Race Across America (RAAM)
Portland, OR, USA, June 18-?, 2000
Days 1-3 Day
4 Day 5 Day
6
Day 4 - June 21: Into Colorado
as Fasching still leads
RAAM leader Wolfgang Fasching is holding steady at an average 80 mile
lead over the riders vying for second position in the fourth day of
the Race Across America.
Fasching's face appeared weathered from 3 days in the elements, but
the Austrian racer "looked good" according to Route Supervisor Robert
Ames. Ames said Fasching's position on the bike looked very relaxed
as the racer passed through the time station at Steamboat Springs, Colorado
this morning. The pack narrowed the gap down to 3 1/2 hours as Wolfgang
slept part of the night.
Robert Ames, a veteran of the Colorado roads and Director of the "Tour
of the Peaks" cycling tour warned that the next 78 miles to Leadville
had over 5,000 feet of vertical climbing. The next leg of the course
takes the pack into the Rocky Mountains and over climbs as high as the
10,424 foot Tennessee Pass just northeast of Leadville, Colorado. The
riders face about 100 miles of mountain passes before entering the Midwestern
plain.
Dealing with the elements is part of the challenge of RAAM, even when
those elements are four legged! And to face nature's obstacles, riders
depend on a quick-thinking and spirited support crew. Wolfgang Fasching
can attest to this! As the racer approached the Idaho- Wyoming border
yesterday, his crew and race officials were driving just ahead. They
encountered a classic western scene ... a cattle drive complete with
the mooing of over 100 cattle, cowboys and dogs moving from one pasture
to another. With Wolfgang approaching, the officials pulled over to
watch the story unfold. According to the rules, the rider does not receive
any bonus time should he be detained by natural elements. Fasching's
Austrian support crew, undoubtedly viewing their first cattle drive,
immediately jumped out of their vehicles yelling and shooing the cattle,
waving their arms to clear a narrow path for their cyclist. Just as
the cows were moved off the road...Wolfgang appeared, hammering quickly
through the passageway of mooing animals. Another delay averted.
Back at the Portland, Oregon start line, a new phase of the Race Across
America began as the 4 person Team Relay race took off at noon PST.
Five teams are racing into the mountains of Oregon. The RAAM 2000 course
begins again as a new group of riders face the challenge of the route
and changing weather conditions.
Team RAAM 2000 is a race between the Kern Wheelmen from California,
Team Heart from Minnesota, Team Alaska from Alaska, Great Britain's
Team Royal Air Force and Team iXL- Greenspeed from California and Georgia.
The iXL-Greenspeed team is riding a fully faired recumbent tricycle
which could make them the fastest moving bike in RAAM, with a particular
advantage on the flats and down hills.
The teams historically catch and pass the solo riders, who had a 3
day head start, but with this year's strong field of solo riders, catching
the leaders may not be possible.
Day 4 Standings
Name Station # Station name Miles mph
Men Solo Rider
1 Wolfgang Fasching 21 Wolcott, CO 1278.7 16.50
2 Fabio Biasiolo 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 15.33
3 Tom Buckley 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 15.28
4 Herbert Meneweger 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 15.24
5 Danny Chew 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 15.16
6 Martin Lorenz 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 14.99
7 Mark Patten 18 Dinosaur, CO 1080.1 14.13
8 Reed Finfrock 18 Dinosaur, CO 1080.1 13.97
9 Rob Kish 17 Vernal, UT 1046.5 13.64
10 Andrew Otto 16 Manila, WY 984.5 13.54
11 Keith Krombel 16 Manila, WY 984.5 12.91
12 Rob Morlock 16 Manila, WY 984.5 12.90
13 Rich Kondzielaski 16 Manila, WY 984.5 12.89
14 Harold Trease 16 Manila, WY 984.5 12.77
15 Pete Bajema 15 Mountain View 936.5 12.07
16 Terry Lansdell 14 Woodruff, UT 878.0 12.09
17 Michael Henriksson 14 Woodruff, UT 878.0 11.91
18 Fredi Virag 14 Woodruff, UT 878.0 11.63
19 Rieks Koning 13 Ogden, UT 812.3 12.73
20 Hansjoerg Franz 13 Ogden, UT 812.0 12.12
21 Byron Rieper 8 DNF
Women Sole Rider
1 Cassie Lowe 16 Manila, WY 984.5 13.08
Two Person Teams
1 Bishop & Maida 20 Steamboat Springs 1208.4 16.08
Tandem Mixed
1 Lindquist&Thomas 14 Woodruff, UT 878.0 11.92
Four Person Teams
HPV Trike
Day 5 - June 22: Trinidad Colorado:
Fasching still leads
Race observers are wondering if Austrian cyclist Wolfgang Fasching
can keep up his incredible pace as he crossed the halfway point today
in the 2,989 mile Race Across America. Fasching has increased his lead,
now up to 105 miles over his pursuers, averaging 15.80 miles an hour
since the race began in Portland, Oregon on June 18th.
