Road Cycling - Race Across America

Every year since 1982 there has been a Race Across America (RAAM). It is a grueling race comparable to the Tour de France though it only takes roughly ten days to complete. It starts this year on June 20 in San Diego, CA and ends in Atlantic City. It is truly an international race. Most riders race solo with support teams. There are two person and four man teams also. One of the solo riders is described in VeloNews as follows: “Another debutant is an American Andy Lapkass. Simply an amazing human. Andy has reached the Mt. Everest summit three times and climbed more mountains than most people can name. Overcoming bilateral transmetatarsal amputations due to severe frostbite, he rode 777 km (483 mi) in 24 hours on a stationary bike”.
This year the Insight Race Across America has dedicated the race to the retired US Marine Corporal, James Penseyres who is a left below the knee amputee from injuries suffered in the Vietnam. I think every amputee or biker would be inspired by the profile provided in the following URL. It is a Must Read.
http://www.ultracycling.com/about/jpenseyres_profile.html
I too am a left below the knee amputee from an auto accident in June of 1981 but I still love to ride the bicycle in my eighty third year of life.

The thing that makes RAAM not so appealing to me is that it seems like an exercise in sleep deprivation as much as a bicycle race. It would be nice if they threw in a mandatory off the bike duration for each day.

This year the Insight Race Across America has dedicated the race to the retired US Marine Corporal, James Penseyres...
Any relation to Pete Penseyres who won the RAAM a few times? :beer:
http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam2003/press2003/2003dedicatee1.htm

The thing that makes RAAM not so appealing to me is that it seems like an exercise in sleep deprivation as much as a bicycle race. It would be nice if they threw in a mandatory off the bike duration for each day.
It's a matter of taste, so I won't try to convince anyone, but I think a race which puts as few limits as possible on the riders is far more pure.

In re: RAAM and sleep.

Does anybody remember 15 or so years ago when Jonathan "Jacques" Boyer did the RAAM and treated it as a stage race, rather than an ultra enduro?

He crushed his competitors.

I think that was the same year that Lon Haldemann's team had the TV crews turn on all their lights outside his RV. He had gotten about 20 minutes of sleep and they woke him and told him he'd had 8 hours and now it's daylight, so get going! Poor guy rode off bleary eyed into the night and was too far gone to even notice it was still dark.

In re: RAAM and sleep.

Does anybody remember 15 or so years ago when Jonathan "Jacques" Boyer did the RAAM and treated it as a stage race, rather than an ultra enduro?

He crushed his competitors.



Yes, I remember how cocky Boyer was and how insulted Penseyres was by his cockiness. Boyer's attitude was " RAAM riders aren't serious athletes like TDF riders are".

And BTW, I'm pretty sure James Penseyres is Pete's brother.

Yes, I remember how cocky Boyer was and how insulted Penseyres was by his cockiness. Boyer's attitude was " RAAM riders aren't serious athletes like TDF riders are."

Oh you hit the nail on the head, he was such a prick!

It's so long ago, but I remember the tension between Boyer and the whole rest of the RAAM traditionalist field. The TV coverage exploited it too.

I can still see him, after his day's stint on the bike, getting massage and acupuncture; cut to a rider weaving along, half dead, out on the highway in the middle of the night; back to Boyer sleeping like a baby, then getting up in the morning fresh as a daisy like he was just going to a regular job. And the fact that he was winning -exactly like he said he would...

He was a perfect sports-villian. For me as a kid, that race had everything: underdog good-guys, a seemingly invincible bad guy, our huge wide open country and bicycles. I can't believe I haven't followed it in so long, I'm definitely going to check back in this year!

Yeah, that was exciting. It seems to me that Penseyres came back the next year and beat Boyer's time for some much needed vindication.

The first RAAM was actually called GABR (Great American Bike Race), if my memory serves me.

To answer some question: Yes Jim Penseyres is the brother of Pete Penseyres who still holds the record of the fastest solo winner. Also Pete is the one who introduced real science into the race. He is an engineer by profession. He used areo handle bars and used a method of sleep scheduling that left him fresh as a daisy at the end of the race. Well maybe not quite. LOL. He went to bed an hour or two before sun rise. His wife watched his closed eyes and when he had finished his first REM she awoke him. That along with the stimulus of the bright sun rise made him feel like he had had adaquate sleep. He had the support of all kinds of health experts and a good technical background of his own.

And Boyers in jail now is'nt he?

I recently interviewed last year's winner Allen Larsen. Real nice guy and I'm pulling for him again this year. http://www.allenacrossamerica.com/

Steve

I think the RAAM race is much more mental than the TDF, that is why some of the people who do well are a little older than the normal bike racer.

The race is almost done, just a few riders still out
http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam2004/raceinformation.htm
Check out some of the avarge speeds

What happened with Russ Goodwin? His crew left??!!!

Yea, I dont know the story behind that. That's got to be ruff.

I recently interviewed last year's winner Allen Larsen. Real nice guy and I'm pulling for him again this year. http://www.allenacrossamerica.com/

Steve

Unfortunately Alan dropped out before it began, I have met him also, he is an extremely nice fellow.