Provided by the Race Across America Officials

For nearly three decades, the Race Across America has provided an opportunity for men and women from all over the world to gather in California and race their bicycles to the Atlantic Ocean. To successfully complete a "RAAM crossing" demands and extracts a Herculean effort, and like climbing mountains or sailing oceans, RAAM becomes a catalyst which ignites the fire within.

In this way ultra-endurance cycling becomes much more than a "tough ride", it becomes a part of you. The effort, discipline and determination necessary to succeed are stamped into one's spirit and transcend from the saddle to daily life.

Now in 2009, the Race Across the West will be held in conjunction with the Solo Race Across America. Both races will start simultaneously side-by-side and follow the same race course until Taos, NM where RAW concludes.

This is an opportunity to race against the very best ultra-cyclists inthe world!

Four times RAAM Champion Jure Robic from Slovenia, RAAM Champion Daniel Wyss from Switzerland, Gerhard Gulewicz of Austria and many more arescheduled to compete. Last year, while competing in RAAM, Jure Robicled the way to Taos, NM in 2 days, 19 hours and 15 minutes. For a RAW soloist to become an official finisher he or she must beat a cut-off time of 3 days 20 hours. From sea level to 6,950 feet, across deserts,over mountains and more mountains for 1,000 + miles in a single-stage; this is definitely not a tour.

RAW challenges a racer to more than 1,000 miles on as little sleep as possible, and if that isn't tough enough, we threw in some mountain ranges, extreme climate changes and brutal heat. Headwinds? You have to race it to find out.