Race Across America (RAAM)Portland, OR, USA, June 18-?, 2000Days 1-3 Days 4-6 Days 7-10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 11- June 28: More riders inBig bronze finisher's medals proudly hang around the necks of some 20 of the world's top ultracyclists as they claim their victories in the world's toughest race, the Race Across America. With sunburned arms and blistered lips, racers have been crossing the finish line in Gulf Breeze (Pensacola), Florida, receiving their awards, thanking their crews and heading straight for a shower, a meal and a nap. 14 other riders are expected to finish between now and Friday morning. In the last 24 hours the top of the pack has finished the 2,898 mile, non-stop race which began in Portland, Oregon on June 18th. 1999 RAAM Champion Danny Chew won the 2nd place title in the men's solo division, arriving Tuesday evening with a time of 9 days, 8 hours, 17 minutes. Chew said he actually like the mountainous route that some say made this year's RAAM one of the toughest in the race's 19 year history. Italy's Fabio Biasiolo gave Chew a good run for 2nd, and finished just over two hours behind him with a finish time of 9 days, 10 hours, 43 minutes. Then, at the approach of midnight Tuesday, 28 year old Martin Lorenz of Switzerland crossed the finish line. The RAAM rookie said he took up cycling after years of competition in the martial arts. Comparing the two sports, Lorenz said that RAAM is much more brutal than anything he encountered in years of fighting. Iowa's Tom Buckley, who had been in the second place pack with Chew, Biasiolo and Lorenz, finished in the early morning hours with a time of 9 days, 19 hours, 52 minutes. Not long after most of the morning rush hour had passed, an unusual sight captured the curiosity of lingering Pensacola commuters. The four man Team iXL-Greenspeed , all riding under the canopies of their fully faired recumbent trikes, crossed the four mile bridge from Pensacola to the finish line at Gulf Breeze. The four bubble trikes pulled into the finish area to the stares of spectators. The team members, Tim Skipper, Tom Hooker, John Williams and RAAM rookie Barclay Brown were awarded their RAAM finisher's medals. This is the first time that a trike has raced in RAAM. The weight of the vehicle made it slower on the climbs, but the aerodynamic design made up time on the flats and downhills. RAAM legend Rob Kish completed his 15th Race Across America, thanking his crew and wife, Brenda. Kish holds the record for the fastest transcontinental crossing, set in 1992, but said this year's route through the Colorado mountains was particularly tough. He said it was his crew that got him through the brutal mountian passes, and though a flood of tears, Brenda Kish acknowledged her husband and the team known as the "Kish Krew," that supported him to another successful finish. Next across the finish line was the female soloist, Cassie Lowe of Australia. Lowe made the transcontinental crossing in an impressive 10 days, 3 hours, 9 minutes. Her crew chief said she followed the direction of her coach and crew, even when it meant getting only 25 minutes of sleep in the last 30 hours of the race. And in the late afternoon Mark Patten of San Jose, California crossed the finish line. He finished just in time to join the first group of finishers in the RAAM Awards Banquet at the Holiday Inn Bay Beach. Day 11 standingsName Time Station #/name Miles left Finish Date/Time Time Av. Mph
1 Wolfgang Fasching 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-26, 18:49 201:49 14.67
2 Danny Chew 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-27, 17:12 224:12 13.27
3 Fabio Biasiolo 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-27, 19:23 226:23 13.14
4 Martin Lorenz 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-27, 22:23 229:23 12.97
5 Tom Buckley 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-28, 4:52 235:52 12.61
6 Rob Kish 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-28, 11:25 242:25 12.27
7 Mark Patten 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-28,
8 Rob Morlock 50 Camden, AL 137.2 Jun-28, 7:45 238:45 11.89
9 Reed Finfrock 48 York, AL 220.9 Jun-28, 9:30 240:30 11.45
10 Rich Kondzielaski 48 York, AL 220.9 Jun-28, 10:00 241:00 11.43
11 Terry Lansdell 46 Louisville, MS 301.2 Jun-28, 8:05 239:05 11.18
12 Harold Trease 45 Goodman, MS 357.6 Jun-28, 3:10 234:10 11.18
13 Hansjoerg Franz 45 Goodman, MS 357.6 Jun-28, 8:45 239:45 10.92
14 Rieks Koning 45 Goodman, MS 357.6 Jun-28, 8:47 239:47 10.92
15 Keith Krombel 43 Parkgate, AR 460.8 Jun-27, 23:19 230:19 10.92
16 Fredi Virag 36 Stuart, OK 818.6 Jun-27, DNF
17 Michael Henriksson 34 Stillwater, OK 955.1 Jun-26, DNF
18 Andrew Otto 22 Leadville, CO 1648.9 Jun-23, DNF
19 Herbert Meneweger 21 Wolcott, CO 1696.4 Jun-22, DNF
20 Pete Bajema 19 Craig, CO 1809.5 Jun-23, DNF
21 Byron Rieper 8 Grand View, ID 2473.5 Jun-20, DNF
Female Sole Rider
1 Cassie Lowe 52 Molino, FL 34.5 Jun-28, 9:45 240:45 12.21
Two Person Teams
1 Bishop& Maida 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-26, 12:07 195:07 15.33
Four Person Teams
1 Team Royal Air Force 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-27, 6:29 136:29 21.8
