Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Review: "Bicycle Dreams"

"Bicycle Dreams," Stephen Auerbach's documentary about the 2005 Race Across America, has been out for some time and has been reviewed by quite a few bloggers. It's my turn.

I've written frequently about RAAM over the years, mainly because RAAM passes through the St. Louis area almost every year. I've always wondered what goes through the heads of anyone who would attempt to bike across America in 8 to 12 days. "Bicycle Dreams" gives me a pretty good clue.

I'm old enough to remember the early days of RAAM in the 1980s and early 1990s, when ABC and NBC aired extended segments about RAAM on their sports anthology shows. Those segments made me aware of ultramarathon cycling giants such as Lon Haldeman, John Marino and Pete Penseyres.

The segments, normally aired weeks or months after the race, did a good job of giving viewers a taste of the race. Sadly, RAAM doesn't get the attention it once got from the networks, so "Bicycle Dreams" fills a major void.

Fortunately for us, "Bicycle Dreams" goes a step further than the networks were able to do.

Stephen and his crew worked around the clock to film RAAM. They had an advantage over the networks; they had 18 cameras in the field to give an more intimate look at RAAM.

While RAAM athletes have to be in incredible shape, "Bicycle Dreams" makes it clear that the mental battles are the biggest challenges they face over the course of the race. Even someone like Slovenian soldier Jure Robic -- a four-time winner of the race -- fights the effects of long days or riding with little sleep. For example, Robic speaks of seeing a dolphin's head in the road and speaks of forgetting what his wife and children look like. He even speaks of quitting the race -- something he wouldn't do until 2009.

Another competitor, Anna Catharina Berge, chews out her crew for allowing her to sleep for four hours, even though it was clear she was in desperate need of it.

While Robic gets his share of face time, the real centerpiece of "Bicycle Dreams" is Dr. Bob Breedlove, who died June 25, 2005, when he was struck head-on by a pickup truck near Trinidad, Colo., during the race. Bob lived in Des Moines, Iowa, attended Illinois State University, the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the University of Missouri School of Medicine Orthopaedic Residency Program.

It's eerie to watch Bob on the roads, riding strong, commenting on his tactics to beat the heat of the Arizona desert, realizing that only days later, he would be dead. His death had a devastating impact on French rider Patrick Autissier, who did not finish the race.

Much of the photography is incredible, especially of the western part of the course. Other than sections of Kansas, the Midwest plays a lesser role in the movie. I recognized a lot of the Missouri River valley near Marthasville, Mo. The uprights of the Clark Bridge, a suspension bridge that crosses the Mississippi River at Alton, Ill., are clearly visible in one scene, although the film does not include images of the river or of cyclists crossing the bridge.

"Bicycle Dreams" has won awards at a wide range of film festivals, including the Fallbrook, Los Angeles Sports and Solstice festivals. It won for a reason: "Bicycle Dreams" both tells and shows the physical -- and mental -- exhaustion RAAM athletes endure.

As an independent filmmaker, Stephen Auerbach is relying on a grassroots campaign to spread the word about the race. You can purchase the film for $19.99 through the film's Web site, http://bicycledreamsmovie.com.

As a longtime follower of RAAM, I recommend "Bicycle Dreams."

Labels: cycling, movies, RAAM

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Wyss wins 2009 RAAM

Swiss cyclist Dani Wyss has won the 2009 Race Across America men's under-50 solo division. Wyss arrived in Annapolis, Md., at 9:25 p.m. today, completing 3,021.3 miles of cycling in 8 days, 5 hours and 45 minutes. His average speed was 15.29 mph.

Going into the final day, Wyss had been embroiled in a duel with defending champ Jure Robic. However, the 60 minutes of penalties Robic has accumulated over the course of the race were too much for Robic to overcome.

Gerhard Gulewicz of Austria appears to be on his was to third place in the under-50 division. he has made it as far as La Vale, Md.

Daniela Figueiredo Genovesi continues to maintain her lead in the women's under-50 division. She's made it as far as though Blanchester, Ohio, while Janet Christiansen has made it to Oxford, Ohio.

Labels: RAAM

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:13 PM

RAAM: Robic's in trouble

Four-time Race Across America winner Jure Robic is looking rather vulnerable going into what likely is the final day of racing for the two leaders in the men's under-50 division.

Robic arrived in in Grafton, W.Va., at midnight EDT Wednesday, but Dani Wyss arrived in Grafton just five minutes later.

Given that Robic already has amassed an hour in penalties -- two 15-minute penalties and one 30-minute penalty -- while Wyss has no penalties, Robic is going to have to ride strong and hard today to defend his title.

