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Race Across America - NE
USA, June 19-July 1, 2005
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Day 10 - June 28
Jure Robic makes it two
The reigning champion, Jure Robic, concluded his domination of the 2005 Insight Race Across America through furnace-like conditions on a refreshingly cool, cloudy evening on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. He completed the 3,052 miles in 9 days, 8 hours and 48 minutes.
Throughout this unusually hot race, Robic proved far more resilient than any of his rivals to the brutal heat that bore down from above and bounced mercilessly back off the road. When the Appalachian mountains rose as the final, daunting challenge to legs weary from 2,500 miles' racing, Robic remained smooth and strong. No rider at any point in the race mounted a serious challenge to Robic; he rode supreme.
Yet driving alongside the 40 year-old Slovenian, whose wife bore their child almost exactly one year ago, one gained the impression from the pained expression on his stony face that although this win was distant, it was far from easy.
"This year was much harder than 2004. There was more climbing, and high temperatures. I did not expect such high temperatures, I suffered much," said Robic at the finish. He was shaky on his feet, and when raising his 17lb bicycle above his head, he teetered on the edge of his balance. It was the unrelenting heat that really got him.
"I did no training for high temperatures. In Slovenia the temperature is normally about 25C (77F), but in the first day (of RAAM) it was 45C (110F). I had luck and good regeneration. That was my winning formula."
Robic's main challenger, Mike Trevino of San Diego, never really got going. Early in the race he suffered from gastric problems, then approaching Indianapolis, Trevino fell and separated his shoulder so ending his 2005 challenge.
Robic's friend and old rival, Marko Baloh, contracted pneumonia after a spirited chase of the champion, and had to retire shortly before Fort Scott, Kansas.
With these two worthy rivals gone, Robic was left far out in front, with a gap of more than 12 hours to the second-place battle betwen the dashing Italian Fabio Biasiolo and ex-pat American Chris MacDonald, who now lives in Denmark. At the time Robic finished, MacDonald and Biasiolo were almost 200 miles behind.
Yet it was never easy for Robic. When passing through Athens, Ohio, Robic climbed off his bike and it took a pep talk to get him back into the saddle. "This usually happens at one point in the race each year," explained a member of the Robic crew. But without a rival to push him, Robic had to dig deep to find the motivation to push through the relentless pain and fatigue of the solo RAAM. He found it within.
"My motivation came from my heart. That and this picture (of his wife and child). I miss my wife and family. I am really looking forward to seeing them when I go home." Behind the chiseled features, the stony expression, and his awesome cycling power, most believe that RAAM's two-time champion has a soft center.
V3 Team - Great Britain
By Paul Skilbeck
A former professional soccer player was one of three Britons and an American making up Team 3V, which finished 6th out of 8 in the Four Person Male category of RAAM, June 28, with a time of 6 days, 22 hours and 12 minutes (average speed 18.36 mph). Colin Cleminson, of Pilgrim's Hatch, Essex, found the Insight Race Across America was an inspirational experience.
"I am not used to the long, sleepless nights. The race was good, bad, everything. When every ounce of strength is gone and you've got to get back on the bike at 2 a.m., that is incredibly tough. This is physically the hardest thing I have done. It has opened my eyes to endurance racing. It takes tremendous mental and inner strength to cope with all the stresses this race puts on you."
Cleminson currently sponsors an elite junior cycle racing team that includes Alex Dowsett, Russell Hampton, Alex Atkins, and Kristian Downs.
"I would like to emulate that in some way with RAAM," He explained. "Next year I'd like to bring back a crack 4-person team of time triallists to have a shot at the record (average speed 23.06 mph)."
Cleminson, who owns the Bike Trax cycle shop, is a former Fulham FC professional soccer player who lists as his most cherished athletic feats scoring a goal against Chelsea and playing with George Best. RAAM may be not far down his list, having given him "something to treasure, a great memory." -End-
Mobile Medics
By Wendy Booher
The eight-doctor Team Donate Life arrived at the finish line this morning shortly past 10, however a collective time credit put them over the finish line at 8:49. RAAM granted each team a grieving time credit of 15 minutes following the announcement of Bob Breedlove's death. After notifying HQ, teams could take more time if they desired.
