SlovenianGuy
06-29-2005, 06:29 AM
Jure Robic Makes it Two
June 28, 2005, Atlantic City, NJ
The reigning champion, Jure Robic, concluded his domination of the 2005 Insight Race Across America through furnace-like conditions on a refreshingly cool, cloudy evening on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. He completed the 3,502 miles in 9 days, 8 hours and 48 minutes.
Throughout this unusually hot race, Robic proved far more resilient than any of his rivals to the brutal heat that bore down from above and bounced mercilessly back off the road.
When the Appalachian mountains rose as the final, daunting challenge to legs weary from 2,500 miles' racing, Robic remained smooth and strong. No rider at any point in the race mounted a serious challenge to Robic; he rode supreme.
Yet driving alongside the 40 year-old Slovenian, whose wife bore their child almost exactly one year ago, one gained the impression from the pained expression on his stony face that although this win was distant, it was far from easy.
"This year was much harder than 2004. There was more climbing, and high temperatures. I did not expect such high temperatures, I suffered much," said Robic at the finish. He was shaky on his feet, and when raising his 17lb bicycle above his head, he teetered on the edge of his balance. It was the unrelenting heat that really got him.
"I did no training for high temperatures. In Slovenia the temperature is normally about 25C (77F), but in the first day (of RAAM) it was 45C (110F). I had luck and good regeneration. That was my winning formula."
Robic's main challenger, Mike Trevino of San Diego, never really got going. Early in the race he suffered from gastric problems, then approaching Indianapolis, Trevino fell and separated his shoulder so ending his 2005 challenge.
Robic's friend and old rival, Marko Baloh, contracted pneumonia after a spirited chase of the champion, and had to retire shortly before Fort Scott, Kansas.
With these two worthy rivals gone, Robic was left far out in front, with a gap of more than 12 hours to the second-place battle betwen the dashing Italian Fabio Biasiolo and ex-pat American Chris MacDonald, who now lives in Denmark. At the time Robic finished, MacDonald and Biasiolo were almost 200 miles behind.
Yet it was never easy for Robic. When passing through Athens, Ohio, Robic climbed off his bike and it took a pep talk to get him back into the saddle. "This usually happens at one point in the race each year," explained a member of the Robic crew. But without a rival to push him, Robic had to dig deep to find the motivation to push through the relentless pain and fatigue of the solo RAAM. He found it within.
"My motivation came from my heart. That and this picture (of his wife and child). I miss my wife and family. I am really looking forward to seeing them when I go home." Behind the chiseled features, the stony expression, and his awesome cycling power, most believe that RAAM's two-time champion has a soft center.
Paul Skilbeck
http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/files/raam2005/2005_pics/2005_finish/finishlinepic/cm_robic_win2_lr.jpg
link (http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/files/newsarchive/062805_5.htm)
June 28, 2005, Atlantic City, NJ
The reigning champion, Jure Robic, concluded his domination of the 2005 Insight Race Across America through furnace-like conditions on a refreshingly cool, cloudy evening on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. He completed the 3,502 miles in 9 days, 8 hours and 48 minutes.
Throughout this unusually hot race, Robic proved far more resilient than any of his rivals to the brutal heat that bore down from above and bounced mercilessly back off the road.
When the Appalachian mountains rose as the final, daunting challenge to legs weary from 2,500 miles' racing, Robic remained smooth and strong. No rider at any point in the race mounted a serious challenge to Robic; he rode supreme.
Yet driving alongside the 40 year-old Slovenian, whose wife bore their child almost exactly one year ago, one gained the impression from the pained expression on his stony face that although this win was distant, it was far from easy.
"This year was much harder than 2004. There was more climbing, and high temperatures. I did not expect such high temperatures, I suffered much," said Robic at the finish. He was shaky on his feet, and when raising his 17lb bicycle above his head, he teetered on the edge of his balance. It was the unrelenting heat that really got him.
"I did no training for high temperatures. In Slovenia the temperature is normally about 25C (77F), but in the first day (of RAAM) it was 45C (110F). I had luck and good regeneration. That was my winning formula."
Robic's main challenger, Mike Trevino of San Diego, never really got going. Early in the race he suffered from gastric problems, then approaching Indianapolis, Trevino fell and separated his shoulder so ending his 2005 challenge.
Robic's friend and old rival, Marko Baloh, contracted pneumonia after a spirited chase of the champion, and had to retire shortly before Fort Scott, Kansas.
With these two worthy rivals gone, Robic was left far out in front, with a gap of more than 12 hours to the second-place battle betwen the dashing Italian Fabio Biasiolo and ex-pat American Chris MacDonald, who now lives in Denmark. At the time Robic finished, MacDonald and Biasiolo were almost 200 miles behind.
Yet it was never easy for Robic. When passing through Athens, Ohio, Robic climbed off his bike and it took a pep talk to get him back into the saddle. "This usually happens at one point in the race each year," explained a member of the Robic crew. But without a rival to push him, Robic had to dig deep to find the motivation to push through the relentless pain and fatigue of the solo RAAM. He found it within.
"My motivation came from my heart. That and this picture (of his wife and child). I miss my wife and family. I am really looking forward to seeing them when I go home." Behind the chiseled features, the stony expression, and his awesome cycling power, most believe that RAAM's two-time champion has a soft center.
Paul Skilbeck
http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/files/raam2005/2005_pics/2005_finish/finishlinepic/cm_robic_win2_lr.jpg
link (http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/files/newsarchive/062805_5.htm)