Author Topic: RAAM 2012 (Read 3305 times)

Pip · « **on:** 11 June, 2012, 03:19:05 pm »

Utterly inspiring.

Solo riders start on Wednesday.
Looks like there will be 44 solo riders this year, some of whom have completed fast (and not so fast) PBPs and LELs amongst other long brevets.

Just to arrive at the start with all the necessary preparation taken care of must be an achievement of some magnitude. I would love to be involved in this one day.

Good luck to all the participants, and also to GB team Strategic Lions whose riders include ex pro and Olympic medallist Jon Tanner, and 11 time BBAR winner Kevin Dawson. They are defending the 8 man relay team victory from last year

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 June, 2012, 03:40:29 pm »

It's interesting that the newer countries from PBP are finding their way into RAAM, including Taiwan.
http://shprung.com/pbp/?mode=info&frame=5197

Pip · « **Reply #2 on:** 14 June, 2012, 10:49:41 am »

Reto Schoch leads the Mens field with 286 miles/13 hours. Last years champ Christoph Strasser biding his time in fourth place 234mls/11 1/2 hrs. A very long way to go: http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/rcrank.php?s_N_category_group=1&s_N_Race_ID=1

Karla · « **Reply #3 on:** 14 June, 2012, 11:02:49 am »

That's crazy fast, faster than I'd do a 12 hour TT! I'd worry they were going to blow, but here's the assessment from Brian who did (most of) it last year:

"I think these guys will have a plan. Some are trying to get through the desert before the heat of the day - which if you are fast enough is a good strategy"

vorsprung · « **Reply #4 on:** 14 June, 2012, 01:53:25 pm »

To qualify for raam solo you have to do a 24h TT and get to 400 miles. I'm sure even I could do that if I really tried

They say to stand a chance of winning you have to have done 500 miles in a 24h TT. Which is a different world of performance

mattc · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 June, 2012, 02:05:55 pm »

I believe they often get epic tailwinds in the early miles.
Those speeds do look waaaay too quick for a 8-day event. (When you consider how smashed Wilko was after 541 miles in 24h).

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 June, 2012, 02:12:01 pm »

You can qualify by riding the Tejas 500 miler in 48 hours. http://www.tt24tt.com/
Which is the same average speed as the minimum for solo RAAM, 3,000 miles in 12 days, so you'd need to be doing it in a lot less than 48 hours. Probably 300 miles in 24 hours. So 40 hours to finish 500 miles, equivalent to a 30 hour 600k.

Pip · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 June, 2012, 08:34:54 am »

Strasser has edged in front of Schoch. Trix Zgraggen leads the Womens solo and would be in fourth place in the Mens event.

LEL finisher (amongst other long brevets), Holger Roethig doing well in mid division.

vorsprung · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 June, 2012, 09:42:08 am »

Strasser and Schoch seem to be neck and neck.

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 June, 2012, 11:28:49 am »

Quote from: vorsprung on 19 June, 2012, 09:42:08 am

Strasser and Schoch seem to be neck and neck.

Don't mention necks.

Pip · « **Reply #10 on:** 19 June, 2012, 06:24:39 pm »

Quote from: Oranj on 19 June, 2012, 09:21:07 am

Anyone know what happened to Chris Armishaw, the brit in the solo category? He did less than 300 miles in the first 24 hours and then DNF'd, which is a shame considering the amount of effort he must've put in to get himself and his team to the startline. The Racing Team Essex blog just says "...one small miscalculation followed by other situations meant our race was over at the end of day 2...".

Looks like a real race developing in the 8-man teams.

With a 62 hour LEL, aren't you vaguely tempted to have a crack at this Howard?