With over 50 years'-worth of collective medical experience and months of training in their legs, team spokesperson, Eric Heiden, called upon their job requirements as perhaps the best training for RAAM.
"Because so many of us were involved in ancillary treatments," explained Heiden, "we know what it's like to go through 5-7 days of sleep deprivation."
Eight-man Team Donate Life completed RAAM with a time of 6 days, 15 hours, 28 minutes
Getting IT Done: Team Insight Wins Corporate Category
By Wendy Booher
The problem with sponsoring your own race is entering your own team -- what if they don't win? Early this morning Team Insight hushed skeptics when they arrived in first place for the corporate category.
RAAM, a race characterized by constantly changing calculations, offered the team of protean IT professionals an outlet where to expend all that left-brain power. Dependent on terrain, Team Insight enlisted the best man for the job of "laying it all out on the road."
"Every pull was a time-trial," said newest team member Mark Chesney, "You always give whatever you can give. You don't want to have enough energy left over to say, 'I could have done better."
Earlier this week, Team Insight had two RAAM records in their crosshairs: an average speed record and the sub six-day transcont crossing record. Hindering factors of heat, humidity and the surprisingly nasty climbs of West Virginia might have deterred the team from achieving their goals. Team Insight missed the average speed record of 19.84 mph by a slim 24 mph. The team posted a transcontinental crossing time of 6 days, 11 hours, 33 minutes.
Today, Tuesday, June 28 looks to be crowded day here at the finish line in Atlantic City so keep watch over teams arriving throughout the day. Next up at 10 a.m. Team JDRF VeloKraft, followed by Team Inspiration GB at 10:18 and Team Donate Life at 10:23. -End-
New RAAM Record Set by ALS - Bacchetta
By Wendy Booher
Whenever a new RAAM category gets established, the winning team earns the distinction of setting a new RAAM record--even if it's the only team in the category. In a classic "Ford vs. Chevy" rivalry, this time two teams riding singular bikes from competing manufacturers entered the category for a four-person recumbent. Tonight at 20:37, Team ALS - Bacchetta became the record-setting team for the new RAAM category.
The team of Tim Woudenberg, Karta Purkh Atehortua, Phil Plath and John Schlitter of ALS - Bacchetta completed the 3051.7 miles of RAAM in 6 days, 3 hours, 26 minutes. Stay tuned, more to come about ALS - Bacchetta!
Swiss Power
By Wendy Booher
In the final 24 hours of RAAM, a strategically-timed "night attack" in the mountains of West Virginia launched Team IWC Schaffhausen from third place, three minutes down from The Kern Wheelmen - Advocare, into second place with a three hour lead. The Kern Wheelmen - Advocare fought hard to keep IWC Schaffhausen behind them but the Swiss team scanned ahead for an opportunity to overcome the Kern Wheelmen for once and for all.
"After 4,000 kilometers, we could still see them!" exclaimed IWC Schaffhausen Team Manager, Gunter Wagner. "We talked about how to use our performance, about how to use our resources to see how we could catch them on the last night in the Appalachians. We knew we were better on the climbs and we used this to our advantage."
Team IWC Schaffhausen crossed the finish line at 16:07 with a time of 5 days, 22 hours, 56 minutes.
Much Gusto from Mucho Gusto
By Chris Milliman
Every racer has his or her dark moment in the Insight Race Across America, it just depends when it's going to happen and how bad it will be. For Team Mucho Gusto, a four-man team from Denver, Colorado, that moment came midway through day three when one of its riders, Shannon Gillespie, suffered from heat exhaustion that required two trips to the hospital and 16 hours out of the race. But as with many RAAM stories, this one has a happy ending: all four members of Team Mucho Gusto crossed the finish line this afternoon in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Denver quartet stopped the clock at 6 days, 23 hours, and 13 minutes, good enough for seventh place in their division.
Team Mucho Gusto consisted of Chip Hassan, George Hagerman, Evan Zucker, and Gillespie. According to Hagerman, day three was the most challenging for reasons other than Gillespie's illness.
"Looking at the mileage, we were only a third of the way into the race," said Hagerman, "and we were already tired. Every rider seemed to have a bad spell, but they never happened at the same time and that was important."