Robic is projected to cross the finish line in Annapolis, Md., at 8:30 p.m. EDT today, with Wyss projected at finishing at 8:35. That, of course, means Wyss, a Swiss rider, would win the men's solo division because of Robic's time penalties.

Over on the women's side, Brazilian Daniela Figueiredo Genovesi and American Janet Christiansen are dueling out. Both made it through Illinois on Wednesday. Genovesi arrived in Sullivan, Ind., at 10:26 p.m. CDT Wednesday, while Christiansen arrived at 11:14 p.m. Genovesi has 30 minutes of penalties, compared with none for Christiansen.

There are plenty of competitors and teams still making their way through the St. Louis region. One solo male and one solo female competitor have yet to reach the Mississippi River near Alton, Ill., while there were 24 teams that still were either at or still approaching the river.

My hat's off to anyone who's able to ride for so long in such oppressive heat and humidity levels we've had the past few days in the St. Louis area. My hat's also off to the volunteers at the time stations and elsewhere who are putting in long hours for the cause.

Labels: RAAM

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Monday, June 22, 2009

RAAM arrives in St. Louis area

Four-time Race Across America champion Jure Robic once again led the long, lonely parade of ultramarathon cyclists into the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Robic, a solider in the Slovenian army, arrived in Washington, Mo., at 5:59 p.m. CDT today and is making his way to the Mississippi River. He's expected to arrive at the river just across from Alton, Ill., about 10:30 p.m. and Greenville, Ill., about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday.

Dani Wyss will be the next one in. He arrived in Jefferson City, Mo., at 2:45 p.m.

Labels: RAAM

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RAAM leaders expected in St. Louis area today

UPDATED: If you're in the St. Louis area and want to catch a glimpse of the two leaders of the men's division of the Race Across America, today's probably the day.

Four-time champion Jure Robic made it to Jefferson City, Mo., at 12:50 p.m. CDT today, and Dani Wyss arrived in Camdenton, Mo., at 11:15 a.m. today.

If they continue at their current pace, Robic will arrive in Washington, Mo., about 5:30 p.m. today, at the Mississippi River just across from Alton, Ill., about 10 p.m. and Greenville, Ill., shortly about 12:50 a.m. Tuesday. Wyss is expected to arrive in Washington about 7:40 p.m., the Mississippi River at 12:14 a.m. Tuesday and Greenville at 3:08 a.m. Tuesday.

Janet Christiansen continues to lead the women's solo race. She arrived in El Dorado, Kan., at 12:54 p.m. today. She's predicted to arrive in Washington about 9:43 p.m. Tuesday, the Mississippi River about 6:06 a.m. Wednesday and Greenville about 9:09 a.m Wednesday.

In between, many of the teams that started RAAM on Saturday will be catching up with the individual riders.

Keep in mind these times are based on estimates made by RAAM officials and are subject to change. The estimates on the RAAM site are in Eastern time, while I've changed them to Central time.

In case you're interested in seeing the racers, the Washington time station is on Missouri Route 100 just west of Missouri Route 47. They will proceed across the Missouri River through Dutzow, New Melle, Wentzville and O'Fallon before hitting the flatlands of St. Charles County to West Alton. The Mississippi River time station is at a service station just south of the Clark Bridge leading to Alton. Once in Illinois, they will take Illinois Route 140 through Alton, Bethalto, Hamel and Alhambra before getting to Greenville. The Greenville time station is at the intersection of Illinois Route 127 and U.S. 40.

Labels: RAAM, racing

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

RAAM is off and running

After nearly a day of competition in the men's under-50 solo division of the Race Across America, it should come as no surprise that Jure Robic is in the lead. Robic already has a 46-minute lead over Christoph Stoffer after 397.6 miles of the the 3,021.3-mile race from Oceanside, Calif., to Annapolis, Md.

Robic and Stoffer were the only two men's under-50 solo competitors to make it to Prescott, Ariz., at the time of this post. At the current pace, Robic should arrive at the Mississippi River near Alton, Ill., sometime Monday. I'll update with a more precise estimate later this weekend.

Robic, a member of the Slovenian Army, won RAAM in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Robic and the other under-50 solo men's competitors took off Wednesday from Oceanside.

The four female competitors started the race Tuesday. Janet Christiansen is leading the three-woman under-50 division, having completed 563 miles so far. Ann Wooldridge is the only competitor in the 50-59 division.

The sole 60-older solo competitor, Paul Danhaus, also started Tuesday. The team competition opens Saturday.

Labels: RAAM

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Wednesday, June 03, 2009

2009 Race Across America starts soon

We're about two weeks away from the start of the 2009 Race Across America, and once again the route will be skirting the western and northern parts of the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Female racers and men 60+ will begin their trek Tuesday, June 16, the men solo racers begin June 17, and the team begin their competition June 20. All the races begin in Oceanside, Calif., and will end in Annapolis, Md.

