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2015 Race Recap - Part 1 of 4
Solo RAAM
The top male and female finishers were Severin Zotter (Austria) and Isabelle Pulver (Switzerland) - both first-time RAAM racers. This year's Solo race featured another strong international race field with 41 racers (36 male and 5 female) from 17 countries. The overall Solo finish rate was 51%. Weather and road construction had a significant impact on the 34th Race Across America. Weather always plays a role in RAAM as it affects overall speed, impacts positioning and makes or breaks record attempts. This year heat in the Desert Southwest was 5-10 F hotter than it's been over the past decade. Winds and storms in Kansas are always tricky as the Great Plains are typically where major air masses collide - many participants faced unrelenting headwinds this year. Finally, torrential rainfall and flooding east of the Mississippi slowed the race field. Construction also played a significant role in slowing down the racers. There were an unusually large number of bridge replacement and re-surfacing projects. Between the weather and road construction there were more single-lane restrictions and re-routes than we have ever experienced on RAAM.
Notwithstanding the issues faced by racers and crew, we were treated to some great racing. For only the second time in RAAM history the first place male and female solo divisions were won by first-time solo racers. Severin Zotter (Austria) was top male covering the 3004-mile course in 8d:8h:17m - average speed 15.00 mph and Isabelle Pulver (Switzerland) was top female finishing in 10d:21h:7m - 11.16 mph. The only other time both first place finishers were rookies was in 2012 when Trix
Zgraggen and Reto Schoch (both Switzerland) took home top honors. Christoph Strasser (Austria), last year's winner and holder of the RAAM speed record, returned seeking another win and to become the only male to win 3 consecutive races. Strasser and Zotter are both from the same region in Austria and frequently ride together. They exchanged the lead in Arizona and Colorado. Zotter took over the lead crossing the Sangre de Cristo Range and maintained his lead across the Great Plains. Strasser developed a lung infection and retired from the race in Eastern Kansas. David Haase (USA), racing his fifth RAAM, moved into second. At the Mississippi River Zotter, Haase and Anders Tesgaard (Denmark), the first RAAM finisher from Denmark, racing in his third RAAM, were 1-2-3. They were followed by Danes Peter Sandholt and Henning Larsen. Tesgaard was forced to abandon due to a serious accident and was flown home this past weekend. He remains in the hospital, and his family asks to respect his privacy. For further updates, follow Anders' Facebook page. Zotter finished first, Haase second (8d:20h:6m - 14.16 mph) and Sandholt third (9d:20h:48m - 12.69 mph). Danes Sandholt, Larsen and Per Laursen took 3 of the top 6 places. Last year Laursen withdrew due to heat exhaustion and extreme dehydration. He came back this year to finish 6th - 10d:13h:49m - 11.84 mph. This year marked Larsen's 3rd RAAM finish. Adam Bickett (USA) developed pulmonary edema and was hospitalized briefly, but returned to the race and moved through the field to finish 8th in 10d:15h:53m - 11.74 mph. Rob White (USA) suffered a broken collar bone but went on to finish in 10d:19h:52m - 11.56 mph. Claudio Clarindo (Brazil) completed his 5th RAAM - 11d:23h:35m - 10.45 mph. Norm Hageman (USA) was the sole finisher in the 50-59 age group - 11d:23h:33m - 10.45 mph and Herve Talabardon (France) was the sole finisher in the 60-69 age group - 12d:19h:32m - 9.77 mph. In the male under 50 age group 16 of 27 racers finished (59%), in the 50-59 group 1 of 6 finished (17%), in the 60-69 group 1 of 2 finished (50%) and the sole racer in the 70-74 group did not finish.
Four of the five racers in the solo women's field were RAAM veterans. In the under 50 age group - for Joan Deitchman (Canada) this would be her third RAAM and Shusanah Pillinger (UK) her second, and in the 50-59 age group - Kathy Roche-Wallace (USA) her third and Seana Hogan (USA) her ninth. Pulver, racing in the under 50 age group, was the only rookie. Hogan has won more RAAMs than any other racer - male or female - with 6 wins. She also holds the female RAAM speed record - 13.23 mph (1995). Roche-Wallace holds the 50-59 age group record - 9.83 mph (2011). Pillinger sustained a broken collar bone and dropped out of the 2014 race and was looking to finish what she started. Although racing in different age groups, it appeared that at one point or another, all five were racing each other. The order changed many times before things began to sort out. Hogan and Roche-Wallace would both retire from the race - Hogan at the Mississippi River and Roche-Wallace in Athens, Ohio. Pulver went on to become the winner, Deitchman second (11d:5h:9m - 11.16 mph) and Pillinger third (12d:9h:14m - 10.11 mph). Deitchman with three RAAM finishes (2012, 2014, 2015) joined a very elite group - female racers with 3 or more RAAM finishes. Others include Elaine Mariolle (USA)(1984, 1985, 1986), Muffy Ritz (USA)(1993, 1995, 1997) and Seana Hogan (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998). Deitchman also became the first Canadian - male or female - to finish three RAAMs. Pillinger became the first female finisher from the UK.
Racers and their support crews are motivated by many things - winning, setting records, establishing personal bests, raising money for charity. Few records were set this year. Weather and road construction combined to foil many record attempts. Nevertheless, there were some, among them Talabardon became the oldest solo RAAM finisher at 69 years old with a very respectable ride. He had three former Tour de France racers on his support crew. That record was previously held by Peter Lekisch (USA)(60), Fred Boethling (USA)(61) and David Jones (USA)(64). There are now 10 members in the 60+ club and there is considerable talk regarding who will be the first 70+ solo RAAM finishe This year the solo race field was comprised of racers from 17 countries - 12 (29%) from the USA and 29 (71%) from outside the USA. Racers represented Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Sweden, UK and USA. Racers from 9 countries would become finishers. Austria and Denmark topped the list with 4 each - Zotter, Strasser, Franz Preihs and Gerhard Gulewicz from Austria and Sandholt, Larsen, Laursen and Tesgaard from Denmark. France followed with 3 - Arnaud Manzanini, Jacques Borreau and Talabardon. Jose Bermudez (Colombia) would become that country's first solo RAAM finisher - 11d:16h:53m - 10.69 mph. To better prepare racers for Solo RAAM we encourage potential participants to race RAAM Qualifying races and attend RAAM Seminars. RQs were started with the idea of screening out unqualified participants, but they have become much more. They are an opportunity for racers and crew to practice under race conditions. Today there are more opportunities than ever - 30 races in 11 countries with more on the horizon. In addition, RAAM offers Seminars in the off-season. Congratulations to all of the 2015 Solo RAAM finishers and to each and every racer with the courage and self-confidence to start. Thank you to all the support crews who make this possible. And to those racers and crew who sustained injuries during this year's race, know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. We wish you a speedy and complete recovery.
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