Yup, we're really going to do this.
Vic is working for the
Race Across America bicycle race, doing website reports for the organizers. We'll be following the whole race, traveling in our Toyota Tacoma pulling our '72 Trail Mite. The race starts on Sunday, June 10 in Oceanside, CA. Ten days later the fastest riders will be in Atlantic City.
The Race Across America (RAAM) is different than other bicycle races like the Tour de France where each day is like a seperate race and the longest days are maybe 125 miles. In RAAM the clock is always running. So to be competitive a rider pretty much has to stay in the saddle for 20 hours a day or more to get in 300+ miles a day.
Vic crewed for Tinker Juarez, the rider who got third place last year. Vic also wrote the daily reports and shot the photos that appeared on Tinker's website and his sponsor's website and wrote some stories for a bike magazine. So this year when Tinker opted to sit out, RAAM hired Vic to do their website!
We leave from Arcata (just North of Eureka, CA.) on June 5, putting us in Oceanside (near San Diego) by the 7th so Vic can spend a couple of days meeting the racers and doing his pre-race interviews and research.
Once the race starts we'll be following the whole caravan of racers and their support rigs across the country. Vic will log some mileage too as he'll use his bicycle to do from-the-saddle interview with the racers. These guys have precious little time to chat in what little off-the-bike time they have--- that time is reserved for eating, massages and sleeping---so riding alongside will be Vic's best opportunity for Q&A sessions during the race.
We'll mostly be dropping anchor at any of the 57 time stations along the 3048 mile race route. Once we hit the finish in Atlantic City, NJ, Vic will spend a couple of days finishing his work for RAAM and also filing a story for Velo News (a bicycle magazine).
THEN, it's on to Washington DC for some sightseeing and then we'll begin our trek home via a Northerly route. We're unsure of which highways we'll take but we know we want to pass through Wisconson, the South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and finally Idaho before heading back home to Northern California.
WOW! What an adventure this is going to be! Just me and Vic and our border collie MacGregor.
We'll post some pics and stories along the way and those interested will be able to see Vic's work at
www.raceacrossamerica.org and at
www.velonews.com
Kathy