Indians Star In World's Toughest Race

Race Across America -- which spans a little over 3,000 miles, from the west coast of the US to its east -- is often called the toughest race in the world.
Indian cyclists are now returning multiple finishes at RAAM including podium positions within age categories, discovers Shyam G Menon.

It was thirteen years ago that an Indian participated for the first time in the solo category of one of the world's toughest bicycle races - Race Across America (RAAM).

On Saturday (June 24), Navi Mumbai-based lawyer and ultra-cyclist Kabir Rachure registered his third successful finish at RAAM with a second place in his age group to boot.

"Finishing RAAM itself is a Herculean task," Bharat Pannu, among leading ultra-cyclists in India and a RAAM aspirant, says about Kabir's performance and how it would be a new benchmark for those set to follow.

On Sunday, June 25, two more Indian cyclists -- Amit Samarth and Srinivas Gokulnath -- reached the finish line, their second successful completion of RAAM in the solo category.

RAAM's course stretches across the United States.

According to some of those tracking RAAM in India, there was an incident of forest fires due to which participants were advised to travel in their vehicles between two time-stations.

There appears to have been two circulars to participants in this regard, while the race was on.

In its first communique, RAAM informed that solo riders may see time adjustment of nine hours post-race.

Later, a note of June 22, while not mentioning nine hours, said (among other things), 'Cut offs remain as they are in the rules and this adjustment taken after the fact will not affect your official finish status but will affect your final speeds and race data.'

It added that until the final adjustment is made, 'all awards and records will be provisional.'

According to this note, the shuttle of 102.8 miles (165.44 kilometres) between time-stations 8 and 9 reduced this year's course length to 2934.09 miles (4721.96 kilometres).

Kabir finished on the tenth day (10 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes) from race commencement, a long-coveted goal among Indian aspirants.

Amit completed in 11 days, four hours and 38 minutes (the timing was despite him suffering a bout of mountain sickness in Colorado and losing 19 hours to the required medical attention and rest); Srinivas in 11 days, six hours.

RAAM normally spans a little over 3,000 miles (4800 kilometres), from the west coast of the United States to its east; its usual course is from Oceanside in California to Annapolis in Maryland.

The event operates like a single-stage race meaning the clock starts ticking once the cycling commences and it is up to the rider and his/her support crew to decide how the journey -- including sleep time therein -- should be managed.

In the media, RAAM is sometimes called the world's toughest bicycle race. The label of 'toughest' is known to irritate people for it is a very subjective perception.

But endurance married to a multitude of challenges and a time limit for execution, rarely fails to serve up a tough brew.

RAAM delivers that especially when participation is in then solo category.

Over its length, RAAM exposes the cyclist to high mountains, arid lands, prairies, cold, heat, windy conditions and thunder storms.

Insufficient sleep leads to fatigue and hallucination. Gradients and weather phenomena take a toll on mind and body.

And there is that rare condition seen in ultra-cycling called "Shermer's Neck," which involves a total failure of the neck muscles.

In the 2011 edition of RAAM, Alberto Blanco finished fourth in the solo category with a brace holding up his head.

The cut off time to complete RAAM solo is 12 days. The fastest completion of RAAM to date is by the Austrian ultra-cyclist and winner of RAAM multiple times, Christoph Strasser -- seven days, 15 hours and 56 minutes.

The 2023 RAAM was won by Isa Pulver of Switzerland. She covered the distance in nine days, 12 hours and 16 minutes; only the second instance of a woman winning RAAM's solo category overall, after Leah Goldstein of Canada in 2021.

India's tryst with the solo category at RAAM began in 2010, when Samim Rizvi (on LinkedIn, he is currently described as a professional athlete, physical trainer and fine artist) originally from Mumbai and later shifted to Bengaluru, decided to participate.

According to him, he was the first Indian and the third Asian to qualify for the event.

That qualification in times preceding events to qualify for RAAM in India was done on a loop at Nandi Hills, Karnataka, with an official to monitor, flown in from the US.

Given travel to the US, stay in the US ahead of the race, support crew, vehicles for crew to accompany cyclist right across the US, performance bicycles, spare parts and the long preparation that goes into readying for the race, RAAM is an expensive affair.

For Indians, a typical RAAM budget will entail a few lakhs (ten lakhs equals a million).

IT company, Cisco, helped Samim assemble the required funds. His debut at RAAM ended in a mishap. But he didn't give up.

Returning for the 2011 edition, Samim completed the gruelling race; unfortunately, "just outside the 12 day cut-off" but good enough for him to merit a permanent bib number and be free of qualifying afresh to participate.

