Defending RAAM champion Jure Robic is widely considered to be the greatest ultra-endurance athlete in the world. A sporting legend in his home country of Slovenia, Robic is a relentless competitor known for opening insurmountable leads by going over 40 hours without sleep to start a race. His crew is composed of fellow members of the Slovenian Armed Forces, providing a disciplined, dedicated support team.
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Bob Breedlove
Veteran RAAM rider Bob Breedlove has logged hundreds of thousands of miles in a 20-year cycling career. Hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, his notable accomplishments include a second place finish in 1994, two RAAM wins in the tandem category, and an amazing double transcontinental record time of 23 days, 13 hours, and 36 minutes in 1989. His personal motto “It’s another day in paradise” embodies the enthusiastic spirit of this cycling legend.
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Catharina Berge
Catharina Berge is one of a growing number of women to take on the Race Across America. Since coming to the United States from Sweden in 1998 to pursue a PhD in veterinary medicine, she has quickly climbed the ranks of the ultracycling world, frequently beating male competition in the process. On the bike she is known for her climbing skills, while off the bike she has become a mentor to other female riders.
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Chris MacDonald
Writer and fitness guru Chris MacDonald qualified for his first RAAM by covering a record 500 miles in just 24 hours at the Sebring 24 qualifier. Originally from the United States and now living in Denmark, MacDonald is a popular public speaker who uses his background in sports psychology to give him a mental edge when faced with daunting physical obstacles.
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Marko Baloh
Marko Baloh, an agricultural analyst from Slovenia, holds several 24-hour time trial world records. His experience in RAAM has been mixed, including a frightening trip to the emergency room in 2004 that revealed a clot in his lung that nearly killed him. Baloh is both a friend and rival to RAAM champion Jure Robic, and the competition between the two men is a driving motivation for both.
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Patrick Autissier
RAAM rookie Patrick Autissier is an HIV researcher at Harvard Medical School. A former triathlete, he was drawn to RAAM by the pure challenge of riding across the United States in under twelve days. He draws inspiration from the ongoing struggle to find a vaccine for HIV, and from the continuing support of his family- wife Anne-Cecile and children Estelle and Damien.
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Fabio Biasiolo
Italian cyclist Fabio Biasiolo is an experienced RAAM veteran, with three finishes in eight attempts. Originally a mountain biker and then a triathlete, Biasiolo finished third in 2000. Though his attempts have been plagued by medical problems, Biasiolo continues to accept the challenge of RAAM, buoyed by the support of his wife Nicoletta and son Rocco, and the belief that he rides better when surrounded by loved ones.
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Chris Hopkinson
Hailing from Derbyshire, England, Chris Hopkinson aims to be the first rider from Great Britain to finish RAAM. Following a 2001 cycling accident that shattered his femur, Hopkinson was told he would never walk again. Shocking his doctors, he not only recovered but became an even stronger rider, going on to set numerous time trial records in both Europe and the United States.
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