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Race Across America - NE
USA, June 19-July 1, 2005
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Day 8 - June 26
Team 60+ - far from worn out
Hackneyed, worn-out, "old" story lines seem to cling to two-man Team 60+.
"Two guys, both 60 years old, reinvigorated by bicycling decide to do something wacky and so they enter RAAM."
But get this, Daniel Crain and Fred Boethling, started riding bikes before there was an Interstate system, before there was "mountain biking," and before Europeans would even let an American race in one of their races. Of course they were both kids at the time and not long after, bike riding faded from their lives while they pursued careers and families.
Crain and Boethling each renewed their interest in cycling in the mid 90s and since then they have built impressive resumes with many victories for ultra-distance cycling.
"Although ultra-distance cycling is a sort of craziness," said Crain, "it's what keeps me sane."
With a nod toward Lance Armstrong's success in beating cancer, both racers cite Armstrong as their greatest influence. A cancer survivor himself, Boethling crafted an energetic bio for the RAAM website that gives readers the impression that this guy has gotten a new lease on life.
Given their ages, Cain and Boethling possess the mental strength to overcome their years and the cache to prove that clichés apply: "Life is an adventure…Life is short, don't waste it, live well…live every day as though it were your last, but take time to smell the roses…be all you can be…leave the world a better place."
Unavailable for comment by phone, at time of release Team 60+ last checked in from Time Station #30 at Fort Scott, Kansas at 9:28 EST. So far they have covered 1693.9 miles with 1357.8 left to go.
NEWS ALERT - Trevino Withdraws from RAAM
PUTNAMVILLE, Indiana (10:47 a.m. EST, June 26, 2005) Second-place solo racer, Mike Trevino, announced his withdrawal from RAAM this morning. According to information on his website, Trevino fell off his bike around 8:30 a.m. EST and separated his shoulder.
"He was looking back for just a second and hit a little bump that took him down," explained a member of Trevino's crew. "We talked about continuing but he would've had to ride with one arm the rest of the way and that's just not safe."
RAAM rules also prohibit riders from taking any kind of pain medication and with the pain quickly on its way to becoming unbearable, Trevino and crew decided that it wouldn't make sense to continue.
With Trevino out of the runner-up position, Fabio Biasolo--who has established a high approval rating with the RAAM staff--moves into second place with Chris MacDonald in third.
Inside RAAM HQ
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. Each year RAAM staffers get to rediscover that there is culture in kitsch as only can be found on the Jersey Shore. Atlantic City shamelessly permits us such modern sins as gambling, eating fried dough (oy the carbs!) and sunbathing. To be missed when we return home: the "ring-ding" of slot machines, the right to call Caesar's "home" for a week, and last year's patina from a week's-worth of peanut shells, which fluttered--like snow--down on the carpet of nerve central here inside Boardwalk Hall. Why come to Atlantic City if not to experience its charms?
Staffers smartly evolved last year's HQ diet of boardwalk peanuts and saltwater taffy into a more sensible diet of muffins, dry roasted peanuts and award-winning bottled water from the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority. Based on taste tests, we believe the award may have been for the "wettest" water.
HQ's 24/7 schedule is sustained each year by a group of hard-working individuals who arrive from points across the nation to assist in the non-stop mission of producing RAAM. As teams start to arrive sleep becomes harder to get but after witnessing a solo rider who hasn't slept more than 90 minutes in a 24-hour period, the need for sleep becomes relative.
Since arriving in Atlantic City, staffers had been warned about a boxing match to take place Saturday night between hometown favorite, Arturo Gatti and #1-ranked, Floyd Mayweather. Staffers had been told that this would be a "big" fight. Sold out with security tighter than the strings on Serena Williams' tennis racket, just how "big" this fight was became clear when "The Donald" walked through the lobby on his way to (presumably) ringside seats. Those of us who desired it could slip into the fight just in time to see the homegrown Gatti get the pulp beaten out of him by Mayweather in six rounds.
Locals roll their eyes at the disdainful remarks by elitist visitors--as if Atlantic City begs for such snobbery! But where else could RAAM end than in a city that's active 24/7--just like RAAM--that really is "Always turned on!"
Divisional Update
Women's Solo
Anna Catharina Berg: A seemingly upbeat Berg hangs in 8th place overall in the solo category. She last reported in from Times Station #35 at the Mississippi River at 15:40. With more than 2/3s of RAAM, or 2012.2 miles behind her, Berg has 1039.5 miles to go
Men's Solo
At more than 15 hours in the lead of the Men's Solo category, only something completely unexpected could wrest first place from Jure Robic. Robic last reported in from Time Station #44 in Laurelville, Ohio at 15:22. There are 574.8 miles still to go for Robic until the finish line in Atlantic City. The announcement that second-place Mike Trevino would withdraw from the race came into HQ at 11 this morning. News came that a separated shoulder forced Trevino to end his race. With Trevino out, Fabio Biasolo moves up a spot into second place. Biasolo checked in from Time Station #40 in Indianapolis, Indiana at 12:36 having ridden 2257 miles so far with 794.7 miles to go. New to third place and only hours behind Biasolo, Chris MacDonald passed through Indianapolis at 15:22.