2 Team Kern Wheelmen 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-27, 8:29 138:29 21.48
3 Team Alaska 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-28, 6:52 160:52 18.49
4 Team Heart 48 York, AL 220.9 Jun-28, 10:45 164:45 16.72
Tandem Mixed
1 Lindquist&Thomas 43 Parkgate, AR 460.8 Jun-28, 9:30 240:30 10.45
HPV Trike
1 Team IXL Greenspeed 54 Gulf Breeze, FL Finish Jun-28, 10:25 164:25 18.09
Day 12 - June 29: One more left...The official Festina time clock is counting down the hours until the Race Across America 2000 comes to a close, with only one tandem team still out on the course. All of the racers that finished RAAM 2000 did so within the allotted time window, so none was shut out as an unofficial finisher. The first place winners of RAAM 2000, including solo men's winner Wolfgang Fasching of Austria, and the two man team of Bishop and Maida, came across the finish line in Gulf Breeze (Pensacola), Florida on Monday, followed by the second tier of winners on Tuesday. Behind them came a group of RAAM's strong and steady riders, completing their ride Wednesday evening through Thursday evening. -Rob Morlock finished with an official Festina time of 10:11:46 Three riders arrived within just about one hour of each other this
afternoon: -Finishing the 2,898 mile course this evening, Keith Krombel. -The mixed tandem team of George Lindquist and Katie Thomas are expected to wrap up the Race Across America by crossing the finish line around 2am Friday. While the tandem team is still racing towards the end of their journey from Portland, Oregon to Pensacola, others are celebrating. The RAAM Awards Banquets were held last night and tonight on the beach at the Holiday Inn Beach Bay in Gulf Breeze. Race Directors Lon Haldeman and Susan Notorangelo presented winners in each category with special prizes. Each RAAM finisher received a Festina watch valued at up to $350, and a custom black and gold finisher's jersey by Voler. First place men's solo winner Wolfgang Fasching and first place women's solo winner Cassie Lowe each received a Softride bicycle frame. Division winners won a personalized wooden plaque in the shape of the United States made by Lon Haldeman. Other prizes included RCA video cameras, AT&T wireless phones and phone cards, Casio digital cameras, Sports Instruments heart rate monitors, Equus cycling computers, and Cobra CB radios, plus replicas of the RCA mascot pups: Nipper and Chipper. At the banquet, cyclists and their crews took the opportunity to go to the microphone and acknowledge each other and those who helped make it possible to compete in what's known as "the world's toughest race." Day 12 standingsName Station # & time Miles Miles Date/time Time Av (mph)
ridden to go
1 Wolfgang Fasching 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-26/18:49 201:49 14.67
2 Danny Chew 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-27/17:12 224:12 13.27
3 Fabio Biasiolo 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-27/19:23 226:23 13.14
4 Martin Lorenz 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-27/22:23 229:23 12.97
5 Tom Buckley 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-28/4:52 235:52 12.61
6 Rob Kish 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-28/11:25 242:25 12.27
7 Mark Patten 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-28/17:10 248:10 11.99
8 Rob Morlock 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-28/20:46 251:46 11.82
9 Rich Kondzielaski 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-29/2:46 257:46 11.54
10 Terry Lansdell 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-29/6:52 261:52 11.36
11 Reed Finfrock 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-29/10:44 265:44 11.20
12 Harold Trease 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-29/14:37 269:30 11.04
13 Hansjoerg Franz 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-29/14:32 269:32 11.04
14 Rieks Koning 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-29/15:15 270:15 11.01
15 Keith Krombel 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-29/19:00 274:00 10.86
16 Fredi Virag 36 Stuart, OK 2156.5 818.6 Jun-27/DNF
17 Michael Henriksson 34 Stillwater, OK 2020 955.1 Jun-26/DNF
18 Andrew Otto 22 Leadville, CO 1326.2 1648.9 Jun-23/DNF
19 Herbert Meneweger 21 Wolcott, CO 1278.7 1696.4 Jun-22/DNF
20 Pete Bajema 19 Craig, CO 1165.6 1809.5 Jun-23/DNF
21 Byron Rieper 8 Grand View, ID 501.6 2473.5 Jun-20/DNF
Female Sole Rider
1 Cassie Lowe 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-28/12:09 243:09 12.24
Two Person Teams
1 Bishop & Maida 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-26/12:07 195:07 15.33
Four Person Teams
1 Team Royal Air Force 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-27/6:29 136:29 21.80
2 Team Kern Wheelmen 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-27/8:29 138:29 21.48
3 Team Alaska 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-28/6:52 160:52 18.49
4 Team Heart 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-28/23:50 177:50 16.73
Tandem Mixed
1 Lindquist&Thomas 51 Megarel, AL 2889.6 85.5 Jun-29/18:42 273:42 10.56
HPV Trike
1 Team IXL Greenspeed 54 Gulf Breeze, FL 2975.1 Finish Jun-28/10:25 164:25 18.09
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