EDT       Location                 Time Elapsed

17:28    Cottonwood, AZ            1 day 0:27 

21:43    Flagstaff, AZ                 1 day 06:22

04:01    Tuba City, AZ               1 day 12:40

10:01     Kayenta, AZ                 1 day 18:40

12:32     Mexican Hat, UT          1 day 21:11

15:14     Montezuma Creek, UT   1 day 23:53    718.9 miles 

 8AM EDT Tuesday Race Time 

We last reported that Mark was headed to Flagstaff.  We were in the Time Station parking lot enjoying the brisk, cool (in comparison to the desert) breeze, waiting and ready thinking he might stop.  We watched him power by.  He looked determined if a tad tired in the late afternoon sun.  Leaving Flagstaff heading north along US 89 is pretty busy generally and traffic moves fast.  Mark was followed shortly by the Basque rider, Sanz Garcia.  Mark was cycling through high desert - vegetation diminishing as the road drops and the colours are brown, yellow, red, white and grey.  There was snow on the peaks as there was a blanket of snow a couple of weeks ago.

Just outside Flagstaff Mark changed to warmer night clothing for the night as well as to take advantage of the 50 mile descent from Flagstaff to Cameron near the Little Colorado River.  He is descending from about 7,200 feet.  Mark is cycling through the land of the Navajo Nation and we stopped at the Wupaki National Monument (for a parking place well off the road as RAAM rules require that one is parked at least 5 feet to the right of the paved shoulder).  Night was falling and we could see the lights of the Follow Vehicle slowly approaching.  We cheered as Mark went by in the dusk.  We cheered again when we reached Cameron and heard that Mark wanted a brief rest at 12:15AM (Race Time).

We pulled over across the road to a rather ghostly deserted group of adobe buildings and set up.  Mark came in, showered, Jon massaged his legs and he prepared to sleep.  Jon called in to the Race Officials to let them know Mark was off the road to sleep.  Mark swallowed a few spoonfuls of pasta salad but as his tummy has been unsettled did not eat much.  He is lucid and reasoning.  He was unable to sleep so after a couple of hours of rest, went off again.  The day crew in the Follow Vehicle rested while Mark did and had a snack and coffee.

They reached Tuba City around 4:00 am (Race Time).  Crew changed in Tuba City for the Follow Vehicle.  He then cycled on to Kayenta.  By 5:00am sun is rising.

Gerhard Gulewicz, previously in 2nd place apparently had an accident on course and is listed as 4th, with Garcia now 2nd and Mark 3rd as at Kayenta.

1:11PM EDT Tuesday Race Time 

The RV left Tuba to catch Mark about 11:00 am Race Time and followed Mark's route across the long straight road over the mesas.  It is generally scrub vegetation and long vistas.  We passed a rider (Jakob) just outside of Tuba City as he started the long even uphill in the morning sun (8:00 am Tuba time).  Road surface is pretty good.  Mark probably missed admiring the rock formations just outside Tonalea but would have enjoyed the wonderful starlit night.  Sky a host of stars with the Big Dipper very visible.  Thirty miles of gentle climbing on very good road surface before the thumpy descent to Kayenta.  Passed another six or seven riders in the hour between 11:30am and 12:30.  At 60 miles out near Tsegi there is a narrow canyon with more amazing rock formations in a great descent Mark would have enjoyed.  Elevation 6,000 feet.

 8:30PM EDT Tuesday Race Time 

Mark's Night Ride 

The Follow Vehicle crew reports that after Mark's short rest, but no sleep just before Tuba City, he seemed to have slipped into British left-hand driving mode and wandered back and forth on the road.  Realizing there was a safety issue here, he headed for the vehicle and had a really good 20 minute sleep and was back on the road rested and refreshed.  He and Sanz Garcia stayed very close to one another with Mark maintaining a solid even pace.  Elevation along the route is about 5,600ft.

Mark was interviewed at length around 3:00am by the media.  The temperatures stayed in the 40's in the early morning and several hours after the sun came up making the riding easier. 

Kayenta to Mexican Hat Route

At Kayenta Mark turned north towards Oljato-Monument Valley.  This is a beautiful route but there were strong cross-winds, headwinds, some tail winds.  Climbs on the route are moderate, since descents dominate this section of the road.  The road is rather bumpy however.  We had been hoping for 20-30 mile gusts from the south west with a storm system that didn't materialize.  Elevation here is about 5,000ft.  Mark rode strongly.

Monument Valley Route