Our race director for October’s WEMBO World Solo 24 MTB Championships, Vic Armijo, is also deeply involved in the Race Across America (RAAM), having followed the even across the country to shoot race photos and write commentary on the event each year since 2006. This annual 3,000 mile race from the Pacific to the Atlantic is the ultimate endurance cycling event. Compared to the Tour de France, RAAM is 1/3 longer and the solo winner will complete RAAM in 1/3 the time, making it truly the “World’s Toughest Bicycle Race” as it is tagged by the organizers.
There’s a mountain bike connection as well. Five-time winner Jure Robic was a World Cup XC racer and competed in the famed Crocodile Trophy event in Australia many times. Reto Schoch, the 2012 solo winner competed in many 24-hour mountain bike races in Europe, as did multi-time RAAM finisher Franz Preihs. And of course there’s mountain bike icon Tinker Juarez who took third in RAAM in 2006.
To learn more about RAAM give a listen to this Podcast from Over The Top Radio in which Armijo discusses this year’s race, (it starts Tuesday) with the show’s host, George Thomas. Thomas is himself a multi-time RAAM finisher.
http://www.overthetop.bike/news/2015/6/11/race-across-america-preview-with-vic-armijo
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