Divisional standings
Women's Solo
Having pedaled 2517.8 so far, Anna Catharina Berg is nearly at the finishing stretch but before that, she still has to assail the mountains of West Virginia. Berg passed through Time Station 45 in Athens, Ohio at 16:23. Berg has 533.9 miles until the finish.
Men's Solo
With a large crowd gathered in front of Boardwalk Hall, Jurie Robic finished RAAM in 9 days, 8 hours and 48 minutes (Stay tuned for more on Jure Robic. Story to be distributed shortly). Today Fabio Biasolo passed off -no doubt reluctantly -second-place to Chris MacDonald. MacDonald passed through Time Station 51 in Hancock, Md. at 13:50 this afternoon. Two hours later Fabio Biasolo called from TS 51 15:47. From Hancock, Md. MacDonald and Biasolo each have 263.1 miles to go.
Two-person Mixed Division
Since yesterday, Team Endorphins has opened up a sizeable lead over Grupo Guapo. Team Endorphins passed through Time Station 44 in Laurelville, Ohio at 14:42. Trailing Endorphins by 5 hours, 15 minutes at Time Station 42 in Troy, Ohio. Grupo Guapo last called in from TS
43 in London, Ohio-625 miles from the finish--at 16:25.
Two-person Men's Division
Team Lower Austria-Krems just crossed the finish line and takes first place in the Two-person Men's Division. Team Crazy Gones stays steady in the second-place position. The Crazy Gones checked in last from Time Station 52 in Rouzerville, Pa. at 15:06. Crazy Gones have pedaled 2837.2 miles so far with 214.7 miles yet to go. Team 60+ hangs tough in third having reached Time Station 45 in Athens, Ohio at 15:08. Team 60+ has covered 2517.8 miles so far and 533.9 miles to go.
Four-person Mixed Division
Cheniere's Making Cancer History slipped over the finish line this afternoon at 14:08 with a time of 6 days, 20 hours, 57 minutes. In the number two spot, Landis Team Phoenix has just arrived at the finish line.
Four-person Women's Division
Roaring Fork Volvo B2B Divas just crossed the finish line.
Four-person Men's Division
With only one four-man team still on the road, bicycle traffic on Atlantic City's boardwalk became brisk within the last 24 hours. Swiss team IWC Schaffhausen wrapped up RAAM in second place June 27 at 16:07 with a time of 5 days, 22 hours, 56 minutes. (see story below) Third-place Kern Wheelmen - Advocare crossed the finish line at 21:17 June 27 with a time of 6 days, 4 hours, 6 minutes. Team Inspiration GB ended their RAAM campaign by crossing the finish at 10:03 today, posting a time of 6 days, 16 hours, 52 minutes. Webcor Builders Endurance Team arrived just shortly after noon at 12:47 with a time of 6 days, 19 hours, 36 minutes. Nearly back-to-back finishes brought in Team 3V at 15:23 with a time of 6 days, 22 hours, 12 minutes and Team Mucho Gusto at 16:24 with a time of 6 days, 23 hours, 13 minutes.
Four-person Recumbent
ALS-Bacchetta set a new RAAM record for a four-man recumbent team. ALS - Bacchetta arrived at the finish on June 27 at 20:37 and established a record for their transcont crossing of 6 days, 3 hours, 26 minutes. (story below) Category runner-up Team JDRF VeloKraft cruised across the finish today at 8:57 with a time of 6 days, 15 hours, 46 minutes.
Corporate Teams
Nearly right on schedule, Team Insight arrived to the finish in first place at 4:54 this morning. With a time of six days, 11 hours, 33 minutes, Team Insight rode a valiant race yet failed to achieve its record-setting goals for average speed and sub-six day transcont crossing. (see story below) Second-place Team Donate Life reached the finish a few hours later at 8:49 with a time of 6 days, 15 hours, 28 minutes. (see story below) In third position and closing in quickly on the finish, Team Vern's Inc. last called in from Times Station 52 in Rouzerville, Pa. at 14:45.
