We were up on the 2 man record for about 5 days in 2009 but fell away as we reached the Appalacian mountains and finished in 7d1h38m Looking forward to following your progress and the best of luck with the race.
Mark's laser-focused obsession with performing optimally as a team is both scary and inspiring. "We _need_ us to be a good team." And in the Around the World in 80 Days film, the slightest doubt of finishing from his teammates was enough to mess with his mental and tell off his managers. Even Laura Penhaul was not spared Mark's ire. Truly an exceptional athlete. Mark is my hero. He will demand nothing less than the best. Good luck out there!
I'm super excited for you guys! You've worked out the nuances of the event, you've assembled the perfect team, and you've both put in all the hard work. Now it's time for everything to all come together. Best of luck! 🍀
same here and i am a 100kg guy riding his 15 year old cyclo cross bike to work almost every day, often barefoot in the summertime;))) so i think i am not the usual target demographic;)
Hum, maybe go like old fashioned astronaut/submariner? 4 hours on the bike, 4 hours to eat and sleep, and repeat. That would imply 12 hours of riding and 12 hours of sleeping and eating. 4 hours is Mark's standard riding shift, and not even a challenge for a racer, especially if they don't go full out like in a standard bike ride. Best for you all, and I will definitely want to know more!
Maybe have Mark do a solo race from the beginning next year. Mark doesn’t really strike me as a team guy anyway. Or film him on the unsupported TABR, suits him better probably.
Wish you were doing daily videos of the race live! With only one racer on the bike doing it solo as a 2 person team because of Covid is news worthy. Let’s go!!!
I have always wanted to do that Race (solo). Not for the competitive aspect...no chance of competing for placing, just want to have the experience. Come retirement I plan on doing a ride across America choosing my own route and the Tour Divide from Banff to Mexico boarder. Good luck guys, can't wait for the GCN+ Documentary!!!
@@notreally2406 very true, this one will have to remain a want. Besides I want to enjoy the ride across the states, pick my route and not feel constrained by the clock. I may tackle Tour Divide first as it’s higher on my want list.
I hope you guys off with this race before the current heat wave we are in now. I live in Austin, Texas and we seem to be pegged at 98-102 deg F. I'm headed out for a ride now and it's already 78 with the high set to be 102 by 2:00 pm. I wish the whole team a safe and successful adventure. Thanks GCN for helping with this event and I'm very much looking forward to the documentary film on GCN+.
The first 1,500km can be a killer, not because of the terrain but because the heat will be extremely draining. Keeping hydrated and cool will be vital.
Wow. What a challenge. Brilliant to be able to follow it like this. Wish you good weather and tailwinds the whole way chaps. Stay safe and nice dreams when sleeping…..
The solo record holder did it in 7d ~16h, which is crazy for a solo rider. He(Christoph Strasser, Austria) seems to take the first place quite often. Wiki: "... he became the first person to ride more than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) in 24 hours... achieved 1,026.215 kilometres (637.660 mi) with an average speed of 42.75 kilometres per hour ... he also broke 11 other world records, for Kilometer and Mile distances of 100, 200, 300, 500 and for six, 12, and 24 hours." - that was with 9 hours of rain
@@malaysiadentist4637 Strasser hasn't raced RAAM in a few years. Last year's RAAM was actually one of the least competitive events in recent years due to so many international participants not showing from pandemic uncertainty.
@@cup_and_cone Many People (incl Strasser) couldn’t join last year because US covid visa restrictions made it impossible. There are no big sponsors behind the RAAM contestants (well, except the ones in this video), getting a crew together for two weeks, organize everything and then be denied entry last minute wasn’t a risk many were willing to take.
