Woudenberg and Plath actually raced on the same team in 2005, and Plath has even trained Woudenberg in the past. But this year they're competitors.
Along with more than 200 other cyclists in 12 categories, the teams departed from Oceanside on June 12, and were scheduled to arrive in Atlantic City, N.J., late Tuesday. By Tuesday afternoon, Plath's Team Bachetta had a 114-mile lead on Woudenberg's Team Velocraft. The team names come from the brand of bicycles they are racing. Bachetta has reached New Jersey, and Velocraft has reached Pennsylvania. The teams are the only competitors in the "two-person recumbent" category.
 Coastsider Tim Woudenberg, right, poses with teammate Glenn Druery before the pair set off on a bike race across the country. |
"They're flying. They're doing great," said Team Velocraft's sponsor, Dana Lieberman, on the race's third day.
By the end of Monday, however, Druery had received X-rays on his leg, and the Velocraft crew had opted to keep him out of the remainder of the race. Woudenberg began racing solo as the team wound through West Virginia. As a result, Velocraft relinquished the lead as Bachetta kept going strong.
The Race Across America - known by the acronym RAAM - was first conducted in 1982 and now proclaims itself as the world's toughest bike race. Participants trek more than 3,000 miles and climb more than 100,000 feet. Riders race continuously rather than in stages as in the Tour de France, often snagging less than four hours of sleep per night. Meanwhile, a crew of about 10 people and two vehicles per team follows the riders and keeps tabs on the competition.
Lieberman said that there traditionally hasn't been a lot of corporate sponsorship for the event. "It's such a small, niche race," he said. "Most people think of it as sort of fanatic."
Compounding the uniqueness of the race itself is the nature of Woudenberg's and Plath's bicycles. Recumbent bicycles position the rider much lower to the ground than upright, or "diamond frame" bicycles. Consequently, the cyclist is positioned leaning back and rides feet first. Proponents of recumbents claim that the bicycles offer an aerodynamic advantage compared to upright bicycles. While descending from the Rockies on June 15, Druery was clocked at more than 60 mph.
Because of their speed, recumbent bicycles are generally banned in most upright bicycle races. Race Across America is one of the few competitions that allows them.
Until Druery went down with his injury, both teams were within striking distance of the two-person recumbent record set last year by Woudenberg and his 2006 partner, Thomas Kingsbury. Woudenberg and Kingsbury crossed the continent in seven days, 15 hours, and 47 minutes.
The alliances and history among the team members, however, are providing an interesting storyline for this year's race.
Back in 2005, Woudenberg and Plath were teammates on the same four-person recumbent team, which competed against a team that included Druery. This year, Plath and Druery have swapped spots, and everyone has moved over to the two-person category.
Plath's partner this year is John Schlitter of Kansas.
Team Velocraft's crew chief, David Bradley, lamented the loss of Druery. The entire team, however, remains committed to seeing Woudenberg across the finish line.
"Obviously there's no way we're going to beat Team Bachetta," Bradley said, "but what are you going to do? We want to finish."
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