RAAM is over.....Thank god!

YES! Patrick did it…..with only 10 minutes to spare. It’s called time calculation on a top level. Now he is one of only 153 men around the world to have officially finished solo RAAM since 1982. When you know that 2,249 climbers have summitted Everest, being a solo RAAM finisher sounds pretty cool, isn’t it?

In the next weeks, the website will be updated with photos, short video and Patrick’s summary of his race.

To conclude, Patrick was right in his welcome message on this homepage:

THE THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM!

Thank you all for your support

Jerome

http://www.patrickautissier.org/

ps: The fundraising is still going on, so please help Partners In Health and Nashoba Learning Group getting closer to their finish line…

Day 4 - Race Across America

Yesterday, my dad went through the very challenging Wolf Creek Pass, whose summit is the highest point of RAAM. Patrick told me in an interview that he thought he was going to climb it in 2 hours. His guessing was off, he reached the summit in 1 hour 20 minutes! The crew was very surprised and delighted by this. At Wolf Creek Pass, we had the pleasure to meet Michelle Granges, a RAAM finisher in 1990, and who was named rookie of the year after finishing third overall. Everyone took pictures and got signed cards. After she and her husband left, Patrick started down Wolf Creek towards South Fork, Colorado. The plan was to go to Alamosa, the Time Station after South Fork, and get Patrick something hot to eat, like pasta or hot soup. But he got very cold and so we had to stop at South Fork to get him something to eat. The Time Station, a gas station, only had hot chocolate and hamburgers, not soup, so Patrick had to drink and eat what was there.

Estelle

Day 3- Race Across America

The third day of the 2007 RAAM for Patrick has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. He slept only briefly on the side of the road outside of Flagstaff and headed out into the desert highlands invigorated and rested. The road between the Time Stations 9 and 11 was long and straight. There were two consecutive 70 mile stages that left him tired and worn down. With only 18 hours to go before the first cutoff in Cortez, CO, Patrick was battered and broken. He developed saddle sores from the constant chaffing of the bike seat. His legs were stiff and sore. His skin leathered from the brutal sun, and his mind beaten from the constant grinding of the pedals. With much encouragement from the crew and his daughter, Patrick started into a series of three mountainous stages that weaved through Monument Valley and the Four Corners area which would bring him to Cortez, CO and the first cutoff point.

The first of these stages was one of the most beautiful on the route. The isolated two lane road spanned out the vast desert of Monument Valley. Huge towers of rock and mesas jutted out of the stark landscape in all directions. At one point Patrick and Estelle posed for a photo with this month’s copy of The Improper Bostonian and the spectacular landscape in the background in the hopes of getting the photo published and bringing publicity to Patrick campaign. The beautiful landscape was tainted by the brutal condition of the road, which constantly wore on the worsening saddle sores. After reaching Mexican Hat, UT, Patrick rested briefly and began again to ride uphill into the mountains as the sun was setting. As the evening settled into the night, a brisk cold headwind picked up, making the long day seem endless. Patrick rode into Time Station 13 in Montezuma Creek, UT beaten and tired, but remained upbeat. Encourage by the crew and the news that two riders were just within an hour ahead of him; he braved the night and got back on his bike. Setting out at midnight, he rode off into the dark night to attempt to complete the final stage before the first quarter cutoff. The stage was only 49 miles, but mostly uphill. The cold headwind had died down and the dark Utah sky was illuminated with millions of visible stars. After 1 ½ hours, he crossed the boarder into Colorado. He was extremely tired and signals the follow vehicle that he wanted to sleep for a few hours on the side of the road. The follow vehicle crew was also extremely tired, but Patrick was encouraged to continue on to complete at least half the stage before sleeping. With the follow vehicle urging him onward with the help again of Phil Collins on the sound system, Patrick pushed on ahead, conquering several steep climbs. He gathered more energy and confidence as the next 30 miles passed. Ultimately passing three riders who had stopped along the road to sleep. As he pedaled into Time Station 14 in Cortez, he looked and felt as strong as he had the entire trip. He had also surpassed the cutoff time by 9hours!

Patrick had overcome on of the hardest days physically and mentally as anyone could imagine. He was transformed from exhausted and beaten to confident and motivated. It was truly an inspiration to the crew to see him be so strong after 3 days. This was truly the inspiration that he needed to believe that he can overcome the RAAM.

Patrick rides on today into the Rocky Mountain, where the most challenging climbs of the route are located. If he continues to ride strongly as he did yesterday, he will surely surpass this challenge. Please continue to follow online at www.racecarossamerica.org for updates.

Day 2 - Race Across America

Day Two of The Race Across America for Patrick Autissier was a more typical day on the racecourse. Patrick and the team were riding high on the emotions and success of Day One; however the true challenges of the Race Across America became obvious.

Patrick rode out this morning from Time Station 6 in Congress, AZ into the vast stretches of Arizona desert. Fortunately, the weather was unusually overcast for this part of the country, leading to a more mild 95 degree day, rather than the usually 110+ blistering heat. The course was difficult through the desert with many steep climbs: the first of which was the monstrous Yarnell Grade, 5 miles of steep winding switchbacks immediately North of Congress, AZ. The course took a detour heading toward Prescott, AZ as there was fresh oil being laid on the traditional course. The riders had to pass through the isolated and desolated towns of Skull Valley and Kirkland AZ before climbing another punishing climb up 2000ft to the tiny town of Iron Springs, AZ.

As Patrick arrived at Time Station 7 in Prescott, AZ tremendously fatigued from lack of sleep and the grueling climbs. However he pushed on after sleeping for only five minutes at the checkpoint. Going North from Prescott, the course took the rider and crew into the Northern highlands of Arizona as the evening progressed into a cold night. Patrick stopped to sleep two more times as the night went on, once in Williams, AZ and again in Flagstaff, each time for only two hours. As the morning came on Day Three, Patrick, feeling more rested returned to his bike once again. He has lost some valuable time and distance on many of the riders, yet he remains in position to get back into the pack.

The challenge over the next 24 hours will be for Patrick to make the first quarter cutoff time in Cortez, CO. He must pass Time Station 14 in Cortez, CO before Wednesday June 13^TH at 14:00 EDT. The challenge for the crew will be to keep him positive, focused, and most importantly riding the bike onward.

Follow his progress online at www.raceacrossamerica.org and his own website www.patrickautissier.org. If possible, please contribute to his cause in the form of a donation.