What is the RAAM?
It's the RACE ACROSS AMERICA, a nice little ride of about 4,850 kilometres … yes, you read that right!
As the name suggests, this cycling race crosses the United States from west to east, starting in California and its 40°C heat, then through the Rockies at over 3,300 metres of altitude, then across the endless plains of Kansas, then back into the mountains with the brutal Appalachians, before finally finishing near Washington. In short, as you'll have gathered, it's a punishing race that lasts 13 days, during which riders must cycle 19 hours a day to average 380 kilometres a day and finish within the time limit.
Why are we talking about it?
In 2015, Hervé Talabardon pulled off quite a feat, finishing this race within the time limit, first in his category no less (the over-60s!), and setting the record for the oldest finisher. For context, in the 35 years this race has existed, only 5 French riders have completed it … This year, Hervé decided to do it again. It's the new challenge he set himself, taking the start of the race last night (French time). And naturally, two years on, Hervé moves up a category to the over-70s, and he's trained to break new records this year!
A crack team of nine
Of course, you can't take on an adventure like this alone. Hervé is backed by a crack team of nine people handling his preparation for the race and all the logistics on the ground (physiotherapist, mechanic, support crew…). With that in mind, we'd like to salute his wife Adeline and the whole team who will follow him in a motorhome throughout the race: Sébastien, Yannick, Dominique, Stevan, Fanny, Matthieu, Virgile and Jean-Marc, for their support.
Follow along!
You can cheer him on via his Facebook page and follow his progress live over these 13 days on the RAAM website. You'll also find on his website all his other feats on two wheels, such as the Race Across Italy, the Silver State 508 and many more. So if you'd like to retrace part of the route, but in a motorhome (much less tiring!), you can rent a motorhome in Los Angeles or San Diego and drop it off in Washington, New York, or along the way. Go, Hervé!