Two-person Mixed Division
Now down to two teams, Grupo Guapo manages to stay at least one Time Station ahead of Team Endorphins. Grupo Guapo reached Time Station #32 in Camdenton, Missouri at 17:28. Iva Hradilova and John Wagoner of Grupo Guapo have ridden 1809.6 miles with 1242.1 miles to go. Team Endorphins passed through Time Station #31 in Collins, Missouri at 15:16. Team Endorphins has put behind them 1755.9 miles with 1295.8 miles still to come.
Two-person Men's Division
In first place, Team Lower Austria-Krems reported in from Time Station #39 in Putnamville, Indiana at 16:35. So far the team has gone 2209.5 miles with 842.2 to go. The plucky French team, Crazy Gones, checked in last from Time Station #36 in Greenville, Illinois at 15:11. Crazy Gones have pedaled 2058.3 miles so far with 993.4 yet to come. Daniel Crain and Fred Boethling of Team 60+ stay safely in third place having ridden already 1809.6 miles with 1242.1 to go. Team 60+ passed through Time Station #32, Camdenton, Missouri at 16:28.
Four-person Mixed Division
Cheniere's Making Cancer History continues to grow a lead over second-place Landis Team Phoenix. Making Cancer History called in from Times Staion #40 in Indianapolis, Indiana at 17:40. Trailing by a little over an hour, Landis Team Phoenix checked in at Indianapolis at 18:29.
Four-person Women's Division
Roaring Fork Volvo B2B Divas, The Divas are successfully raising their speed and lowering their time in a race against themselves. The Divas have roughly two more days of riding until they reach the finish line. The team checked in this afternoon at 16:00 from Time Station #38 in Marshall, Illinois.
Four-person Men's Division
Finish line preparations are underway to welcome in first team, Beaver Creek-Vail, scheduled to arrive Monday morning at about 7:30. Currently stomping their pedals on the mountains of West Virginia, Beaver Creek - Vail checked in from Times Station #49 in Gormania, WV at 17:20. Team IWC Schaffhausen has succeeded in bridging a 35 minute gap behind Team Kern Wheelmen-Advocare to just three minutes! At Time Station #47 in Smithburg, WV. the Kern Wheelmen - Advocare called in at 17:28 and IWC Schaffhausen at 17:31. Stay tuned!
Four-person Recumbent
Team ALS-Bacchetta seems to be speeding things up as it was reported this afternoon that the team had indeed increased its speed as it headed into the final third of RAAM. With an average pace of 21.24 mph, ALS - Bacchetta passed through Time Station #45 in Athens, Ohio at 15:45. Behind them, Team JDRF VeloKraft checked in from Time Station #41 in Cambridge City, Indiana at 15:32.
Corporate Teams
Safely in the lead of the Corporate Category, Team Insight continues to ride a record-setting pace of 20.03 mph, Team Insight last checked in from Time Station #42 in Troy, Ohio at 15:53. So far Team Insight has covered 2374.5 miles with 677.2 left to go. In the runner-up position, Team Donate Life called in from TS 41 in Cambridge City, Indiana at 17:14. Team Vern's Inc. continues to hold a lead over Team Dry Heat. Team Vern's Inc. last called in from Times Station #36 in Greenville, Illinois at 15:00.
Chew's view
The gap between leader Jure Robic, and the other top riders has gotten so big (over 12 hours) that the film crew and I can no longer drive to the front of the pack to shoot Robic, and then go back to shoot the other top riders in one day. This is partly because we get slowed down visiting the manned time station volunteers. Very early on Sunday morning before daybreak, we shot Mike Trevino and Fabio Biasiolo on US Rt. 40 in Western Indiana. As we went back to our motel room to get some much needed sleep, 2nd place rider Mike Trevino crashed and separated his shoulder. His tired crew (only 5 people with a minivan and a full sized van getting not much more sleep than his 15 minute cat naps) took him to a motel near the Indianapolis Airport. They then drove him back out onto the route where he crashed, but he would have had to have ridden the last 800 miles using only one arm which he felt was too unsafe to continue, so he dropped out. He probably would have finished 2nd to Robic again like he did last year if not for his accident. My film crew guys got a terrific interview with Mike from his motel before he flew back home to San Diego. He said his saddle sores were much worse this year because it was so much hotter. I got to thinking that he could sleep a full two days in Indianapolis, and still have a full three days to ride the last 800 miles into Atlantic City as an official finisher. Mike will be watching closely to see how David Haase does.
With Trevino's departure, everybody except Robic moved up a place. Fabio found himself in 2nd place, which would be his best RAAM finish ever if his previous kidney problems don't resurface. Rookie Chris MacDonald and his huge crew are in 3rd. We pulled into a time station thinking there were many riders around only to learn that all 4 vehicles belonged to Chris. 4th place David Haase became the top American unless you consider Denmark's MacDonald who lives in Washington State. 18 year old Ben Couturier is in 7th place, and Cat Berge in 8th. When Ben finishes he will send out a strong message to today's youth who would rather do things virtually on the Internet.
