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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

Roger 0 comments links to this post 3:20 AM

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

Roger 0 comments links to this post 2:25 PM

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

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:35 AM

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

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:00 AM

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

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:56 AM

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

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:10 PM

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

Roger 2 comments links to this post 7:21 PM