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EDT Location Time Elapsed 15:21 Oceanside 0 18:33 Lake Henshaw, CA 3:12 23:27 Brawley, CA 8:06 04:29 Blythe, CA 13:08 06:57 Hope, AZ 15:36 10:45 Congress, AZ 19:24 14:52 Prescott, AZ 23:31 0 days 23:31
5:30PM Sunday Race Time (2:30PM local time)
The field looks fit and strong this year, so Mark will have his work cut out for him. He was reasonably relaxed at the starting line (well . . . as relaxed as can be expected at the start of a 3000 mile bike race) and he seems to have gotten off to a good start. The riders climbed about 1300 feet in the first 30 miles and Mark looked good on the climbs. Many of the riders look like they were working a bit too hard for this stage of the race, but Mark seems to be riding within his abilities. The next couple of hours will include some very difficult climbs before crossing the top of the first mountain range at over 4200 feet of elevation. We will post additional updates as the first day unfolds. 9:00PM EDT Race Time (6:00PM local time) Mark passed through Time Station 1 at 6:33 Race Time in sixth place. He has now cleared the 4200 foot pass through the first mountain range and has dropped down to the desert floor east of Borrego Springs. The temperature has climbed to over 100 degrees and is begining to take a toll on the riders. Mark is continuing to maintain a steady pace, but the heat is making for a very difficult afternoon. Nightfall is still a few hours away, but hopefully it will bring cooler temperatures. 12:00AM EDT Race Time (9:00PM local time) Mark is cycling strongly now towards Blythe. It is dark, fragrant and cooler after the heat of the day. In the headlights of the Follow Vehicle he looks relaxed and smooth so his decision to keep on cycling through the night and rest later seems reasonable. Although he asked for his driver's license a while back... hmmmm It has been an exciting first day for everyone. People were arriving for the noon start by 10:00am and anticipation was in the fresh salty air at Oceanside. The sun was bright and warm and the soloists and their teams were ready and anxious to be off. The first 60 miles were tough, with some 4,000 ft of steady hard climbing along scenic roads with a rush 3,000 foot descent into Borrego Springs along 'the Glass Elevator'. Mark rode the hills with an easy, steady pace. With nary a cloud in the sky, temperatures were well into the 90's and the heat drying. With all the riders so close to one another, the team vehicles formed a steady ring around Christmas circle as they waited for their riders in Borrego Springs. A cyclist from Jackson Wyoming on a recumbent and travelling for pleasure also stopped to take in the sight. As the afternoon wore into evening the two lead riders outpaced the field slightly but Brawley saw the majority of the RV's and Chase Vehicles gathered in Von's parking lot, the second time station, waiting for their riders and ready to follow them closely into the night.
Mark on his way through Borrego Springs at 20:21 EDT
Cruising through the Desert on the way to Brawley
The RV caught up to Mark after passing the brightly winking yellow lights and four way flashers of several other riders, including Scott McIntosh and Kevin Kaiser (on a fixed gear bike) both of whom did the Elite tour with Mark last year. The lowlight of the night ride was the rather thickly odiferous dust cloud created by the cattle feed lot.
Monday continues the climb to Flagstaff. Weather expected to be warm again. We'll catch up with Mark again as dawn brightens the sky.
An interesting note - there are four RAAM riders and six crew from the Elite PAC Tour last year participating in the 2008 RAAM.
Report at 18:00EDT Race Time (Day 2)
We left Mark last night approaching Blythe and he cycled right through and on through the cool night. The RV overnighted in Blythe with several others and was on the road by 9:00 am (EST) to catch up. Luckily the riders were lifted forward from Blythe to Quartzite to jump the construction on the I-10, so missing the long hill up to Quartzite (where the grave of Hi Jolly is found, the camel driver brought to the US in the 1800's by the US military to test the use of camels in the desert). There were several riders leaving Quartzite around 9:30 and we passed a further 20 or so before Congress - some looking strong, others not really enjoying the morning heat riding straight into the rising sun. When we passed Kevin on the fixed gear he commented that the desert dust and poor roads were not going to be missed! Very bumpy pebble asphalt roads with long, long, long vistas and glaring sun. These roads are really an endurance test even while rested. Lots of saguaro and Joshua tree cacti to enliven the scenery.
Mark had a fairly strong night.. turned into a cookie monster for awhile, and was interviewed as he rolled along by the race media crews. First flat of the trip barely slowed him up, and the little throw up contributed to feeling much better. He looks like a blue salty streak as he cycles along, with rather nice whiskers for that rugged look that graces the pages of fashion mags.
Top of Yarnell Grade:
There are two major climbs out of the hot desert. Mark looked strong as he climbed to Yarnell, 1800 feet in 7 miles along a winding road with a steady grade looking out shearly to the wide flat expanse below. He crested the climb through Yarnell about noon and nodded all was OK. On the long 12 mile descent, he considered having a nap in Skull Valley, but on arriving, took the corner and gave a heads up to continue on to Prescott, along a fairly , twisty road with scrub and low trees to relieve the eye in the 1:00pm sun (EST). The rail line can often be seen on the west side reminding us of its importance in the west. At 2:00 pm, Mark was out of the saddle climbing to Iron Springs towards Prescott through the Prescott National Forest, 1100 feet in 6 miles. Bright sunshine, probably high 80's, low 90's. The ride into Prescott saw 400 miles done.
Climbing up to Prescott:
The RV met Mark for a quick Nature Call just starting up the 12 mile climb to Jerome before turning back to Prescott. The RV can't make that scenic climb and the windy descent for safety reasons to Cottonwood and on through Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon up to Flagstaff. Cottonwood to Flagstaff averages more than 128ft of climbing per mile. Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff is a hefty serpentine climb where you can see the road wind steeply along the following face, back and forth, back and forth. Cottonwood to Flagstaff is THE toughest section west of the Mississippi River. So the RV bypasses one of the most beautiful roads and let Mark and the Follow Vehicle (with Ken, Rob and Dan) enjoy it fully. The RV will travel by the I-series of highways.
The next rider ahead of Mark is Sanz Garcia from the Basque country of Spain. We also heard from a local fellow, who is following the riders and taking pictures, that the rider Richard Rudd celebrated his 66th birthday last night!
The Chase Vehicle crew slept in Wickenberg and changed off with the crew in the Follow Vehicle in Congress so they could get some shut eye. Following the rider by about 6-8 feet requires wide-open eyes and good reflexes. The crew is starting to develop a pattern.
There was an RV gathering in Congress and we admired the two foot deep, round kid's bright blue swimming pool set up for the riders in the shade of an awning bedecked with lively beach towels.... beckoning, beckoning dusty riders to come for a dip and stay awhile in the shade.
And for those with a nice RV trip coming up, it's running about $1.00 a mile in gas. And for those interested in flying, Prescott is home to the Embry Riddle flight training school, the largest such facility in North America.
Stay tuned for the next installment. We are trying to upload as often as we can.
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