_____________________________________________________________ The Worlds Toughest Bicycle Race

CAN ANYONE BEAT ROBIC?

Calling Valentino Rossi and Lance Armstrong, come in please! Seriously, can anyone beat Jure Robic in this years Solo RAAM? For most people polled the answer is an emphatic no. However there are a few people, maybe those that are actually in the position to do something about it, who think that he may not be untouchable.

The most likely candidate on the horizon to do so is the same person who looks back at Jure from the mirror. Solo RAAM is anything but a lock for him, but IF he doesnt take anything for granted, if he uses his experience and applies his ability, there are going to be a lot of people who will need a pair of super long-range binoculars to catch a glimpse of him. Jure Robic is on to something and he is racing for greatness in a way that no other RAAM champion has in the past, as a fifth victory could catapult him into Slovenia politics or mainstream media. I cant help but wonder if he wants to match or beat

Armstrongs 7 tour wins with similar numbers in RAAM. If that is the case, a finish other than first in 2009 puts him behind the eight-ball. However, there could be complications. Other than the man in the mirror, one of his biggest threats is another racer from, guess where? SLOVENIA! None other than his long time friend Marko Baloh. Baloh who must be suffering some sort of complex by now after all the years of playing second fiddle in Robics orchestra, has scoured the nation to dig up the support he requires to race again. Baloh is no slouch, a fabulously driven and fast cyclist, he could be the man to steal the show. It is a mid boggling story how these two friends rode to become two of the worlds greatest. While Robic is another echelon ahead of his friend, Baloh is a ultra-cyclist that prides himself on bring his A-game. Before RAAM 2005 Baloh said, I dont think Jure is as strong as he appears to be every year; he has some problems, mental problems, like every other racer. I think it will be very hard for him if I am close to him and thats my strategy. In this opinion Baloh might have found the chink in Robics armor but since then Robic has won the Race Across America in 2005, 2007 and 2008 and the year he failed to do so was a physical issue not a mental one. In the early stages of the 2008 race, Austrian Gerhard Gulewicz stuck close to Robic and had small leads on occasion. When asked what he was thinking with Gulewicz was so near? Robic said, You know, I think I might have a problem if he can climb like he is racing so far. At that stage in the race, this should be construed as a matter-of- fact assessment, but no matter how it might have been planted this tiny seed of doubt may have been nurtured if Gerhard did not crash out of the race. Robic gained complete control of the race and was never to be challenged again. His crew operates with military precision and they are known for using spy cars and keeping a close eye on all potential competitors for their racer. Whether or not they inform Jure is unknown as are the specific tactics that they employ to keep him at his competitive best. Robic is a great ultra-endurance cyclist, maybe the greatest male rider of all times, but he is also a professional who uses all of the tools at his disposal. His crew manages his race like NASA runs Shuttle Missions, make no mistake about that. In 2008, after the Gulewicz challenge, Robic essentially rode alone until the 8-person BMC Cycling Team gradually closed the gap. When it became inevitable that they would race past Robic, he pulled off the course and entered his motor home. He had to be summoned to be outside when BMC raced by his motor home. Was this a coincidence? In my opinion it was Robics attempt to avoid the reality that no one, not even a team could beat him. The hole in the armor was now a gash. Not that it mattered; it was easy to repair as his nearest solo competitor could only be found on state maps. But Robic never raced as hard as he did up to that point of the race and then the rest of the way to Annapolis, he took his time, maybe to savor the victory, maybe to nurse the injuries of the odyssey or because the only reason to keep the hammer down was to improve his finishing time, but he never raced as hard again. So here we are again in 2009 with all the usual suspects and a few others that might produce surprising results. In Europe, Robic has been in exceptional form and rumor has it he even held off at the end of

one race because there is no need to win by that much. But RAAM is the toughest, longest non-stop bicycle race on Planet Earth and nothing is certain. This year the race course stands the chance of being much more cluttered for Robic. The Race Across the West riders will be on the RAAM course as well and at least a couple riders have indicated to me privately that essentially their goals, there dreams, their hopes and aspirations lie with beating Robic to Taos, New Mexico. If they did it would be a shock right through Robics armor and it might be something for other racers to capitalize on. Championship fights often end with a knock out blow, but they are set up by jab after jab after relentless jab. Did Daniel Wyss win in 2006 only because Robic was forced to DNF or is he in fact one of the worlds greatest? He returns to RAAM 2009 to find out. There are many who are gunning for the king of RAAM and how they execute their race plan will play a huge role in determining the ultimate winner. If they plan to catch up to him at the end, they are deluding themselves and the last time they see him will be about 5 hours east of Oceanside. Gerhard Gulewicz is back, Marko Baloh is back, Franz Preihs is back, Julian Sanz Garcia is back, Christoph Strasser is making his debut, and others may grab center stage like Seabiscuit did before. If 4 or 5 racers keep pace with Robic or even eclipse him in the first 2,000 miles, hang on to your shorts, stock the fridge, call in sick and stayed tuned because this may turn out to be the greatest solo mens RAAM race ever. For Robic this could be a blessing in disguise, to be so pushed and challenged. If he answers by mass destruction of the fleet of suitors, he will carve an even deeper name in the annals of RAAMs history. If he is threatened deep into the race, 2009 RAAM will truly become the toughest race of his life.

Story and bottom photo by Perry Stone. Top photo by Sean McDonagh