Race Across America (RAAM)Portland, OR to Pensecola, FL, USA, June 17-?, 2001Updates and ReportsPreview & Start list
Day 5 Report and StandingsBy Peter Marsh The fifth day of RAAM and Andrea Clavadetscher of Leichtenstein has kept his feet on the pedals for another 23 hours. Clavadetscher now leads 3-time champion Rob Kish by more than 100 miles. He's over half way and out of the mountains--so what's his secret? A completely liquid diet and an average of only 45-minutes of sleep per night! Third placed Danny Chew, a two-time RAAM champion must be wondering how he does it too. Danny needed a little more sleep than he anticipated overnight. After a three-hour rest, he returned to the lonely road, only to stop and take another hour of sleep before attacking Tennessee Pass, the highpoint of the route at 10,424 feet. Rookie rider Rainer Klaus has moved into fourth. He told me it's taken him six years to save enough to pay for his first RAAM, and it looks like he's getting his money's worth! Racers 4 through 10 are all within striking distance of each other, if not the leader. They are between 1 and 5 hours behind Chew. Australian Cassie Lowe is leading the women's event and ahead on her overall placing last year. She is equal fifth with Mark Patten. Unfortunately, the race is over for the popular Italian favorite Fabio Biasiolo. The long-distance rider's worst fear, saddle sores, knocked him out. Enough of the butt end of RAAM, I thought it was about time we steered the conversation towards the bikes rather than the riders for a moment. Now we all know "It's Not About the Bike," but by this stage you might be wondering exactly what these amazing cyclists are riding? A wonderful assortment of gear was spread across the parking lot on the day before the race began. Spending 20 hours in the saddle for 8-10 days is a severe strain on the body, and a frame that absorbs shock well is essential. The beam-suspension bike is the most graphic solution, although it carries a weight penalty and a different feel from a standard triangular frame. Danny Chew enthusiastically showed me his Softride, with a carbon suspension road fork on the front. He reckoned this added a couple of pounds to the overall weight, but the added comfort was more important as the race progressed. Fabio Biasiolo also uses a Softride. Jim Pitre, one of the race's directors who is riding in the two-man division as Team E-Caps, has a similar set-up to Chew with the addition of an adjustable stem, allowing him to change the height of the bars to vary his position. "That's especially important if you start to get a neck ache," he emphasized. The Twin Team was riding a pair of TitanFlexes, using small frames with extended seat posts, stems and time-trial/triathlon bars. Titanium was also popular for conventional frames. Rob Kish is riding an Airborne Zeppelin which he praises for its "high comfort level." Frame builder Kent Eriksen had prepared three of his Moots bikes for Katie Lindquist. Two of the road bikes weigh just 16 lbs each, the third has lightweight full-suspension. "Titanium makes a comfortable frame with the stiffness where you want it," he told me. Eriksen will see how they work all the way to Florida, since he is on Lindquist's crew. Carbon fiber was also popular for its forgiving ride qualities. I noticed Cassie Lowe's line up of Colnago carbon bikes. Some riders have a third, complete bike specifically for uphill riding with lower gearing (but never a third chain ring) and without aero bars, while a bike may be reserved for night riding. All bikes must pass a safety inspection, which mainly requires them to be plastered with reflective tape. Within a day the course will grow increasingly more crowded. The teams of RAAM are putting in impressive hours and will begin catching and passing solo racers in the next 24-hours. The four-person teams are keeping up the pressure, the women from Kentucky averaging 17 mph, the men from Vail, Colorado 20 mph. One Brazilian team leads, but the other has dropped out. (The combined age of the two men on Team E-Caps is 112 years, which shows you experience counts more than age when the miles are piling up.) Bye for now, and I will see you further down the road. Day 5 Standings Position Name (Country) Miles covered
Day 6 Report and StandingsClavedetscher flatout into Oklahoma by Peter Marsh There's a flat road ahead for Andrea Clavedetscher in the Insight Race Across America. As a long, mid-summer day came to an end he was 300 miles into the flatlands of Oklahoma with the wind at his back. "I like the heat", said the 40-year old from Liechtenstein while the Outdoor Life Network camera team was within ear shot. In second place is 45 year old Rob Kish, who lives and trains in Florida. He's 100 miles back but its not over yet! "This is what I've been training for all year-indeed for all my adult life," he says about RAAM. Last year, Kish overcome horrendous knee swelling to finish sixth, this year he seems to be back in form. He may be America's best ultra cyclist, but you wouldn't know it from his attitude. When I asked him how he felt about his sixteenth date with destiny, he sounded relaxed and ready. "I guess you could say RAAM has kind of become a habit. I prepare by over-training--then I rest," he said with a smile. With an average of 14.27 mph since Sunday morning, the race is certainly Clavedetscher's to lose, but he is taking nothing for granted. "I was here, the same place, in 1999," he reminded the OLN team. That year after controlling the lead for the first 1,500 miles, he slipped to fourth. Danny Chew of Pittsburgh, 13 hours behind the leader, will continue to give it all he's got--and he knows the central part of the country well. In May, he was in Ohio for a 12-hour event and logged 264 miles with a partner. Drop down the standings to the women's two-person team category and you'll find the Twin Team is just an hour behind Chew. Chances are the sight of one of the 58-year old sisters alongside will put him back into top gear! Solo woman Cassie Lowe of Australia is also making life tough for the men, she's just behind Mark Patten. Doubtless he'll beat her to the next "city limits" sign, since he trains mostly by racing--mountain biking, criteriums, road races, he does them all. The four women from Kentucky racing for the state's brain injury association will soon be by as well. They're still cruising along at 17 mph and hopefully inspiring the tired soloists as much as they did me at the start! The four lads of Team Vail are still eating up the miles at 20 mph--and doing it the hard way. The fearless foursome of Zach Bingham, Brett Malin, Jimmy Mortenson and Adam Palmer have taken multi-tasking to the nth degree. In a standard support team you would have a mobile home and at least two trail vehicles and the crew would consist of 4-drivers, a masseuse, a chiropractor, 3-navigators, a crew chief, etc. etc. This 4-man team has a crew of two! So if anyone reading this is living near the route and feels like lending a hand, pack your bag, get someone to drive you over there. They've got great taste in music and plenty of snacks. Yeah, I know, you'll lose a little sleep, but you'll never know, you may get a free ride to Florida! Happy RAAMing.
Day 6 Standings
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