Race News, Updates and Press Releases

RAAM 2006 RACE DAY

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Race day has arrived.  We gathered at Pete's house to put all of the details together.  Thanks to the wives, sandwiches were prepared for hungry riders.  It may be the only solid food for the next 24 hours.  Cliff Bars and energy drinks seem to be the main course on the menu.

Don, Pete and Jim ready their bikes in the parking lot of the Oceanside pier.

Ron Mittino brought lots of family to support the troops.  It was a big day for Ron's parents.  Ron's mother constantly cooked goodies for the training rides and sent a number of special cookies with us on this day.

Ron's father was particularly pleased to be able to attend the big send off.  Please note the younger competition in the background; Ron threw down the challenge and told them we would have drinks waiting for them in Atlantic City when they arrived.  Big Mistake.  Never let your competition know who you are, especially on the road.

Ron, Gary, Carl, Don, and Jim are ready to race.

Special thanks to Vince's Spaghetti in Ontario and Upland for sponsoring our ride.  They are very special people in the Ontario, Upland community and we really appreciate their support.  We can't wait to get back for a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread.

The teams gather on the Oceanside pier at 1pm for a 2pm start.  All time is kept on Race time which is Eastern Standard Time.  So when we report in our times at the various time stations across the country we have to remember to convert to EST.

The race is about to begin and the photographers are getting in their last minute shots.  There was a good tail wind blowing off the ocean, which is a lot better than a head wind, as we found out in portions of the desert later in the evening.

Team Cycling for Chaffey was selected as the lead off team for the race and were the first down the ramp for the Parade Start.  We led the entire group of riders down the ramp, along the strand, and out to the Oceanside bike path.  At that point, all but Pete left the course and went back to the chase vans.  We loaded up the bikes and drove out to the 21 mile point on the course and waited for the bikers to arrive for the official start.  Pete started 7th per the draw that was made the night before;  Jim then took over and climbed the first big climb.

Pete took on the next big climb, heading for Borrego Springs.

It is all uphill from here, 6000 feet in elevation change before we head down the mountain into the desert.

Pete climbs, and climbs, and.....



Pete winding down the road from the top to Borrego Springs.

We are running rapidly toward the Borrego Desert.  That is the terrain we will be riding through tonight until we are relieved by Team 2 at 2pm in Blythe, CA.  Team 2 has already run ahead to Blythe to sleep so they will be ready for their 2pm duty shift.

Looking back at the mountains we just climbed and descended.  Temperature was really very nice.  It was in the high 80's in the mountains and then the desert cooled off as we dropped into Borrego around 7pm.  The ride to Salton City was fast because we had a tail wind of 25 mph.  Speeds ran up to 30-35 mph and we covered the distance rapidly.  Our climb out Oceanside was fast and we arrived at Time Station one at 5:30pm, after climbing 6000 feet.

The California desert is not all flat.  There is a good climb going up to Chirraco summit before the highway drops down to Blythe, CA.  We had tail winds of 25 mph all the way to Salton City, cross winds of the same magnitude up to Interstate 10, and then tail winds for 60 miles down to Blythe.  We covered 223 miles in 12 hours and averaged just under 19 mph, including a 6000 foot elevation climb and numerous other climbs.  Thank goodness for the downhills.  We are off to meet Team 2 somewhere hear Ashfork, Arizona.  We will then head for Flagstaff, Arizona and on toward Durango, Colorado.

The great adventure HAS begun;  see you tomorrow, same time, same station.