After six and a half days of racing, last year’s winner has clocked up more than 3,938 kilometres. Fans lining the roadside in Indiana are cheering on the Austrian. Elisabeth from Melk in Lower Austria lives right by the route with her husband Scott and got in touch with the team via Instagram. The crew were served Wiener schnitzel and Linzertorte. Kaider himself is on a liquid-only diet during the race and was unable to join them for a meal. The defending champion now holds a commanding lead. He is around 300 miles – almost 500 kilometres – ahead of his two closest rivals.
Medical support at the RAAM
Team doctor Dr Karl Spandl checks the rider’s health every day. “So far, everything is stable. Naturally, after 140 hours on the bike, there are a few minor issues. Particularly in the seat area. But we check this daily and apply creams to prevent any infection from developing in the small skin cracks. He’s coping quite well with the discomfort. The pain in his knee, particularly after a sleep break, is also well under control,” he reports in a press release. The medical team is keeping the symptoms under control. A thick saddle pad is intended to help alleviate the seating problems.
A prank played on the crew at the RAAM
He even still had enough energy left for a bit of fun. Kaider demonstrated his mental resilience with a prank. He stopped and pretended to be completely exhausted. Crew B immediately began running through various worst-case scenarios. Stefan Krejcza from Crew B reports that Kaider suddenly jumped to his feet and revealed the ruse. The crew announced they would get their own back. Crew A had been in on the prank.
Final stage through the Appalachians
From Indiana, the route leads to Ohio. The Appalachian Mountains present the final major challenge. Kaider is expecting long and steep climbs. In his own words, the mountainous terrain will demand everything he has. His average speed of 27.5 km/h, including all breaks, is one kilometre per hour faster than his pace last year. He has shaken off his pursuers.
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A thrilling battle for the podium
Victory seems within Kaider’s grasp at the moment – even though he still has around 1,000 kilometres to cover. However, the battle for the other podium places is set to be extremely exciting. Currently in second place overall is Swiss RAAM debutant Michel Bucheli from Adliswil. He only discovered his passion for ultracycling in 2023. Bucheli used to weigh over 100 kilos and frequently went out partying. Today, he leads a disciplined life and is an active member of a triathlon club. Almost neck and neck with Bucheli is Tom Mauerhofer from Austria, who is determined to overcome the trauma of his broken neck sustained during the RAAM once and for all. The cycling priest Pawel Nowak had never dreamt of victory, but only of successfully completing the race. He is still doing well in the race and holds a place in the middle of the rankings.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