Samim would participate again in 2013 and 2017, but sadly, he stayed unable to complete it officially.

In 2017, a technical issue with his bicycle and a consequent fall forced Samim to abort his race. Ahead of that year's RAAM, he had told me, "The goal is to eventually complete RAAM in ten days."

Amidst this, in 2015, the Mahajan brothers -- Hitendra and Mahendra -- doctors from Nashik, competing in the team category, finished RAAM successfully. But India still lacked a solo finisher.

Notwithstanding Samim's misfortune, 2017 proved to be an important year for India at RAAM.

At the start line of the race in Oceanside, California, besides Samim, were Srinivas Gokulnath, hailing from Bengaluru and at that time an army doctor posted in Nashik; and Amit Samarth, a doctor from Nagpur.

In 2017, Srinivas became the first Indian to complete RAAM in the solo category. He took 11 days, 18 hours and 45 minutes. His coach for 2017 RAAM was Alberto Blanco.

Amit followed Srinivas to the finish line in 11 days and 21 hours, giving India two solo finishers that year.

A cyclist and triathlete, Amit became the first Indian to complete RAAM solo, in his first attempt (in 2018 he would complete the 9000-kilometre-long Trans-Siberian Extreme, placing fourth overall).

Things started happening again in the India-RAAM equation with Kabir Rachure entering the frame. By now, events to qualify for RAAM had begun happening in India.

In 2016, participating in the year's 646 kilometre-long Deccan Cliffhanger (DC), Kabir had missed the RAAM qualification-mark by 28 minutes. It left him disappointed.

But at DC, he met Samim and the latter helped Kabir get more information about RAAM.

Given RAAM is a composite of cyclist and support crew, many Indians wishing to participate in the event as cyclist, first familiarize themselves with being support crew for others at endurance races including RAAM.

Amit for instance, served in the support crew of RAAM legend Seana Hogan in 2016; Bharat Pannu who wishes to attempt RAAM, had in 2018, crewed for Team Sea to See (it was composed of eight cyclists and support crew) at the event.

Kabir was part of Samim's support crew in the aborted 2017 attempt at RAAM.

In 2017 with a third place secured in DC, Kabir got his RAAM qualification. He qualified a second time when he placed second in the year's edition of the 1750-kilometre-long Ultra Spice, another endurance cycling event in India.

He moved through a couple of more such races including one in Ladakh in 2018 (which he won) before landing up in the US for the 2019 RAAM.

In June 2019, Kabir completed RAAM in 11 days, 22 hours and 43 minutes.

Six to seven months after that edition of RAAM, COVID-19 zoomed to pandemic proportion, triggering lockdowns and bringing sport to a grinding halt worldwide.

During this period, virtual sports - physical activity blended with software, digital avatar in digital landscape and a networked arena of competition - took off in a big way.

In June 2020, a virtual RAAM was held with cyclists on home trainers worldwide pedalling their digital avatars through a digital landscape that mimicked the terrain-based difficulties of actual race routes.

Army officer, Bharat Pannu finished third in this event featuring participation by several cyclists worldwide.

When the pandemic eased and RAAM returned in its physical form in 2022, Kabir went back to the US and completed the race in 11 days, 11 hours and 25 minutes.

Most importantly, he placed third in his age category (men under 50); the first podium finish by an Indian in RAAM's solo segment.

In July 2022, during a recollection of his RAAM experience, he told this writer, "I feel I have unlocked myself in some way."

Following the 2022 RAAM, he participated in the annual Borrego Springs WTTC (World Time Trial Championships) and logged 428.4 miles (689.44 kilometres) in 24 hours.

While soon after the 2022 RAAM, Kabir had spoken of riding again at the event only in 2024, post Borrego Springs, he hinted that he was weighing his options about a 2023 entry.

"Overall, it is a fantastic progression," Dr Mahendra Mahajan said of Indian cyclists now returning multiple finishes at RAAM including podium position within age category as in Kabir's case.

He felt these developments would have a positive effect on cycling's growth in India especially given the public's post-COVID interest in health and fitness.

However, specific to sustaining the now emergent trend for podium positions in age category and taking them to still higher levels like overall podium finishes, he said a lot remains to be done.

For instance, it is the same pool of talent that is returning top performances. Between them and the next rung of Indian competence in ultra-cycling, a gap exists despite the number of people qualifying for RAAM increasing over the years.

Ultra-cycling events in India have increased in number but races that comprehensively mimic the breadth of challenges events like RAAM throw up, don't exist yet.

Further, for many Indians, RAAM continues to be an expensive project.

Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com