asked for tips. Once they earned €30, the organ grinder would give them their next clue.

The Roadblock was a switchback of Season 12's Amsterdam Roadblock, one team member participated in the sport of fierljeppen, pole vaulting across a ditch full of water. They had to vault across the ditch, retrieve their clue in the form of wooden clogs on the other side, and then vault back across. If they fell into the water, they would have to start over from the last side of the ditch they were on.

Additional tasks

• At the start of the leg, teams were simply given a flag and told that their next destination was the capital city of the national flag they were given. They were left to figure out that they were given the flag of the Netherlands and their next destination was Amsterdam.
• After arriving at Amsterdam Centraal, teams had to take a boat onto the Amstel river and seek out a pofertjesboot, a floating poffertjes stand, near the Magere Brug to receive their next clue.
• Following the Detour, teams were required to travel by bus to Ransdorp. However, this restriction was lifted after 6:00 p.m. and teams that were still racing were allowed to take a taxi instead.

Leg 10 (The Netherlands → Spain)

The tennis-based Roadblock in Mallorca paid homage to world number 1 tennis player (at the time of filming) and Mallorca native Rafael Nadal.

Airdate: December 2, 2012

• Amsterdam (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol) to Barcelona, Spain (Barcelona–El Prat Airport)
• Barcelona (Port of Barcelona) to Palma, Mallorca (Port de Palma (Catalan)/Puerto de Palma de Mallorca (Spanish))
• Dalt Murada, Palma (Palma Cathedral)
• Manacor (Centro de Alto Rendimiento)
• Campanet (Coves de Campanet (Catalan)/Cuevas de Campanet (Spanish))
• Sa Pobla (Windmill) or Muro (Plaza de Toros la Monumental)
• Palma (Bellver Castle)

The leg's Roadblock was in honor of Mallorcan tennis player Rafael Nadal, one team member had to return 20 tennis balls fired by an automatic server within the bounds of a clay court in order to receive their next clue. If the machine ran out of tennis balls, they would have to start the task over, their prior count reset.

The Detour was a choice between Spin It or Bull It. In Spin It, teams donned safety gear and then replaced two blades on a 400-year-old Mallorcan windmill. Once a mechanic checked their work, they received their next clue from a pair of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza impersonators. In Bull It, the team would wear a special two-person bull outfit, with the person in front unable to see where they were going. The team member in back would verbally guide their partner in the front to circle eight matadors and then strike a target of a ninth to launch a final dummy matador. The entire course had to be completed within two minutes for the team to get their next clue.

Additional tasks

• Upon arrival in Barcelona, teams book an overnight ferry to Palma on the island of Mallorca. Once there, they choose a marked Ford Focus and drive themselves to Palma Cathedral.
• At Palma Cathedral, teams had to search amongst a small troupe of actors dressed up as devils and demons participating in a performance for La Nit del Foc, a traditional Mallorcan festival, for one who was holding their next clue.
• At Coves de Campanet, teams were instructed to follow the music of two guitarists in the caves to find their next clue.

Leg 11 (Spain → France)

Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley was the 11th Pit Stop of The Amazing Race 21.

Airdate: December 9, 2012

• Palma (Palma de Mallorca Airport) to Barcelona (Barcelona–El Prat Airport)
• Barcelona (Barcelona Estació de França railway station) to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, France (Gare de Saint-Pierre-des-Corps)
• Villandry (Château de Villandry)
• Amboise (Château d'Amboise – Chapel of Saint-Hubert)
• Cheverny (Château de Cheverny)
• Bourré (La Cave des Roches (French))
• Chenonceaux (Château de Chenonceau)

The Speed Bump required Natalie & Nadiya had to make their way to the château's Chambre du Prince and properly lace and tie up a lady's corset before they could continue on with the Race. The Detour was a choice between Chow or Plow took inside Château de Cheverny. In Chow, teams prepared a meal of meat and other food for a large number of hunting dogs. They had to remove debris and bones from the meat, cut the meat into appropriate sizes, weigh out a designated amount of food, and then lay it out appropriately, before the judge would release the hounds and give them their next clue. In Plow, teams used a plow attached to a work horse to mill four lines in a designated field to the farmer's satisfaction in order to get their next clue. Each Detour selection only had two workstations, which were first-come, first-served.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to find a store display containing three different types of mushrooms (grey oysters, wood blewits, and shiitake). Using one of the baskets they picked up at the train station, they then had to enter an underground mushroom farm, find the same three types of mushrooms, and collect 10 of each variety. If they found the correct three mushroom types, the shopkeeper would give them their next clue.

Additional tasks

• Upon arrival at the train station in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps at France's Loire Valley, teams had to load 8 empty baskets from the nearby Brasserie de la Tour restaurant into their Ford Escapes, which they would use on the leg, using its hands-free liftgate opening/closing feature before heading off to the Château de Villandry.
• At Château de Villandry, teams had to search the Château's gardens for a stone dog statue that had their next clue, telling them to find Leonardo da Vinci's final resting place. This left teams on their own to figure out that it referred to the Chapel of Saint-Hubert at the Château d'Amboise where they searched their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to go to the "Castle of the Ladies" and were left on their own that this meant the Château de Chenonceau, the Pit Stop for this leg.

Leg 12 (France → United States)

The final Roadblock of the Race took place inside the gates of United Nations Headquarters in New York City and had teams associating national flags with the different "hellos" and "goodbyes" they heard during the race.

