RAAM 2009 has started, as most of you know I withdrew because of lack of sponsorship, but have already signed up for 2010.
The leaders have just gone through time station 3 at 232 miles in a couple of minutes over 11 hours, so are averaging 21mph. The Brits in the pack are Richard Newey averaging 18.57 at the second time station (143 miles) and Jim Rees, who is a veteran of RAAM and a top bloke is averaging 17.33 at the same point.
There is also an over 50's British woman, Anne (Woolly) Wooldridge. The ladies started 24 hours before the men (they have 13 days to complete), Woolly, as she like to be called, is through checkpoint 7 in 1d 10h averaging 12.88mph. She needs to average 9.68 mph over the next 12 days to finish in the time limit.
Anyone interested in online updates can log on at
http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/rcrank.php
also they have a twitter site at RAAMrace
This is the hardest solo race in the world, everytime you don't go forward you lose time. Last night they went through the desert, which looking at the times to T2, did not have a favourable wind.
Brian
RAAM 2009
Moderator: Moderators
RAAM Update
RAAM is now getting to the point where it gets hard, well for some of them. Robic is still leading after doing the first 1700 miles in less than 4.5 days. So averaging 16.2mph. Dani Wyss is giving him a race staying within 2 hours of him.
SVN 273- Jure Robic S 29 1738.00 06/22/2009 3:00 AM 4 d 11 h 17 m 16.2
CHE 309- Dani Wyss S 29 1738.00 06/22/2009 5:37 AM 4 d 13 h 57 m 15.81
Of interest to Stacey & I are SpinVox Adventures, who are a 2 person mixed, at the moment they are at 563 miles after 1d 13 hours, which means they are averaging 15.1 mph, this still gives them plenty of time, but they cannot afford to lose much more pace, as they need to average 14mph just to make the cut off of 9 days. Stacey and I where averaging 16.3 at 1000 miles and it was hard brining it home.
The other three Brits
Ann Wooldrige is past 1400 miles averaging 11.04mph. She should have another 500 miles of pretty flat before the climbs start again.
Jim Rees has become the top UK male leading Richard Newey through 1311 miles by 2 hours in 4 days 9 hours. So both are on schedule to make the 12 day cut off.
RAAM has also had it's casualties, Team Type 1 set their RV and all the surrounding area on fire, for a short time last night, by parking in the long grass with the generator running.
Also 1 woman and 6 men have pulled out of the solo's.
This race hurts!!
Brian
SVN 273- Jure Robic S 29 1738.00 06/22/2009 3:00 AM 4 d 11 h 17 m 16.2
CHE 309- Dani Wyss S 29 1738.00 06/22/2009 5:37 AM 4 d 13 h 57 m 15.81
Of interest to Stacey & I are SpinVox Adventures, who are a 2 person mixed, at the moment they are at 563 miles after 1d 13 hours, which means they are averaging 15.1 mph, this still gives them plenty of time, but they cannot afford to lose much more pace, as they need to average 14mph just to make the cut off of 9 days. Stacey and I where averaging 16.3 at 1000 miles and it was hard brining it home.
The other three Brits
Ann Wooldrige is past 1400 miles averaging 11.04mph. She should have another 500 miles of pretty flat before the climbs start again.
Jim Rees has become the top UK male leading Richard Newey through 1311 miles by 2 hours in 4 days 9 hours. So both are on schedule to make the 12 day cut off.
RAAM has also had it's casualties, Team Type 1 set their RV and all the surrounding area on fire, for a short time last night, by parking in the long grass with the generator running.
Also 1 woman and 6 men have pulled out of the solo's.
This race hurts!!
Brian
Hi Dan,
We started in 2004 as a very 'rookie' four person team. So much so that no one thought we would finish. However as a team we worked really hard together and for each other. In the end we won our catergory and earned a little respect of the good guys.
Since then I have done it twice more and it just becomes part of your year. I'm already excited about next year.
Brian
We started in 2004 as a very 'rookie' four person team. So much so that no one thought we would finish. However as a team we worked really hard together and for each other. In the end we won our catergory and earned a little respect of the good guys.
Since then I have done it twice more and it just becomes part of your year. I'm already excited about next year.
Brian
The first solo has now finished, Not Jure Robic, but a new boy on the block Dani Wyss, he averaged 15.28mph for the 3021 miles to finish in 8 days 5 hours 45 minutes.
The racing right up to the next to last time station was within a minute of each other. However Robic had 1 hour worth of penalities for various offences, they are easy to get Stacey and I had 30 minutes worth, so had to sit them out, Game Over!
The other Brits, Ann Wooldrige crashed on stage 32 and went to hospital with concusion and black eyes and cuts. However she is back on her bike, but struggling to meet the time limits, so may have to withdraw.
Jim Rees is in 6th place with 600 miles to go. His average is just over 12 mph, which is miles better than he has ever done before. Jim on his first attempt three years ago, made the final time limit by 6 minutes.
Richard Newey is averaging 11.58 with 650 miles to go. Both boys are now hitting the Apalations so it gets really tough now.
Team SpinVox have picked up after a poor start and are really going for it. They have brought their average back to 15.74 which will give them an 8 day finish if they can maintain it.
In the teams the first 8 man team has finished averaging 23.41 mph, giving them a 5 day 9 hour finish, quick but nowhere near the record.
Will try to keep you informed as stuff happens
Brian
The racing right up to the next to last time station was within a minute of each other. However Robic had 1 hour worth of penalities for various offences, they are easy to get Stacey and I had 30 minutes worth, so had to sit them out, Game Over!
The other Brits, Ann Wooldrige crashed on stage 32 and went to hospital with concusion and black eyes and cuts. However she is back on her bike, but struggling to meet the time limits, so may have to withdraw.
Jim Rees is in 6th place with 600 miles to go. His average is just over 12 mph, which is miles better than he has ever done before. Jim on his first attempt three years ago, made the final time limit by 6 minutes.
Richard Newey is averaging 11.58 with 650 miles to go. Both boys are now hitting the Apalations so it gets really tough now.
Team SpinVox have picked up after a poor start and are really going for it. They have brought their average back to 15.74 which will give them an 8 day finish if they can maintain it.
In the teams the first 8 man team has finished averaging 23.41 mph, giving them a 5 day 9 hour finish, quick but nowhere near the record.
Will try to keep you informed as stuff happens
Brian