It's a three way battle for second place as the world's top ultracyclists
race for the finish line in Pensacola, Florida. Tom Buckley of Keokuk,
Iowa and defending RAAM men's solo champ Danny Chew are alternately
capturing, then losing the 2nd place position, all the while being dogged
by Italy's Fabio Biasiolo.
37 year old Danny Chew of Pittsburgh, PA, has a preference for chasing.
In the 1999 RAAM, Chew held back at first, holding rigorously to his
3 hours a day sleep schedule, while Fasching tried to get by with less.
In that race, Fasching suffered a collapse in Kentucky and had to stop
for about 6 hours. At that point, Chew passed Fasching and held the
lead all the way to Savannah, Georgia to win last year's race. RAAM
watchers are anxious to see if Chew has the best strategy, or if Fasching
is a better racer this year and is uncatchable.
Each RAAM rider has gone through, or will have to climb the arduous
Tennessee Pass heading into the 21st time station at Leadville, Colorado.
Rob Warren, lead official and a 12 year veteran of RAAM officiating,
stated "this is the hardest, longest climb I every seen in all the RAAMs
I have been involved with".
Herbert Meneweger of Austria has dropped from the race after the time
station at Wolcott, Colorado, 1278 miles into the race. He had battled
with the lead riders for several days and was almost to the half way
point when he and his crew reported that he had withdrawn from the race
citing medical problems.
As RAAM pressed through the mountains of Colorado, Team E-Caps, the
two man relay team sped out in front. Bill Maida and Dwight Bishop are
taking turns riding and resting, which makes them faster, as solo riders
fatigue and have to rest. At 9:32 this morning, in Trinidad, Colorado,
the two-man Team E-Caps caught up and overtook the solo riders, and
now leads the way to Pensacola.
The four person Team RAAM, which left the Portland start line yesterday,
is shaping up to be a very tight race. The British Team Royal Air Force
held a one minute lead over Team Kern Wheelmen of California at the
time station at Givens Hot Springs, Idaho. Race director Lon Haldeman
says the two teams traded the lead a number of times during the night
into Idaho. This kind of team relay race requires skill and strategy
as riders and crew coordinate the leap frog of the relaying rider.
The teams in the 50-year old division are riding strong with Team
Alaska in the lead over Team Heart of Minnesota by almost one time station,
about 50 miles.
Team iXL-Greenspeed, the HPV trike team, has been slowed by the tremendous
amount of climbing on this mountainous route and by the time it takes
to coordinate the exchanges of riders on the fully faired recumbent
trikes. The recumbent style trike is a slow climber, but is designed
to make up time on the down hills.
Day 5 Standings
Name Station # Station name Miles mph
Men Solo Rider
1 Wolfgang Fasching 26 Trinidad, CO 1525.7 15.80
2 Tom Buckley 23 Salida, CO 1383.9 14.62
3 Danny Chew 23 Salida, CO 1383.9 14.53
4 Fabio Biasiolo 23 Salida, CO 1383.9 14.18
5 Mark Patten 21 Wolcott, CO 1278.7 13.48
6 Martin Lorenz 21 Wolcott, CO 1278.7 13.25
7 Herbert Meneweger 21 Wolcott, CO 1278.7 DNF
8 Rob Kish 20 Steamboat Springs, CO 1208.4 13.58
9 Reed Finfrock 20 Steamboat Springs, CO 1208.4 12.85
10 Rob Morlock 20 Steamboat Springs, CO 1208.4 12.40
11 Andrew Otto 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 13.26
12 Rich Kondzielaski 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 12.90
13 Terry Lansdell 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 12.06
14 Keith Krombel 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 11.90
15 Harold Trease 18 Dinosaur, CO 1080.1 12.54
16 Pete Bajema 18 Dinosaur, CO 1080.1 11.84
17 Michael Henriksson 18 Dinosaur, CO 1080.1 11.80
18 Hansjoerg Franz 18 Dinosaur, CO 1080.1 11.34
19 Rieks Koning 18 Dinosaur, CO 1080.1 11.34
20 Fredi Virag 18 Dinosaur, CO 1080.1 11.28
Female Sole Rider
1 Cassie Lowe 20 Steamboat Springs, CO 1208.4 12.35
Two Person Teams
1 Bishop & Maida 26 Trinidad, CO 1525.7 15.80
Four Person Teams
1 Royal Air Force 7 Given Hot Springs Id 453.6 22.57
2 Kern Wheelmen 7 Given Hot Springs Id 453.6 19.17
3 Alaska 6 Vale OR 395.6 19.38
4 Heart 5 Unity OR 331.4 17.04
Tandem Mixed
1 Lindquist&Thomas 18 Dinosaur, CO 1080.1 11.31
HPV Trike
1 IXL Greenspeed 5 Unity,OR 331.4
Fasching up to 180 miles in
front
Austrian cyclist Wolfgang Fasching maintains a 180 mile lead over
the second place chase group of Tom Buckley, Fabio Biasiolo and two
time RAAM winner, Danny Chew as the Race Across America surges into
Oklahoma.
