(Update: How RAAM cyclists are different than the rest of us, June 17, 2006; RAAM cyclists roll to the finish, June 22, 2006)
Now that you've congratulated yourself on a satisfying 45-mile weekend bicycle ride, read this: At 9 o'clock Sunday morning 35 solo cyclists left Oceanside, California, for a 3,052-mile cross-country ride that they hope to finish in 8 or 9 days in Atlantic City.
The Race Across America (RAAM) — billed as the world's toughest bicycling endurance event — hit the road Sunday for the 25th time. Lon Haldeman won the first race against three other bicyclists; now he's the chief race official.
This year, the cyclists riding solo or in teams will battle a variety heat, rain, wind, and more than 110,000 feet of climbing. They'll cover terrain from 170 feet below sea level in Mecca, California, to 10,550 feet at Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado. They'll also face their inner demons as they suffer sleep deprivation to continue racing across 14 states.
The solo record for RAAM was set way back in 1986 by Pete Penseyres, who finished the 3,107-mile course in 8 days and 9 hours, at an average speed of 15.4 mph. His quote: “Stay on the bike. A steady pace wins the race.”
Seanna Hogan set the women's record in 1995, averaging 13.2 mph.
Last year's winner, Jore Robic of Slovenia, is back again this year, looking for his third RAAM victory. Penseyres has returned this year as well, riding in the corporate division.
Also back in the saddle is American cycling icon Jonathan Boyer, the first US cyclist to ever compete in the Tour de France in 1981; in 1985 the Carmel, California resident won RAAM. Now 50, Boyer returned to cycling in 2004 after he was released from jail for child molestation. He's competing in RAAM's new enduro division, which requires cyclists to get off the bike for 4 hours a day.
With a variety of solo events, team events, corporate challenge events, RAAM counts 35 solo cyclists, 126 cyclists on teams, and 27 24-hour competitors. They come from 22 states and 15 countries.
After leaving Oceanside, they'll visit Lake Henshaw, Salton City and Blythe, California. Then they pass through Monument Valley in Arizona and Durango, Colorado. They pass through the Great Plains before hitting Kansas City, St. Louis and Indianapolis, then past Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the way to the Atlanic City boardwalk. See the RAAM map.
You can check the leader's position by division at the official RAAM website. Also, NBC is expected to air a broadcast on the race later in 2006.
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