Comments welcome

.. 69.4miles to Blythe (TS03)

I'm reading the blog too so please post questions ecouragememts etc I can pass th on to the riders. I see them often - strangest thing.

Spread the word if you think there is someone out there who should be reading this drivel but isn't



- from my iPhone

Location:Hwy 78 ...

TS02

11:35pm EDT
141.9
2863.1 mi to go


- from my iPhone

Location:Brawley,CA

Following DQ

Shift change, DQ hands off to Bill



- from my iPhone

Location:Anza Borrego desert

Waiting at 1st exchange

Quncy van and follow vehicle (us) now at first legal exchange point. Tim apparently hauling and eating up the competition

We may go back west up the hill to meet Tim if it looks like he won't be here by 7pm

Wow and 8 person team flew by!!
(4-6 minute pulls - amazing)




- from my iPhone

Location:Borrego Springs, CA

Vehicles and crew

while I'm sitting here waiting at TS01 let address the numerous comments - well the one from Julian. (comments welcome, especially nice and encouraging ones or promises of money)

Two 15 person vans, with middle two ors of seats removed and plywood subfloor installed. Each "exchange" van supports a pair of riders, Bill and DaveQ (quincy van) Tim and Eduardo (shipper van) Each vehicle has 3 crew attached.

sheeper van: Ken Sheeper, Steve Young (burgess life guard), Michael Laudenbach (eduardo's nephew) and Teri Llach

quincy van: Sig Paulazzo, Doug Fuji and Charlie (Bill's friend)

at night the rider is followed by the "follow van" smaller min-van with David Greenwood, Raoul Surcouf (DG's employe's spouse, and me (Peter Davies)

each pair rides for 6-8 hours TBD and within that time does 30min pulls



- from my iPad

Location:California 76,Palomar-Julian,United States

Waiting at TS01

Waiting for Eduardo to blow by
In about an hour (5pm)




DavidG, Raoul and Peter in the follow vehicle. Strict following doesn't start till 7pm
- from my iPhone

Location:California 76,Palomar-Julian,United States

31 minutes till start

Getting exciting - Eduardo to start Tim to take over mile 21.5. Other rider pair, Bill and Dave heading directly to mile 8022. Our starttime is 2:07pm




- from my iPhone

Location:1st St,Oceanside,United States

Tim's motivational

- from my iPhone

Location:St Malo Beach,Oceanside,United States

Leaving our fabulous accomodations

Bikes are loaded - headed to start


- from my iPhone

Location:St Malo Beach,Oceanside,United States

Van packing strategies...

Two distinct approaches are becoming evident. Contrast and compare:

Quincy Van


Sheeper Van


but then the Sheeper Van has still some packing to do...


Sheeper van has developed novel crew storage techniques. You pull the crew member out with a rope if you need a new one


- from my iPad

Location:St Malo Beach,Oceanside,United States

Race Day

After the evening race meeting yesterday (I played hooky) everyone got an early night. Tim chose to sleep closest to the waves..


Last minute van organization dominates the early morning. The "sheeper" van wins the prize for "most stuff". The "quincy" van even has room for a crew. Lights and flags posts got added to the shuttle vans. GPS units installed. Initial GPS training completed. Not sure how well this is all going to work. Added complexity and RAAM don't go well together


and Sig chose which of three possible positions the DOT triangle will be affixed.




One of the inverters trips out when charging the laptops so there will be an emergency trip to Fry's coming up.
DavidG and Raoul headed in to race HQ to hand in The Binder.

- from my iPad