Jure Robic, the 45-year-old Slovenian who could ride his bicycle across the US faster than anyone, died near his home on Friday while riding his bicycle.
The ultracyclist reportedly was riding down a narrow mountain road when he collided with a car heading the other direction on a curve. He died at the scene.
CyclingNews.com reported that he was training for the Crocodile Trophy mountain bike race coming up in Australia.
Robic's name is well-known in many small towns spread across the heartland of the US. That's where he scorched the highways at the head of the solo field many times in the Race Across America (RAAM) bike races.
Robic won the ultra-endurance bike race five times in the past seven years — 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010. He dropped out with less than 100 miles to go in 2009 in protest of accumulated penalties that would have given him second place.
Essentially, one of the keys to winning RAAM is to keep your butt in the saddle. Robic was amazing in that role, as he slept a total of 8 hours over 8 days as he won his first RAAM in 2004.
Robic also set a 24-hour road record in 2004 by cycling 518 miles. During his cycling career, he notched more than 100 victories and 150 podium appearances.
More about Robic at UltraRob.com.
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