Near Mexican Hat, Utah – While everything on four wheels seemed to be breaking down around it Sunday, Team Type 1 smoothly rolled on in the Race Across America (RAAM).
Last year’s runner-up in the eight-rider team division of the non-stop, transcontinental race was in the lead after 769 miles of the 3,021-mile race. Second-place Team ViaSat trailed by 80 minutes at the 11th of 53 time stations along the route.
Despite an RV that broke down with transmission problems Sunday afternoon and a fire earlier that morning that totaled one of the team’s minivans, Team Type 1 is on target to arrive in Annapolis, Md., in record time.
So far, the eight riders who all have Type 1 diabetes are riding at a pace two miles an hour faster than the Byggkjøp presented by BMC Cycling Team that won last year in a record time of five days, nine hours and 43 minutes.
Sunday’s vehicle trouble might have stopped even the most veteran of RAAM teams. Team Type 1 Manager Dave Eldridge called it the worst stretch of luck he has had in four years of working the race.
“These are the problems that totally disrupt the flow of the crew’s activities,” Eldridge said as a tow truck pulled up to haul away the broken-down RV. “But I have a great crew. I couldn’t ask for a better crew of 20 people or the people who are supporting our other team in the race (Team Type 2).”
The RV carrying Team Type 1’s resting riders broke down with transmission trouble near Mexican Hat, Utah. Eldridge hoped to have it inspected by a mechanic early Monday morning. Meanwhile, he asked seven members of his crew to remain behind while the team’s other RV was put into service as a replacement vehicle to transport the riders.
Earlier in the day, quick work by the crew stopped the minivan fire that started when the van’s hot catalytic converter came in contact with tall grass on the side of the road. The vehicle was pulled off to make a rider exchange in the Arizona desert.
“It could have been a very, very dangerous situation but the crew reacted quickly and got it under control,” Eldridge said.
While all the chaos was erupting, Team Type 1’s eight riders (Jeff Bannink, Simon Bennett, Alex Bowden, Matt Brooks, Tom Kingery, Lonny Knabe, Bob Schrank and Mark Suprenant) pedaled on – some of them unaware of the fire or RV breakdown. All of them have Type 1 diabetes, a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to properly control blood sugar levels.