The 2,898 mile route started in Portland, Oregon on June 18th, and
leaders could reach the finish line in Gulf Breeze (Pensacola) Florida
by Monday, June 26th.
Wolfgang Fasching has lost some of his initial speed, but with his
race more than half over, is still maintaining an average speed that
is hovering around the RAAM record. Fasching's average speed from the
start is currently 15.46 miles per hour, slightly quicker than Pete
Penseyres's 1986 RAAM average speed record of 15.4 mph. Race officials
estimate that Fasching has slept fewer than 8 hours since the race began.
Temperatures heated up as riders crossed out of Colorado and into
Oklahoma, reaching into the low 90's. While thunderstorms loomed around
the racers, not a drop of precipitation fell on the course.
Team E-Caps, the two man relay team, roll off the miles as they cross
Oklahoma today. They are anticipating finishing in under 7 1/2 days.
That will give them an average speed of 16.53 MPH or a little under
400 miles per day! They are focused on breaking the existing Race Across
America 2 man relay team record for 40 -49 year olds, and plan to beat
it by over a day.
Another two riders fell victim to RAAM 2000, the route with the most
climbing in RAAM history. Pete Bajema withdrew last night as the result
of injuries he suffered in a cow-bike accident several nights ago. Bajema
had run into a black cow on a dark road in Idaho. He was airlifted to
the hospital, but later returned to the race and rode several more days
before he succumbed to the pain of the injuries. The second rider was
Andrew Otto, of San Francisco, California, a 35 year old rookie, who
stated physical distress and exhaustion as his reasons for withdrawing
last night.
There are still 19 solo riders in the race, including Jim Pitre in
the 60 year old division, and each one remains focused on making this
race the best they can. The 2-man relay team and tandem, plus four 4-man
relay teams and one HPV trike relay team make up 26 teams of riders
and crews racing across the country.
Day 6 Standings
Rider Name Station # and name Miles covered Mph
Men Solo Rider
1 Wolfgang Fasching 33 Lahoma, OK 1945.0 15.46
2 Danny Chew 30 Guyman, OK 1746.8 14.28
3 Fabio Biasiolo 30 Guyman, OK 1746.8 14.14
4 Tom Buckley 30 Guyman, OK 1746.8 13.97
5 Martin Lorenz 29 Boise City, OK 1685.7 13.48
6 Rob Kish 27 Des Moines, NM 1598.9 12.87
7 Mark Patten 27 Des Moines, NM 1598.9 12.79
8 Reed Finfrock 26 Trinidad, CO 1525.7 12.47
9 Rob Morlock 26 Trinidad, CO 1525.7 12.40
10 Rich Kondzielaski 26 Trinidad, CO 1525.7 12.28
11 Harold Trease 24 Westcliff, CO 1431.1 11.65
12 Terry Lansdell 24 Westcliff, CO 1431.1 11.46
13 Rieks Koning 23 Salida, CO 1383.9 11.18
14 Michael Henriksson 23 Salida, CO 1383.9 11.09
15 Fredi Virag 23 Salida, CO 1383.9 11.01
16 Keith Krombel 22 Leadville, CO 1326.2 11.06
17 Andrew Otto 22 Leadville, CO DNF
18 Hansjoerg Franz 22 Leadville, CO 10.68
19 Herbert Meneweger 21 Wolcott, CO DNF
20 Pete Bajema 19 Craig, CO DNF
Female Sole Rider
1 Cassie Lowe 25 Walsenburg, CO 1488.4 12.02
Two Person Teams
1 Bishop& Maida 33 Lahoma, OK 1945.0 15.83
Four Person Teams
1 Team Royal Air Force 17 Vernal, UT 1046.5 22.15
2 Team Kern Wheelmen 17 Vernal, UT 1046.5 21.67
3 Team Alaska 15 Mountain View, WY 936.5 19.57
4 Team Heart 14 Woodruff, UT 878.0 17.97
Tandem Mixed
1 Lindquist&Thomas 22 Leadville, CO 1326.2 10.73
HPV Trike
1 Team IXL Greenspeed 13 Ogden, UT 812.3 17.89
60 Year Old Division
1 Jim Pitre 24 Westcliff, CO 1431.1 9.77
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