The RAAM is the hardest and longest ultracycling race in the world. With its 5000km (or 3000mi), it crosses 12 states ( California,
Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas,
Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland )starting from the Pacific coast to the Oceanside and ending on the Atlantic in Annapolis. With about 35.000mt D+ it has a cutoff time of just 12 days and in fact, only 50% of the participants manage to carry out the endeavour. So far there's nothing new, what has just been written is nothing but the description of a race easily found on the many sites of the field. Therefore? And so the RAAM can not be described in these few lines, but I would like to try. Since 2013 RAAM gives me unforgettable moments every time I go back and a strong sense of emptiness when I say goodbye from the Washington airport, with the hope and desire, actually the determination to go back 11 months later. Such a strong sense of loss of RAAM ,that at night, at every gas station lit I see here in Italy, I imagine the various fridge or drivers exchange stops. The RAAM begins in September / October, when the rider decides to enroll " in thetoughest non stop cycling race in the world ".It's calling you, "I'm ready for the RAAM ".Ok, let's talk about it! The interview is short, you can see the determination to arrive to the end in the eyes of the person interviewed. Then, when he begins to tell his past experiences of hikes and ultracycling, the picture becomes clearer. Above all is the way he talks to you about RAAM that lets you know if there are the RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
conditions to really make it, because from Oceanside almost anyone is good!. We greet with a handshake; this means that the rider puts his trust in you. Also, we of the crew have confidence in him. A trust that lasts and must last from now on and especially during the race, and the many difficult situations you will encounter. At one point in the race, a few days after the start, most of the participants are isolated from the world, from all that surrounds them, and see things that are only real for them. Let oneself go and jump in the hands of the Crew could be defined as the minimum requirement for thinking to accomplish the endeavor. In the absence of all this, the race becomes more complicated, every crack on the asphalt turns into deep chasms. Ending up in it is easy, getting out is almost impossible. Mutual trust between the rider and the team is crucial for the fate of the race, to aspire to that state of OFCL, Official, (that is, the abbreviation green on the site raceacrossamerica.org
where it appears in the last column to the right in
correspondence with your name, time spent and average) and that makes those leaving from the Pacific coast Finisher at 100%. The rider will continue to train, your job as a crew chief will be remainding him to avoid unnecessary risks of any kind. From this moment, one word must occupy his mind each day:
RAAM . Each family problem, heart or professional needs to be
resolved as soon as possible. Those around him will be crucial and will have to support him, cheer for him and support him in this approach to the race. The RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
decision has been taken! You go to the RAAM " the toughestnon stop cycling race in the world ". True, it is a race, but when you invest so much money that you need especially to us Europeans it becomes serious and not just a question of money. Yes many physical and mental sacrifices have to be faced, and above all for the rider and his crew chief that will be his shadow during the 12 days of competition. And there is more. In fact, if on one hand the rider will have organize his workouts in the months before or better, maintain them, the crew chief will be responsible for organizing the American expedition: media in tow, logistics and selection of team members. If the first two require special attention from the beginning to try to contain the costs, the creation of the team in tow can also take place at the end of the year and then be called in January and February. Mainly the following means are two: car and campers. The first ever in the wake of the rider, the second ahead of the racers waiting to receive it and host it in the programmed pauses to avoid exhaustion. A tip: the ideal would be to have at least half of the team consisting of experienced people in ultracycling. The rest of the team can be made up of people close to the rider, close friends or family members. The presence of family members, whether from a human point of view it makes sense, technically, for the result it could be a problem to hand during the coast to coast. To be part of the crew is a privilege that can not be underestimated. Not everyone is able to compensate for the lack of RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
sleep or adapt to the quality of the camper cuisine. One's habits are put to the test. 12 days in campers can become hell, if your body but also your head quickly doesn't adapt to the dynamics of RAAM . And the RAAM doesn't forgive and you're finished! And it doesn't get better for the driver of the car that has the task of managing navigation and driving an average of 20 km / h for 12 hours a day or at night which is not easy, believe me. Some crumble after the first turn creating another problem to manage, that of security. A few days after the start of each team member begins to show their own character, their own strengths, weaknesses and we become aware of who you can count on. Returning to the rider, how does one prepare? He must simply keep doing what he's always done, cycle! It is obvious that those who think about the RAAM from the physical point of view are already well under way, the opposite would be suicide! It will be important to test a few weeks after starting on a length of 1000/1200 km, with 2 nights of cycling. It can be a weekend with some of their crew in tow, or you can think of participating in ultracycling races like Race Across Italy in April or Race Around Slovenia in May. This allows you to gather some more information in preparation of RAAM . Members of the crew who will have the opportunity to know each other also help and learn to "live together". But the RAAM is suo much more than that! Unfortunately there is no way to replicate the conditions in which you will find yourself in the United States. There is no race in Europe so long or so hot RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