Falling behind the 10.52 mph minimum speed to officially finish RAAM, Patrick Autissier arrived at time station 29 (1,417 miles) in last place with a speed of 10.32 mph. Soon afterwards, the scientist with so many electrodes attached to his chest (to record all sorts of data posted on his website) dropped out from exhaustion. He was no longer willing to have his body be a guinea pig in the world's toughest experiment.
Robic rode 301 miles his 7th day giving him a one-week split of 2,399 miles. This is 91 miles less than he did last year, and 226 miles less than Pete Penseyres rode the first seven days of his 15.4 mph record.
15 out of 26 solo riders continue pedaling towards Atlantic City.
Team RAAM
Beaver Creek - Vail will most likely win team RAAM this year. In the battle for 2nd place, in the Appalachian Mountains, 1WC Schaffhausen have caught and passed Joe Petersen's Kern Wheelmen boys between Grafton and Gormania, WV. BC-V rode 485 miles on their 5th day giving them a 5 day total of 2,695 miles.
In the 4 person HPV (recumbent) division, ALS is still 4th overall among the teams, and leading their competition JDRF by 12 hours. In the 4 person mixed division, Cheniere's is leading Landis Team Phoenix by over 90 minutes.
In the 2 person division, Lower Austria - City of Krems is still beating Crazy Gones by over 7 hours. 60+ is still in 3rd place and ahead of Wisconsin.
In the 2 person mixed division, Endorphins have brought a once over two hour gap down to 49 minutes in their attempt to catch Grupo Guapo.
In the 8 person corporate challenge division, Insight is still 5th overall, and leading their competition Donate Life by 7.5 hours. Their average speed has dropped to 19.98 mph, and they will have to work very hard to break the speed record.
Standings
Men's Solo 1 Jure' Robic 2558.5 7.12.30 (14.17mph) 2 Fabio Biasiolo 2374.5 7.12.02 (13.19mph) 3 Christopher MacDonald 2374.5 7.15.57 (12.91mph) 4 David Haase 2257.0 7.10.19 (12.66mph) 5 Pius Achermann 2257.0 7.14.19 (12.38mph) 6 Valentin Zeller 2209.5 7.15.45 (13.38mph) 7 Benjamin Couturier 2159.9 7.16.15 (12.02mph) 8 Chris Hopkinson 2058.3 7.12.27 (11.72mph) 9 Karl Traunmueller 2012.2 7.13.38 (11.41mph) 10 Alexander Gepp 2012.2 7.13.54 (11.08mph) 11 Ben Robinson 2012.2 7.15.12 (11.06mph) 12 Jim Trout 1943.1 7.08.23 (10.98mph) 13 Mark Metcalfe 1943.1 7.10.16 (11.02mph) 14 Thomas Rodgers 1809.6 7.10.29 (10.90mph) DNF Mike Trevino (Medical) 2209.5 6.21.11 (10.14mph) 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' 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 2058.3 7.09.40 (11.59mph) Two Person Male 1 Team Lower Austria-Krems 2374.5 5.08.38 (18.46mph) 2 Crazy Gones 2159.9 5.03.53 (17.43mph) 3 Team 60+ 1943.1 5.07.46 (15.21mph) 4 Team Wisconsin 1755.9 5.07.31 (13.77mph) DNF Citta' Della (Medical) 1047.0 3.11.08 (12.59mph) Two Person Mixed 1 Grupo Guapo 1866.8 5.04.24 (15.01mph) 2 Team Endorphins 1866.8 5.05.13 (14.91mph) DNF Free Riders (Logistics) 1305.5 3.23.31 (13.67mph) Four Person Male 1 Beaver Creek Team-Vail 2873.0 5.09.14 (22.23mph) 2 Team Schaffhausen 2744.7 5.07.50 (21.47mph) 3 Kern Wheelmen / Advocare 2653.5 5.02.47 (21.61mph) 4 Team Inspiration GB 2476.9 5.08.57 (19.21mph) 5 Webcor Builders Endurance 2426.7 5.08.18 (18.91mph) 6 Team 3V 2374.5 5.08.04 (18.54mph) 7 Mucho Gusto Team 2374.5 5.09.06 (18.39mph) 8 Team Give Life 2209.5 5.07.41 (17.30mph) Four Person Female 1 Roaring Fork Volvo B2B Divas 2311.2 5.07.06 (18.18mph) Four Person Mixed 1 Team Cheniere's 2426.7 5.08.55 (18.82mph) 2 Landis Team Phoenix 2374.5 5.07.41 (18.60mph) Four Person HPV 1 ALS-Bacchetta 2698.4 5.08.31 (21.00mph) 2 Team JDRF VeloKraft 2426.7 5.04.04 (19.56mph) Corporate Challenge 1 Team Insight 2558.5 5.08.03 (19.98mph) 2 Team Donate Life 2426.7 5.05.49 (19.29mph) 3 The Vern's Inc. Team 2257.0 5.09.15 (17.46mph) 4 Team Dry Heat 2209.5 5.09.04 (17.12mph) 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)