Nuncio · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 June, 2012, 11:42:38 am »

Still very close in the solo male at timing station 42:
        Miles Arr DT         Race TM      Avg
Reto Schoch      2428.25 06/20/2012 4:43    6 d 13 h 6 m      15.46
Christoph Strasser 2428.25 06/20/2012 5:20    6 d 13 h 13 m 15.45

Strasser has had a credit of 1:15 : "Pulled from route by local authorities for tornade "

andrew_s · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 June, 2012, 11:40:00 pm »

The north to south race is very close at the front too

Ollie Whalley 2158.2 miles, 2minutes ago
Craig Stappler 2155 miles, 15 minutes ago
3rd place is 120 miles behind

(progress by satellite tracker rather than time station)

Karla · « **Reply #13 on:** 21 June, 2012, 11:27:16 am »

452 - Reto Schoch S 46 2677.59 06/20/2012 23:32 7 d 7 h 55 m 15.22
377 - Christoph Strasser S 46 2677.59 06/21/2012 2:03 7 d 9 h 56 m 15.05

Schoch passed through TS46 2 and a half hours before Strasser. As he started half an hour before, that gives him two hours advantage on the road. With Strasser's 75 minute time bonus for the tornado, that puts him 45 minutes behind.

Strasser's lost a lot of time since I went to sleep (just a few hours ago

) so it looks like he's had a good kip himself. Does this mean he'll ride faster than Schoch? Will Schoch need a nap himself in the daytime? TS46 is ~320 miles from the finish, so can he go without until the end and stay ahead of Strasser with one big push?

Exciting stuff!

clarion · « **Reply #14 on:** 21 June, 2012, 11:37:30 am »

Is this the closest RAAM ever? I can't remember when it was this exciting.

Karla · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 June, 2012, 01:09:02 pm »

How about 2009?

As I guessed, Strasser has made up a lot of lost time at TS47: he's now only 25 minutes down, which is 50 minutes up with his 75 minute bonus. Those two must be digging soooo deep.

clarion · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 June, 2012, 01:13:39 pm »

Ouch.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 June, 2012, 01:30:51 pm »

Also back when Jock Boyer won his first RAAM in 1985. Close-fought RAAMs aren't new.

Karla · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 June, 2012, 05:54:27 pm »

Ah yes, I youtubed some of that last night.

Strasser has just passed TK49, his speed is dropping just slightly. From their race averages, Schoch is predicted to finish at 10:42 and Strasser at 11:55 tomorrow (so about 4am for us). Schoch needs to finish 1:45 ahead of Strasser to win, so Strasser currently has the lead by a predicted 33 minutes. Can he hold on though?

JStone · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 June, 2012, 08:19:55 pm »

I got side-tracked into reading the rules, especially rule 625 Sportsmanship, where it includes:

<quote> If you have really read these rules carefully, the Crew Chief will bring a non-perishable food item to the Racer meeting to receive a RAAM gift (and commendation from the Race Director). We will donate the food items to charity. </quote>

Pity about the non-perishable bit - I liked the idea that even RAAM runs on CAIK

mattc · « **Reply #20 on:** 21 June, 2012, 08:23:55 pm »

Excellent spot JS!

I wonder what %age of teams that have had silly penalties (e.g. for peeing in public) had complied with that part of the rulebook ...

Pip · « **Reply #21 on:** 22 June, 2012, 07:46:54 am »

Schoch found extra strength from somewhere and has beaten Strasser in their battle for the Mens Solo title.

There are still 26 Solo competitors out on the road. Hope that the backmarkers finish safely inside the time limits.

Karla · « **Reply #22 on:** 22 June, 2012, 11:32:12 am »

It looks like Strasser faded in the last couple of hundred miles, whereas Schoch kept on through - Schoch's overall average speed is the same as it was yesterday at 15.05, whereas Strasser's started to drop yesterday afternoon and was down to 14.82 (for the whole race, remember) by the end.

Schoch has now won RAAM in his first year, and set a new rookie record. That's very impressive.

Pip · « **Reply #23 on:** 25 June, 2012, 01:15:56 pm »

Still eight Solos remain to finish. It looks as if they should all get in before the relevant time limits.

I am going to organise a talk with Brian Welsh in North London in October. He has completed team events and finished out of time in the Mens Solo last year. It will be fascinating to find out more about this event

Karla · « **Reply #24 on:** 25 June, 2012, 01:18:17 pm »

He currently intends to try again next year, with more training this time.