2nd report from US

Due to the logistical and traffic problems on Friday we went to bed as late as 2 am. Nevertheless, we had to get up as early as 6:30 am to prepare the vehicles for the inspection. The race officials tested the proper function of all lights (including the required flashing amber lights on the roof of the pace vehicle) and the correct position of the decals. The race bikes had be equipped with proper lighting and reflective tape as well. Since RAAM continues day and night, safety is one of the biggest concerns. Fortunately, everything was accepted right away.

At 2 pm in the afternoon the rider and crew meeting took place where the most important race rules and the route book were explained. It was the last possibility the clarify any remaining questions.

At 5 pm all riders and crew were invited to an awesome pre-race banquet at the Holiday Inn Hotel in San Diego. As a special guest Pete Penseyres was honoured for his outstanding RAAM performance in 1986 where he established the still valid record with the highest average speed of all RAAM rides (15,4 mph).

In the evening we are still busy to complete the preparation of the pace vehicle. The bike rack has to be exchanged to fit to the roof of the car. The laptop computer must be equipped with a GPS system and a digital street atlas of the USA. We hope that this system will help us through the USA without navigation errors. We try to go to bed as early as possible since the race starts already at 7 am local time.

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