Chew's view: Day 8
Entering the beautiful, humid, green Appalachian Mountains, leader Robic's average speed has dropped below 14 mph, but he continues to pull away from the field as he has done the past week turning the 2005 RAAM into his own parade, and making another huge margin of victory race which has been the case since my 1999 win. Looking at the depth of the field this year, I thought it would have been a closer race, but Robic went out hard, and anybody who tried to match his pace paid the price. He rode 275 miles his 8th day giving him an eight day split of 2,674 miles. This is 152 miles less than he did last year, and 280 miles less than Pete Penseyres rode the first eight days of his 15.4 mph record. Each time a champion rider tries and fails to beat Pete's record; they get a deeper respect for it. Does RAAM need Lance Armstrong to get the job done?
At time station 47 in Smithburg, WV (with just 445 miles left to go), rookie sensation Chris MacDonald caught Fabio Biasiolo in the battle for 2nd place. Chris would like 2005 to be the third consecutive year in which a rookie grabs 2nd. Will Fabio's years of RAAM experience and having his wife and baby on his crew pay off or will Mac's huge crew and his more hours slept be the deciding factor? Eight hours behind them in 4th place is America's hope David Haase who hopes he can make it past the point in West Virginia where he dropped out last year 2,508 miles in. He was the 11th and final rider to DNF, and there are 11 DNFs so far this year. Three hours behind Haase is Achermann in 5th place, and six hours behind Achermann is Zeller in 6th place. Austrian Zeller is experiencing a crew meltdown. His crew chief told me that Zeller wants his girlfriend Manu in the follow/support vehicle at all times. As a result, she is exhausted and causing huge safety issues. The crew chief ordered her to sleep, but she would not. To complicate things, another female crew member has fallen in love with Zeller across the country. Achermann is hoping to finish after saddle sores ended his 2004 RAAM 1,120 miles in.
3.5 hours behind Zeller in 7th place is 18 year old Ben Couturier from Alaska. In Eastern Indiana, I jumped into his follow vehicle and his RV. What Ben is doing is nothing short of amazing! He never complains and has never wanted to drop out. I learned why he has the mental toughness of somebody a decade or two older. Ben's training partner Jeremiah Bell told me that showing up at the start of the Iditarod race in Alaska in the dead of winter with snow so deep that you have to push your bike for 75 miles - that sort of true hardship makes RAAM seem relatively easy to Ben. His REI boss and coach John Glidden doesn't believe in all liquid nutrition that nearly all other RAAM riders swear by. Having a cast iron stomach, Ben has been eating anything and everything all the way across the country. 10 time Kish Krew member Peter Moffett who likes to crunch RAAM numbers and stats is extremely knowledgeable. He is on the Couturier Crew.
Primarily a mountain bike rider, Ben bunny hopped railroad tracks and road kill for the first 2,000 miles. He did his first road race on a road bike he pulled out of a dumpster. His REI co-workers have nicknamed him Popeye because of his huge forearms from weightlifting. Weightlifting, hockey, and long sleep breaks have prevented Ben from getting Shermerneck. He is on a random sleep schedule. Within 30 seconds of cresting Wolf Creek Pass, his heart rate was down to 83. He had to wait the full 30 minutes for construction at the tunnel on the Wolf Creek Pass descent. He almost always talks with (ride side by side other RAAM riders for 15 minutes every 24 hours) other riders he catches or catch him. He has no rooftop speakers to blare music at him like most RAAM riders have. He talks to his girlfriend Shauna once a day. He has a "dog dish" bowl attached to his handlebars to eat out of. His sponsor Kona must be very proud of him. He is riding a Titan Flex bike. He hit 60 mph on a descent near Mexican Hat, UT.
Glidden said Ben did no 24 hour rides before RAAM this year. He only did two "12 hour" rides, but they were two 6 hour rides separated by a 2 hour break. He slept in a hypobaric tent on half the days in May. It can simulate up to 12,000 feet altitude, but Ben mostly used 5-7,000 feet altitude. Ben's parents are both on his crew. Ben's mother Brenda told me she is more stressed out when Ben's out in the Alaskan wilderness by himself without communication, than on RAAM now. Ben's father Mike has climbed Mt. McKinley. He thinks the experiences a person has in their lives more so determines how they can handle extreme sports like RAAM rather than what the calendar says their biological age is. Although he is only 18, Ben has suffered and endured more than most extreme athletes twice his age.