(Arizona desert) or even alienating (straights monotonous Kansas !!) as the RAAM. The Race Around Ireland could be a good test with its 2200 km and above all the adverse weather conditions. Also participate in the ParigiBrestParigi or to the 1,001 miles in the years that coincide with the
RACE
ACROSS AMERICA alone by
randonneer would be ideal. The randonnĂŠe, although some might claim the contrary, for those approaching
RAAM are fundamental. Teach you to manage
hunger, recovery but mostly sleep! Knowing how to run alone and with yourself is very important, it means to get used to the dull and endless straights of Kansas! Being objective about one's shape it's useful and allows those who follow the rider to know him better. Not all current ultracycler are able to complete the RAAM . Very few succeed. All inevitably face a gradual approach to RAAM ,to forge ahead is useless, RAAM does not forgive! Presumption comes at great cost! The road book opens, page 13 and the first Time Station to reach, highlighter in hand and it's off to the adventure that changes the lives of everyone! For better or for worse from now on RAAM We are constantly at risk of DNF (did not finish),from the first hours of the race the weather conditions begin to be difficult, quickly abandon the California coast and head for thegate of hell, Borrego Spring .21km, the Glass Elevator, so called because it is very steep and marks difference between temperatures still influenced by ocean to desert temperatures, so dry and decidedly
RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
higher. So it's easier to go through 30 to 40/50 degrees. A warm descent, which makes ideas clear, making the rider understand what he will face. And so we arrive in Arizona, the first deserts mostly sandy but here the first real difficulties begin. The heat is exhausting, the positive moral of the departure begins to slowly melt, as ice poured on the neck of the athlete that turns into water in seconds. Drink and stay as fresh as possible will be crucial. But with 110 degrees F the situation becomes prohibitive. The early withdrawals in the race are already preparing, too much heat tears the stomach, you do not eat, and collapse. After just 48 hours you can go home. Who goes on has as first objective to climb the Prescott hill in the hours most favorable distant from the heat, though the heat never stops in these areas. According to statistics, it's faced usually after the stop at the Time Station of Congress, maybe throwing into the artificial pool that volunteers make available to the rider and his crew. This part of the race is crucial, even for the first of the class because if they fail to evaluate the timing, they may encounter serious problems. The heat is the same for everyone, RAAM begins to sharpen its blades in search of the first victims. We continue to Utah, with some boring straight course, but not much in comparison to those of Kansas. Flagstaff, Tuba City, Kayenta, Montezuma Creek, Cortez, the passage from Arizona to Utah, crossing Monument Valley.
RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
Without dwelling on, perhaps, one of the most beautiful places in the world, you'll have to close your eyes and think of many American films with this location. High temperatures are now behind, even going into Colorado the first signs of a cold are healthy for everyone. They now face three steps in the Rocky Mountains: the Veta, the Cucharas and the Wolf Creek Pass. If a few hours before the heat was the number one enemy now climbs are the masters straining competitors. Not only that, the transition from big hot to cold can be harmful. Some ranking men even pay the consequences and get an unexpected DNF. The zero degrees on top of Wolf Creek Pass is another arrow at the disposal of the cutthroat RAAM. Now we are half way through RAAM ,another goal achieved, 2400 km traveled. It is celebrated for a few moments but then it's back to the race immediately. With RAAM every second lost can determine the fortune or misfortune of the racer up even to determine its defeat. With a simple mathematical calculation, if to each of the TS 54 that is faced 5 minutes are lost, 4 hours and 30 meters go up in smoke. There are those who for eight minutes lost a RAAM . A few words to the wise. The concept must be clear,the time you earn at the various gates is a precious treasure to manage in the future. We are halfway through the work so the road should be all downhill! The great heat has been exceeded, as well as the long climbs, now you could just relax. But no, you arrive in Kansas, the state of monotony, of the endless plains, 2km long sprinklers, RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
endless straights that on one side have the pastures of dairy cows and on the other side the cows for slaughter, stacked one on top of the other. The state of the headwind that makes the day never ending or the one for that blows you right off the bike! Unless you are hit by a hurricane, an annual phenomenon which occurs with some regularity to Race Across America . Expect it, you can repair yourself in the best way hoping to have guessed the most propitious moment. It leverages its wake that means riding at 50 km / h for a long way !! In Kansas, time stands still, everything is the same, nothing ever changes, in time some majestic giant silos and then nothing. Fortunately this agony ends after 600km and the goodbye has no particular melancholy. You enter Missouri, green meadows enter with bullying on the path of