Airdate: December 9, 2012

• Paris (Charles de Gaulle Airport) to New York City, New York, USA (John F. Kennedy International Airport)
• Brooklyn (Coney Island Boardwalk)
• Brooklyn (Brooklyn Navy Yard)
• Manhattan (Lombardi's Pizza)
• Manhattan (United Nations Headquarters)
• Manhattan (Gotham Hall)

In the first Roadblock of the final leg, one team member was put into a straitjacket and bungee harness, and be hoisted upside down from a tower. They then had to escape the bonds of the straitjacket—a feat made famous by Harry Houdini—upon which they would be dropped from the tower in a surprise bungee drop. After being lowered to the ground, the team would be given its next clue.

In the final Roadblock of the Race, one team member did not perform the first one must work with banners with words in foreign languages printed on them, and the flags of the eight foreign countries visited during the Race. The team member was required to attach the words for "hello" and "goodbye"—as said to them by the Pit Stop greeter in each country—and raise them up the flagpole flying that country's flag. The correct answers were:

Country (language)	Hello	Goodbye
China (Mandarin)	Nǐ Hǎo (您好)	Zài Jiàn (再见)
Indonesia (Indonesian)	Hai	Selamat Tinggal
Bangladesh (Bengali)	Shagotom (স্বাগতম)	Aabar Dekha Hobe (আবার দেখা হবে)
Turkey (Turkish)	Merhaba	Hoşça Kal
Russia (Russian)	Zdrávstvujtye (Здраствуйте)	Do Svidániya (До Свидания)
Netherlands (Dutch)	Hallo	Tot Ziens
Spain (Spanish)	Hola	Adios
France (French)	Bonjour	Au Revoir

Once all flag sets were correct, they could then hoist the flag of the United Nations , which would also lower their final clue.

Additional tasks

• At the start of the leg, teams were given a post card depicting their final destination city: New York City. The post card, in particular, depicted a certain view at Coney Island. Upon arriving at Coney Island, teams were left on their own to figure out that they had to find the exact location shown in the photo, and that their next clue was printed out on advertisements nearby.
• After the first Roadblock, the clue teams received instructing them to go to the first pizzeria in New York, leaving them to figure out it was Lombardi's Pizza in Manhattan.
• At Lombardi's, teams were told they had to deliver ten pizzas with various toppings to three different addresses in Little Italy, without being allowed to take any notes. Once they had successfully delivered all three orders, they were given a blue badge emblazoned with a logo as their next clue.
• The badge where it received at Lombardi's leaving teams had to figure out it was the logo for the United Nations and their next destination was at the UN Headquarters.

Ratings

U.S. Nielsen ratings

#	Airdate	Episode	Rating	Share	Rating/Share	Viewers	Rank	Rank	Rank	Rank
			Households		18–49	(millions)	Timeslot (Viewers)	Timeslot (18–49)	Week (Viewers)	Week (18–49)
1	September 30, 2012	"Double Your Money"	6.0	9	2.5/6	9.40	3	3	30	< 25
2	October 7, 2012	"Long Hair, Don't Care"	5.8	8	2.6/6	9.66	2	3	21	< 25
3	October 14, 2012	"There's No Crying in Baseball"	5.7	9	2.6/7	9.11	3	3	28	< 25
4	October 21, 2012	"Funky Monkey"	6.0	9	2.6/5	9.54	2	3	22	22
5	October 28, 2012	"Chill Out, Freak"	5.6	9	2.5/6	9.41	4	4	< 25	< 25
6	November 4, 2012	"Get Your Sexy On"	6.3	9	2.6/6	10.20	2	3	22	22
7	November 11, 2012	"Off to See the Wizard"	5.7	8	2.5/6	9.18	2	4	21	25
8	November 18, 2012	"We Was Robbed"	6.1	9	2.4/6	9.59	2	4	22	25
9	November 25, 2012	"Fishy Kiss"	6.0	9	2.5/6	9.58	2	4	18	19
10	December 2, 2012	"Not a Well-Rounded Athlete"	6.2	9	2.7/6	10.02	2	3	22	25
11	December 9, 2012	"Take Down That Million"	5.7	9	2.6/6	9.35	2	3	20	22

• Episode 8, "We Was Robbed", went up against the 2012 American Music Awards.
• The Season 21 finale was down 31% from the season 19 fall finale on December 11, 2011. It tied as the show's lowest rated finale ever.

Canadian ratings

Canadian broadcaster CTV also aired The Amazing Race on Sundays. Episodes aired at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Central (9:00 p.m. Pacific, Mountain and Atlantic).

#	Airdate	Episode	Viewers (millions)	Rank (Week)
1	September 30, 2012	"Double Your Money"	2.633	4
2	October 7, 2012	"Long Hair, Don't Care"	1.783	9
3	October 14, 2012	"There's No Crying in Baseball"	2.672	2
4	October 21, 2012	"Funky Monkey"	2.647	3
5	October 28, 2012	"Chill Out, Freak"	2.726	3
6	November 4, 2012	"Get Your Sexy On"	2.650	3
7	November 11, 2012	"Off to See the Wizard"	2.541	3
8	November 18, 2012	"We Was Robbed"	2.259	3
9	November 25, 2012	"Fishy Kiss"	2.055	9
10	December 2, 2012	"Not a Well-Rounded Athlete"	2.561	2
11	December 9, 2012	"Take Down That Million"	2.527	3

• Episode 2, "Long Hair, Don't Care", aired on the Sunday before Canadian Thanksgiving Day.
• Episode 9, "Fishy Kiss", aired on the day of the 100th Grey Cup.

External links

• Official website
• The Amazing Race at IMDb
• The Amazing Race at TV.com