Time station 42 in Troy, OH (one of the best) is manned by two time solo RAAM finisher Matt Bond. Matt told me that 23 out the 57 time stations are manned. I was fortunate to observe a huge Couturier Family Reunion there. Ben's 4 grandparents from Toledo were there: Mike's parents Al & Eileen, and Brenda's parents Norm & Carol. Mike's brother Joe and Mike's sister Madonna were also there. Shortly after Ben stopped at the time station in Troy, a heavy thunderstorm opened up, so well all (including Ben) stood under the gas station roof in a party-like atmosphere.
Five hours behind Couturier in 8th place, Cat Berge under veteran crew chief Lee Mitchell is making all women cyclists proud as she is filling the void in the women's race since Cassie Lowe last finished back in 2001. The oldest man left in the race, 48 year old Austrian police detective Karl Traunmueller is in 11th place. He hopes to finish his 2nd RAAM. He finished in 1994, which was my rookie RAAM. His 11 year gap may be the longest in RAAM history.
Mark Metcalfe (similar to Jeff Bubba Stephens finishing the 2001 RAAM unofficially) in 14th place is making all the common man, slightly overweight, JMO Challenge, Randonneer riders very proud. He designed and built the house he and his family have lived in since 1987 in Duncanville, TX. Riders like Mark and Jeff prove that ordinary men can indeed achieve extraordinary results. Who is to say that they finishing RAAM is not as tough or tougher than a fitter person like Robic winning RAAM?
A former couch potato until age 37, Texas triathlete Tom Rodgers is in 15th (last) place. At time station 34 in Marthasville, MO, he arrived 2 days, 18 hours after leader Robic. Although he is well under the 10.52 mph minimum average speed, the multisport endurance coach may want to finish so badly that he continues on unofficially. Not counting any time credit he receives from stopping for the Breedlove accident, he has until 11:30am on Tuesday morning to make it to time station 40 in Indianapolis - three quarters of the way into the race.
I was surprised that nobody dropped out. There are still 15 out of 26 solo riders heading towards Atlantic City.
Team RAAM
On Monday morning, Team Beaver Creek - Vail won team RAAM beating out 25 other teams. Leading from start to finish, BC - V outclassed their 4 person team competition finishing in 5 Days, 18 Hours, 15 Minutes. Their average speed of 22.07 mph is nearly 1 mph slower than the record, and 0.61 mph slower than Team Vail - Go Fast last year, but this year's race was longer, hotter, had more climbing, and worse South winds in Kansas than last year. In the battle for 2nd place, 1WC Schaffhausen increased their lead over Joe Petersen's Kern Wheelmen boys all the way to Atlantic City finishing over 5 hours ahead of Kern and 4.5 hours behind BC - V.
In the 4 person HPV (recumbent) division, ALS finished fast doing the last time station to Atlantic City at over 23 mph, moving them up to 3rd place overall among the teams. They beat their competition JDRF by over 12 hours. In the 4 person mixed division, Cheniere's has stretched their lead over Landis Team Phoenix by over 4 hours.
In the 2 person division, Lower Austria - City of Krems is still beating Crazy Gones by over 8 hours. 60+ is still in 3rd place and ahead of Wisconsin.
In the 2 person mixed division, Endorphins have caught and passed Grupo Guapo in Missouri before the Mississippi River. By Indianapolis, Endophins had opened up a three hour lead over GG.
In the 8 person corporate challenge division, Insight has finished 5th overall among all the teams, and first place in their division beating Donate Life by 4 hours.
