The first of the teams are arriving now at Annapolis. But the solo race is a huge washout this year. At this time there are only 3 men (all in age 50-59 group) and 2 women still riding and one of the women is leading all of them. Another year like this and they may as well hang it up for the solo riders and that is a shame.
And the times this year are unbelievably slow. Of course part of that along with all the riders who had to drop out was because of the terrific heat at the start of the race. It is difficult to imagine riding a bicycle in 120+ degree heat.
Iowa has an event called ragbri. They start at the Missouri River with the back tire dipping in the river and go all the way across the state to the the Mississippi River where the front tires are dipped. They run about a week long.
But that is not a race although some of the hot dogs do race. Formally it is just a ride. Michigan also has one called PALM, which stands for pedal across lower Michigan. In RAAM, as soon as the clock starts, it does not stop until you cross the finish line, over 3,000 mile away. If you stop to ear, sleep or something else, you lose time, so typically most will spend only 3-4 hours per day odd the bike. Most things can be done while riding, including eating, washing, changing clothing, etc. Some will take what they call power naps which are typically 20 minutes then back on the bike. As one might guess, it also takes a good and dedicated crew. It also takes a goodly amount of money.