The long, lonely route across America enters the St. Louis region with the Washington, Mo., time stations, and time stations are planned for the Mississippi River near West Alton, Mo., and Greenville, Ill. The Washington time station is a change from recent years, when the time station was in Marthasville, Mo.

Racers are expected to start arriving in Washington on June 22, and will gradually filter through the area over the course of three or four days. As I said earlier, it's a long, lonely route without the pelotons of the Tour de France or the Tour of Missouri.

Volunteers are still needed for time stations throughout the country. For more information, you can contact race director Jake Zmrhal at director@raceacrossamerica.org or call 303-956-7226.

Labels: RAAM

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Saturday, June 14, 2008

Robic crosses the Mississippi River

Race Across America solo men's leader Jure Robic made it to the Mississippi River at 9:22 a.m. CDT today. He's on his way to Greenville, Ill., and he's expected to arrive there sometime between 11:50 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. today. He now has about a 200-mile lead over David Haase, who has passed the Camdenton, Mo., time station.

The Mississippi River is well over its banks and still rising, putting portions of Missouri Highway 94 between St. Charles and West Alton under water. That forced RAAM officials to develop a detour. RAAM competitors now must bike into St. Charles on West Clay Street and take Highway 94 to the north end of the city. From there, they are being shuttled by their support vehicles to the frontage road of Highway 367 between Dunn and Redman roads in north St. Louis County. They'll hop back on their bikes and continue north to the river. If you want to see details of the detour, see RAAM's Live Race Blog.

My limited coverage of RAAM will be even further curtailed because I have to make last-minute preparations for my vacation, a trip across the length of the Katy Trail that starts Monday. I'm sure all you ultramarathon cycling fans will get more than your fix at the RAAM Web site!

Labels: RAAM, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:03 AM

RAAM may be in for a wet surprise

Will Race Across America riders be in for a soggy surprise when they approach the Mississippi River this weekend?

UPDATE: Longtime ultramarathon supporter Mike Hahn, who is overseeing the volunteers at the Mississippi River time station, tells me that RAAM officials have found a detour around the flooded part of Highway 94, so the race will go on!

The above video from The (Alton, Ill.) Telegraph shows that floodwaters from the Mississippi are starting to lap over Highway 94 near West Alton, Mo. The footage of Highway 94 is in the second half of this short video. The first half was shot at the Lincoln-Shields Recreation Area just across the Clark Bridge from Alton.

RAAM riders are slated to ride on Highway H and and Highway 94 between St. Charles and West Alton before turning on U.S. 67 to the river. The Mississippi definitely is on the rise in the area -- it's not expected to crest until June 23.

Here's a description of the situation near West Alton from The Telegraph's story:

Part of the access to the Lincoln-Shields Recreation Area in West Alton ... was closed Thursday morning by rising water on the Mississippi River. Not far away, floodwaters were creeping over Missouri Highway 94 near West Alton.

Tens of thousands of frogs and tadpoles could be seen in the shallow floodwater along the shoulder of Highway 94, just upstream from West Alton.

UPDATE: Jure Robic maintains his huge lead in the men's solo division. He reached the Jefferson City, Mo., time station at 10:20 p.m. CDT. He is on target to reach the Mississippi shortly before 8 a.m. today. David Haase is about 180 miles back and is expected to reach the Mississippi sometime between 12:07 and 5:19 a.m. Sunday.

Labels: Missouri, RAAM, racing

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Robic keeps rolling at RAAM

Slovenian Jure Robic is continuing his dominance of the Race Across America. Robic, the defending champion and a three-time winner, arrived in Bucklin, Kan., at 2:07 p.m. CDT. Robic's closest competitor in the men's solo division, David Hasse, is more than 200 miles behind him.

If Robic maintains his overall pace or his current pace, he should be arriving at the Mississippi River time station in West Alton, Mo., any time between 5:30 a.m. and noon CDT Saturday. Haase is anticipated to reach the river sometime after 11 p.m. Saturday, and most of the remaining individuals and teams are expected to pass through Sunday or Monday.

The lead woman, Janet Christiansen, passed the Clayton, N.M., time station at 9:30 a.m. CDT today.

Labels: RAAM, racing

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Monday, June 09, 2008

RAAM 2008: They're off!

Race Across America is under way! Both female competitors, Janet Christiansen and Carolina van den Bulk and one male competitor, Richard Rupp, already have made it to Flagstaff, Ariz., as of this morning. The women and Rupp, competing in the 60-older division, started Saturday from Oceanside, Calif. The top solo male competitors, Gerhard Gulewicz and defending champion Jure Robic, started Sunday and have passed Congress, Ariz., as of this morning.

