RAW: Monument Valley and Beyond

Shane Peed rides through Monument Valley. Photos: Kevin Mackinnon

Next thing you know, it’s all done. Taking on a long-distance cycling challenge like the Race Across the West (or, as the team did last year and many are still competing in now, the Race Across America) requires hard work by the athletes, but also a dedicated team working in the background to make it all happen. I left you all hanging at the end of the first 27 hours suggesting that we’d be finishing up the day in Flagstaff, Arizona. Turns out that wasn’t the case – we ended up at a campground 40 miles north of Flagstaff thanks to the late night-heroics of Shane Peed and Eli Cullison, who continued riding until roughly 1 AM. Early on Thursday morning it was time for Greer Peed and Jordan Reed to get back on the road with crew chief Terry Wilson and Vincent Wieser in the follow vehicle.

Eric Wynn transfers bikes as the riders switch out heading to Monument Valley.

The rest of the crew packed things up later in the morning and got on the road, catching up to the riders a few hours later in time for me to get in the Rex Rover and get some shots through some of the most spectacular scenery of the race. The shot above is of the elder Peed making the climb up to the “Forest Gump Hill viewing area” in the heart of Monument Valley, and I managed to clear out all the tourists getting photos of themselves walking or running up the hill to get the shot.

As we were getting ready for this stretch a look at the leaderboard showed that Matthew Lefthand had won the race in a new record-setting time of 44 hours and 53 minutes.

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Peed took a long pull through the valley …

And then it was Cullison’s turn to take in the spectacular scenery.

Peed (Shane) and Cullison would get the crew through the remaining stretch in Arizona and into Colorado as we neared the final big climb of the race to Durango. At this point the younger Peed and Reed were getting antsy to get back out on the course, and the took on the final stretch with gusto.

The support caravan gets ready for the final switchover for the last leg of the race.

Colorado Rocky Mountain high – Greer Peed on his way up the final big climb of the race.

Reed hits the summit before the final descent into Durango.

That final stretch from Cortez to Durango sees the riders climb to 8,417 feet before a screaming descent down into Durango, which sits a shade over 6,000 feet of elevation.

Reed heads down the mountain into Durango.

With four miles to go, at the city limits of Durango, the riders got together to enjoy the final few miles of the race together, getting to enjoy the incredible experience of having finished the Race Across the West. They finished in 55 hours and 30 minutes, crossing the line just as the sun was setting in Durango.

In the end the team would finish fourth overall and win the four-man team competition. Marko Baloh crossed the line just under an hour before to take second overall in the solo race, while Pierluigi Cocchini and Paolo Pietro Godardi would finish second overall and win the two-man competition in 54 hours and 13 minutes.

You can see the results from RAW (and track RAAM) here.

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