Race
Across America ,and begin to discover another
America ,more
European, the dry heat gives way to the damp, the first houses on the sides of the road appear, with no fence to witness the great respect of the privacy of others and constantly manicured gardens, but not a single person, nor a dog wagging its tail or a child playing with the ball is seen. Where are they? We always ask ourselves when we step into this zone! This is the scenario that between now and the end of the race will come to us all. For at least another 1000km. Cross the famous Mississippi River, which never overflows and entering briefly in Illinois, then Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia until arriving in Pennsylvania. The description of the landscape is the same as earlier, for this reason, I personally consider this the most boring time of RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
the race, but also this is RAAAM . The rider has already done most of the trail, overcame many difficulties both physically and mentally, sleep is always there, but now it is all one with the bike, but especially with the race! Cycle for inertia, there's even who, having managed very well at the beginning still has the energy to keep a decent pace and to secure the arrival. The difficult times are not over in fact, it is argued that the most important moment is right now, in this part of ' America ,the race starts here, where already almost half of the participants withdrew on an average of 50 members. Which testifies the hardness of this race! All this confirms that finishing the race in the useful time amounts to a victory! The Appalachians are to be faced, a continuous crazy climb up and down, an irritating eating and drinking so annoying and obnoxious at this point of the race! Still to be addressed perhaps hoping it does not rain, or enjoy it in the rain and the spectacle of road dunes one has to face! Almost upon arrival and we are all exhausted, there are those who have not slept for days, sitting in the car 24h / 24h to assist the rider and were able to close their eyes only 1 or 2 hours per day plus some spare minute in the car . We are TS 54, at the gas station on the outskirts of Annapolis, the Race Across America officers are expecting us, they know we are coming. Unofficially we are at the arrival, the time is taken from here. The RAAM in technical and regulated terms is over! Now we have the final parade, escorted by an official car we go to the port RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
of Annapolis, where friends and family wait the racer, or even the FINISHER ! It's time to celebrate, relax, jump into the water, fling off the bike, embrace your partner, and maybe your children. We all hug, we completed the Race Across America ,the rider and his crew together for 12 days of sweltering heat, long climbs and alienating straights. As mentioned earlier, you can not explain in a few lines what Race Across America is, but maybe in some phrases you can: " Know well the racer, starting to work with him 8/10 months prior the departure for the USA; always believe every day of the race in the final objective, the arrival at Annapolis; get to know the crew members, defects and merits, both important during the 12 days of competition; meet many times before leaving for Oceanside, living a few hours together; prepare everything in detail, without neglecting any detail; Learn about the physical and dietary needs of the racer; keep calm and expect moments of tiredness of the racer and crew; live the Race Across America 24 hours in contact with 24 racer (drive); ensure the security and the rest of the rider but also of the team members; the Race Across America is not a job, but not even a vacation!; ... "The RAAM starts in Kansas, but most of all From Race Across America you don't recover " This is the Race Across America seen through the eyes of a thirty​six​three years ago that was lucky enough to meet people who for 10 years lived it. He listened almost like a long tale the many anecdotes about this race, the situations experienced by RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
the rider and his crew. He has treasured them, considering their fundamental experience for his current experience. Without these emotions and anecdotes that have been passed onto me I would not be here writing trying to make you understand what the Race
Across
America is . To experience it in person is
something quite different, but I assure you that talking to most Italians who have participated over the years has allowed me to create an archive of valuable information. No, I would not be here if I didn't absorb every word connected to Race Across America . All this allows me to enjoy the most of the 20 days of stay in the United States. But above all it allowed me to earn my esteem, fully reciprocated by all who took part in the RAAM both as riders and as team members and which now makes me live this experience as if it were always the first time, although the path is the same and the bloody Kansas is always at his own place! Luca Masini
RAAM ITALIA | raamitalia.it | facebook/raamitalia
LUCA MASINI
EXPERIENCE (as a crew)
EXPERIENCE (as a rider)
... other (Gent–Wevelgem - Tour of Flanders - Paris–Roubaix - Amstel Gold Race - La Flèche Wallonne - Liège Bastogne Liège)
● Web Master of “raamitalia.it”, italian reference for RACE ACROSS AMERICA and RACE ACROSS THE WEST ● ADMIN Fan Page “Everesting Italy”, italian reference for everesting attempts
I was born in Rimini on February 12th 1979, and grew up watching the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and World Championships on tv enjoying my cycling more and more. Eventually, in 2007 i dedicated myself just to cycling, not only riding but as a team manager for ASD and other local cycling events so i can share my passion with and help others. distance events and the unique challenge they present and now not only ride longer distance on the road bike but also the mountain bike which i enjoy equally.