Robic wins RAAM for the third time
This report filed June 19, 2007
After 3042 miles, Jure Robic of Slovenia has reached Atlantic City, New Jersey to win the 26th Annual Race Across America. In doing his 8 day, 19 hours and 33 minutes ride from Oceanside, California, Robic averaged 14.38 mph, crossing 12 states and cranking up more than 110,000 feet of climbing.
So, how many miles did you ride this week?
Robic, not known for being verbose, was extra quiet on the podium - understandable, spending something like 190 hours on a bike saddle, over the last nine days, can do that to people.
“RAAM is not a bike race,” Robic said in a fit of verbosity. “This is war.”
It’s a fitting quote for a Slovenian army major.
About four hours later, Austrian Wolfgang Fasching rode onto the Atlantic City Boardwalk to take second, with a time of 8 days 23 hours, 20 minutes and 20 seconds. Fasching one of the most popular riders in RAAM history, held onto second despite developing his first ever case of “Shermer’s Neck.” On the podium Fasching admitted he had considered dropping out.
“When my neck muscles failed I had doubts,” he said. “Then I think to myself, ‘My name is Wolfgang Fashcing,’ and I don’t quit.”
Close behind in third was another Austrian, Gerhard Gulewicz, due to arrive in front of the Trump Plaza Hotel in Atlantic City later Tuesday afternoon, with fourth place Daniel Wyss of Switzerland estimated to arrive another two or so hours after Gulewicz.
Future editions of RAAM now rest in the hands of riders such as Gulewicz, Wyss and the others still on the road behind them. For Robic and Fasching have both declared that 2007 will be their final RAAM.
With 41-year-old Robic now joining 39-year-old Fasching as a three-time winner, the baton is being passed to the younger riders. Or is it?
Over the history of RAAM more than one rider has declared that his or her RAAM career is over, only to return.
One rider who for days has been riding her heart out in a quest to complete her first RAAM is Kerry White. Since Kansas she had been the lone woman left in the field. But White, too, had been in danger of being pulled from the race. Fate finally caught up to her Tuesday morning when she reached the Marshall, Illinois, time station, well beyond the cut-off time.
With the front four men’s positions all but set, and the women’s field having been eliminated, it would be easy to call this year’s RAAM complete. But it is still far from over for the 20 solo men still on route.
Fifth and sixth place is still being fought over by Hungary’s Atilla Kaldy and Australian Richard Vollebregt, with only an hour separating the two in Smithburg West Virginia. Solidly in seventh is top American, Jeff Oatley.
There’s a race within a race too, as the ninth place Claudio Oliviera and 11th place Julio Paterlini race to be the first Brazilian to finish RAAM.
Brazilian Julio Paterlini is slightly past the two-thirds mark on the way to Atlantic City. While finishing is certainly a goal for the 41-year-old bike shop owner, his primary aim is to become the first Brazilian to do so. There is more than just the mileage between him and that goal. There’s also fellow Brazilian Claudio Oliviera. Earlier on Monday, just one time station separated the two. In RAAM, that kind of distance can disappear overnight.
By Vic Armijo
Categories: News, Races
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Although the top RAAM riders certainly give it their all and do plenty of suffering, I think the riders toward the back are then ones that truly give it all they have. They often have full time jobs and are just trying to be one of the few that make it to the finish line. They also suffer for an extra few days.
Unfortunately I believe several riders that are near the back won’t make it to Atlantic City in time. Their average speed is currently close to the minimum required and they still have the tough hills of West Virginia.