RAAM: Is Jure Robic on record pace for solo men?

By Vic Armijo

Wednesday noon saw the start of the Race Across America (RAAM) solo men and of the Race Across the West (RAW) solo men, solo women and relay teams. RAW, the sort-of junior version of RAAM, follows the same route as RAAM, but ends “just” 858 miles later in Durango, Colorado.

Four-time RAAM winner Jure Robic is in a familiar position — out in front and pulling away. While he’s yet to outright declare verbally that he is indeed striving to break the long-standing average speed record of 15.4 mph, his pace seems to verify that goal. By the second time station at Borrego Springs, just 80 miles into the race, he had passed all of the solo RAAM riders despite having been one of the last to leave the start in Oceanside.

Much has changed for Robic since 2009. Having reached the Slovenian Army’s mandatory retirement age of 45, he is no longer in the military. So after many years of having funding from the Slovenian Army and a support crew made up entirely of Slovenian soldiers, this year’s effort is a bit smaller and is staffed entirely by civilians.

Gone too is his former crew’s practice of deploying a “spy car” to check on the progress of other riders. So although he was already firmly in the lead, Wednesday night he had a few anxious moments when he saw the lights of RAW riders up ahead.

Robic’s long-time friend and crew-chief Matjaz Planinsek related, “During the night we were always seeing some lights. He was asking ‘Who is this?’”

Other than those moments, things have gone well for Robic, “Last year and year before we had huge problem with sore throat,” Planinsek said, “Now is not happening. It’s everything okay.  We had different problems, we had to change shorts during the night and we had stupid issue with gasoline — we were running really really low. We don’t tell him that we need to stop to pour some gas from a five-gallon can. We say ‘Jure, you want to stop for ten minutes? You will get some pasta and some massage.’ He was happy for stopping but behind the van was completely different story.”

Meanwhile the solo women and solo age 60+ male solo are ahead of Robic, having started a day earlier. Recumbent rider Barbara Buatois is leading. At last report the French rider was somewhere between Flagstaff and Kayenta, Arizona, with South African Michelle Santilhano trailing her by about an hour. The other recumbent rider, Sandy Earl, is in third with Amy Xu trailing by mere minutes. Bringing up the rear is Italy’s Sabrina Bianchi.

Dex Tooke, the age 60+ solo male, seems to have solved the cramping and stomach issues that plagued him on day one. He’s between Xu and Bianchi and, according to a fan who spoke with his crew Thursday morning, Tooke is feeling better and gave the fan a big grin and a wave as he passed. For Tooke this seems to be his normal state of being.

Solo Women
At last report:

Laid back Sandy

• 1. Barbara Buatois / France                 536 miles         1 day, 18 hours, 35 minutes
• 2. Michele Santilhano / USA              536 miles         1 day, 19 hours 7 minutes
• 3. Sandy Earl  / USA                          482 miles         1 day, 16 hours, 26 minutes
• 4. Amy Xu / USA                               482 miles         1 day, 16 hours, 35 minutes
• 5. Sandra Bianchi / Italy                     482 miles         1 day, 19 hours, 35 minutes

Solo Men:

At last report:

• 1. Jure Robic / Slovenia                      391 miles         18 hours, 46 minutes
• 2. Georg Player / Austria                    391 miles         19 hours, 30 minutes
• 3. Gerhard Gulewicz / Austria            338 miles         16 hours, 32 minutes
• 4. Matthew Warner-Smith / Australia         338 miles         17 hours, 5 minutes
• 5. Rob Morlock / USA                        338 miles         17 hours, 15 minutes

FILED UNDER: News / No Spoil / Race Report TAGS: RAAM