Update: The leading solo men in the Race Across America plowed across Ohio on Wednesday at times within sight of each other as they prepared to enter mountainous West Virginia.
After Jure Robic and Dani Wyss passed through the Chillicothe time station at the same time, a punctured tire briefly sidelined Robic who was passed by Wyss. According to the time station splits in Athens, Robic arrived 3 minutes ahead of Wyss.
With Robic's 60 minutes of accumulated penalities, however, the Slovenian is actually in second place with less than 450 miles to go.
The two left Oceanside, California, a week ago for the 3,100 cross-country trek to Annapolis, Maryland. The Athens time station is 2,575 miles into the race; Robic and Wyss are bicycling at a 15.3 mph hour around-the-clock average.
Penalties
Robic's penalties might be his undoing. According to the RAAM website, he was dinged 30 minutes on Tuesday for failing to return to the departure point after making a wrong turn. He had earlier been penalized 15 minutes each for “inappropriate behavior at the tart” and “passing at night on a freeway without use of an exit ramp.”
Robic will have to serve his 1-hour penalty at time station 51 in Mt. Airy, Maryland, about 60 miles from the end of the race.
Robic won RAAM in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Wyss won in 2006.
The two are expected to arrive at City Dock in Annapolis about 6 or 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Women's race
Meanwhile, the women's solo race is tight too. Janet Christiansen of San Diego arrived at the Greenville, Illinois, time station 30 minutes ahead of Daniela Figueiredo Genovesi of Brazil. They have a little more than 900 miles to go to sort things out by the finish.
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