Back here in the Midwest, help is needed for the Greenville, Ill., time station. Help will be needed between Saturday, when the top male competitors are expect to pass through Greenville, and Tuesday, June 17. If you know someone who can volunteer, contact Joy Criner at 618-664-3342; 217-229-4237, ext. 231; or trixtip@sbcglobal.net.

Labels: cycling, RAAM, racing

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Thursday, June 05, 2008

Race Across America begins Sunday

Once again, the most dedicated of the dedicated ultramarathon cyclists will take off Sunday on the Race Across America. The solo riders take off at noon PDT Sunday, while the teams don't take off until Wednesday,

There are some changes for this year's event. The biggest change is that the race ends in Annapolis, Md., instead of Atlantic City, N.J. That means there's a major reroute of the course from 100 miles east of the Mississippi River to the end.

Instead of taking the busy National Road (U.S. 40) corridor that RAAM has taken through Indiana and Ohio in recent years, the route will go through the Midwest cycling mecca of Bloomington, Ind.; the quaint German town of Oldenberg, Ind.; Chillicothe, Ohio; and Parkersburg, W.Va. After Parkersburg, the racers will face some challenging climbs in the Appalachian Mountains. Here's a description from RAAM:

As the road (U.S. 50) narrows, it climbs over the Eastern Divide at 3,000 feet above sea level, and then climbs again to the ominously named Mount Storm before dropping into Maryland. Some of the most intense grades of the entire race are found on scenic U.S. 40 in the forty miles between Cumberland and Hancock. The fourth of these climbs, Sideling Hill, subjects Racers to a 1,000-foot ascent in two miles.

The route, however, remains unchanged through the St. Louis region. The time stations will be at Marthasville, Mo.; West Alton, Mo.; and Greenville, Ill. The West Alton time station is just before the cyclists cross the Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River into Alton, Ill. I would expect the riders to start arriving in the St. Louis area either June 13 or June 14.

The western part of the RAAM course has been changed so that it goes through Taos, N.M.

Slovenian Jure Robic won the male solo edition of the 2007 Race Across America -- the third time he has won the race. Robic completed the 3,042.8 miles of the race in 8 days, 19 hours and 33 minutes. His average speed was 14.38 mph.

Labels: cycling, RAAM, racing

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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

RAAM: We have a winner!

Congratulations to Slovenian Jure Robic, who won the male solo edition of this year's Race Across America -- the third time he has won the race. Robic made to the finish line in Atlantic City, N.J., at 7:03 a.m. CDT. His nearest competitors, Wolfgang Fasching and Gerhard Gulewicz, had less than 65 miles left to go as of this morning.

Robic completed the 3,042.8 miles of the race in 8 days, 19 hours and 33 minutes. His average speed was 14.38 mph.

As of today, only one team has yet to reach the Mississippi River. Team Kitten -- Pete Maisel and Wendy Gardiner of Acworth, Ga. -- is the only remaining team in the two-person mixed division. They reached Marthasville, Mo., at 2:06 a.m. CDT today.

Labels: cycling, RAAM, racing

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Friday, June 15, 2007

RAAM arrives in St. Louis region

Jure Robic is the first Race Across America competitor to make it into the St. Louis region. Robic clocked into Marthasville, Mo., at 3:22 p.m. CDT today. Two others, Wolfgang Fasching and Daniel Wyss, have made it to the Jefferson City, Mo., time station, and Fasching recently arrived in Marthasville.

Robic reached the Mississippi River at 8:24 p.m. today and is expected to reach Greenville, Ill., later tonight.

To give you an idea on how spread out the field is, the lead woman, Kerry White, checked in at the Ulysses, Kan., time station at 9:26 p.m. today. Ulysses is about 700 miles west of the Mississippi River.

Labels: cycling, RAAM, racing

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Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Race Across America begins Sunday

Race Across America is celebrating its 26th anniversary in 2007, and this year's edition gets started Sunday in Oceanside, Calif.

The 2007 route is nearly the same as the 2006 route, which means it once again will be going through the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. If last year's times are any indication, competitors will start entering the region the morning of Saturday, June 16. The St. Louis region's time stations are the same as last year: Marthasville, Mo.; the Mississippi River just before they cross the bridge into Alton, Ill.; and Greenville, Ill.

By the time they get to the Mississippi River, this year's competitors will have gone 1,997 miles and climbed 66,100 feet, according to RAAM. They will have 1,046.3 miles to go.

Last year's male solo traditional division winner, Daniel Wyss of Switzerland, returns to defend his title. Last year, he rode the 3,042.8 miles of the race in 10 days and 52 seconds. There are 25 men and 5 women entered in the solo competitions. Once again, there are team competitions as well.

Labels: RAAM, racing

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