Standings
Men's Solo 1 Jure' Robic 3051.7 9.08.48 (13.58mph) 2 Christopher MacDonald 2941.6 9.17.37 (12.59mph) 3 Fabio Biasiolo 2873.0 9.14.03 (12.49mph) 4 David Haase 2788.6 9.14.15 (12.11mph) 5 Pius Achermann 2744.7 9.16.07 (11.82mph) 6 Valentin Zeller 2744.7 9.16.42 (11.80mph) 7 Benjamin Couturier 2653.5 9.14.05 (11.53mph) 8 Chris Hopkinson 2558.5 9.15.02 (11.07mph) 9 Alexander Gepp 2558.5 9.17.17 (10.97mph) 10 Ben Robinson 2517.8 9.14.14 (10.94mph) 11 Karl Traunmueller 2517.8 9.14.42 (10.91mph) 12 Jim Trout 2476.9 9.11.58 (10.87mph) 13 Mark Metcalfe 2426.7 9.09.30 (10.76mph) DNF Mike Trevino (Medical) 2209.5 6.21.11 (13.38mph) DNF T. Rodgers (Missed Cutoff) 2109.7 8.23.44 (9.78mph) DNF Marko Baloh (Medical) 1634.8 5.02.32 (13.34mph) DNF Pat Autissier (Exhaustion) 1634.8 6.14.27 (10.32mph) DNF A. Colo' (Medical) 1457.7 5.09.12 (11.28mph) DNF Bob Breedlove (Accident) 1047.0 3.22.17 (11.10mph) DNF Rob Kish (Medical) 1047.0 4.05.16 (10.34mph) DNF Kevin Walsh (Medical) 941.7 4.06.04 (9.23mph) DNF Urs Koenig (Medical) 824.9 2.23.40 (11.51mph) DNF R. Arap (Missed cutoff) 635.2 2.06.17 (11.70mph) DNF John D'Elia (Exhaustion) 450.3 2.00.44 (9.24mph) DNF Dave Kees (Medical) 340.4 1.00.31 (13.88mph) Women's Solo 1 Anna Catharina Berge 2558.5 9.09.37 (11.34mph) Two Person Male 1 Team Lower Austria-Krems 3051.7 7.01.17 (18.03mph) 2 Crazy Gones 2986.9 7.07.35 (17.01mph) 3 Team 60+ 2653.5 7.08.04 (15.07mph) 4 Team Wisconsin 2374.5 7.10.19 (13.32mph) DNF Citta' Della (Medical) 1047.0 3.11.08 (12.59mph) Two Person Mixed 1 Team Endorphins 2607.2 7.07.31 (14.85mph) 2 Grupo Guapo 2558.5 7.09.29 (14.42mph) DNF Free Riders (Logistics) 1305.5 3.23.31 (13.67mph) Four Person Male 1 Beaver Creek Team-Vail 3051.7 5.18.15 (22.07mph) 2 Team Schaffhausen 3051.7 5.22.56 (21.35mph) 3 Kern Wheelmen / Advocare 3051.7 6.04.06 (20.61mph) 4 Team Inspiration GB 3051.7 6.16.52 (18.97mph) 5 Webcor Builders Endurance 3051.7 6.19.36 (18.65mph) 6 Team 3V 3051.7 6.22.12 (18.36mph) 7 Mucho Gusto Team 3051.7 6.23.13 (18.25mph) 8 Team Give Life 2986.9 7.09.38 (16.81mph) Four Person Female 1 Roaring Fork Volvo B2B Divas 3051.7 7.00.42 (18.09mph) Four Person Mixed 1 Team Cheniere's 3051.7 6.20.57 (18.50mph) 2 Landis Team Phoenix 3051.7 6.23.27 (18.22mph) Four Person HPV 1 ALS-Bacchetta 3051.7 6.03.26 (20.70mph) 2 Team JDRF VeloKraft 3051.7 6.15.46 (19.10mph) Corporate Challenge 1 Team Insight 3051.7 6.11.33 (19.62mph) 2 Team Donate Life 3051.7 6.15.28 (19.14mph) 3 The Vern's Inc. Team 3051.7 7.10.05 (17.14mph) 4 Team Dry Heat 2941.6 7.08.43 (16.65mph) 24 Hour Corporate Challenge 1 Clif Bar Team 492.8 0.23.23 (21.07mph) 2 Swami's/Raceplan 492.8 1.01.26 (19.38mph) 3 Kaiser Permanente R2R 492.8 1.02.35 (18.54mph) 4 JMI Rookies 492.8 1.05.46 (16.56mph) 5 Team Bicycling San Diego 492.8 1.05.52 (16.50mph)