The team I was in won the race in 2016 but the organisers played funny buggers which ended up in a lawsuit and finally the proper result being reinstated - ie we (Team DMS) were eventually reinstated as the winners. Short story - another team (team Working Nation) had cheated by claiming an impediment which they didn’t experience and almost gotten away with it (until a detailed data analysis showed they cheated). Absolute disgrace really. It all left a very bitter taste in the mouth and really called into question the professionalism and integrity of the organisers. Having said that, leaving the owner of the race aside, it is a terrific bike race and well worth doing once in your life. Good luck guys. And please ride safe. It is very scary at times.
Fascinating ! What did TWN say their impediment was ? I see they're listed as winning the 4 man team that year ? Respect to you - it sounds bloody gruelling !
@@leskennedy they claimed they were held up by a fallen tree in Indiana by 30 mins (there were tornadoes going through that area and it was f’ing scary riding with trees and debris all over the road. I was riding that leg and it was insanity). Anyway, they had 30 mins credited to their time. But we were a little surprised as we rode through that same area at almost exactly the same time and it was clear from the tracker data that they were probably held up for c5 mins. I still have the calls. (Well either that or in that segment they were riding at 50mph for the time they were supposedly moving). In the end they won the 4 man and we won the 8 man and the overall but only after a law suit brought after we were disqualified for calling out their cheating. The irony!. Getting DQ’d for pointing out to the organisers that TWN lied about their hold up. The organisers wanted TWN to win the overall as they were making a moving about the race and were keen for them to win(and definitely not keen for their inaccuracy to be brought to light). It was a very weird situation and really highlighted how sport can be corrupted - even at this amateur level.
Keep in mind that the Desert in Arizona is very draining. Many competitors "survive" it to find they can go no further later on in the event. Please keep in mind that record highs are anticipated this upcoming week. Please be very careful and hydrate way more than you think you'll need.
Wishing you both all the success in this humungous effort here in the USA. Have followed. Mark and all his rides around the world. BEST OF LUCK AND ENDURANCE, MARK AND JONATHAN and THEIR SUPPORT TEAM !! ☘☘
Mark: I watched both of the films on this RAAM, obviously gutted that Jonathan had to bail, but in the closing interview, you said you would try it again,,,,,but SOLO. Just wondering why? I hope you do go for it again, what a MONSTER ride!!! Good Luck for whenever that time may come. ☘
I rode “zig zag” across the USA back in 1977 in a (personal) record time of 5 m 14 d 11 h 15 minutes with a 32lb. Fuji and a 30 lb. pack. I could not imagine doing it in less than a week, awesome, best of luck!
A bit of context and kudos for the existing record holders… Jean Luc Perez and Evans Stievenart rode 3082 miles at an average speed of 19.85mph in 2019. Stievenart is a “wattage bazooka” recipient for his record ride at the Le Mans 24 Hour Velo race in 2017 where he rode 590 miles in those 24 hours. Perez also rode Le Mans, completing 545 miles. Mark and Jon are really going to be up against it here! Good luck to them both 💪
@@leskennedy Hmm - reply has vanished, so apologies if duplicating here. A sponsor's write up reported they were taking 75 minute turns, and napping for 10-15 minutes. As the race progressed, Stievenart took on most of the climbing and Perez the descents.
1hr stints seems crazy to me. I'd have thought 4 hrs would be much more forgiving in terms or meaningful recovery when you're looking at a weeks worth of bike time. But then... what do I know?! Alternatively: mixed higher intensity 1 hr stints through the bulk of the day, then 4 hrs through night, so each rider gets a proper sleep cycle in daily??
I agree, it's totally stupid. You saw the whole group tried to say it was a dumb strategy, but Beaumont overruled them. He is only useful in solo challenges.
@@leskennedy I'd say they'll be forced to. The teammate will just get burned out, then Beaumont will be angry at him. Happened to Hank on the tandem LEJOG attempt! Mark seems extremely bloody minded
Agree, I’d look at 4, 4, 4, through the night then 3, 3, 3, 3 through the day. This will rotate the riding sequence through each day and allow some reasonable sleep. You have to ride aerobically over this period of time and recovery will be more important than riding at threshold. You want to minimise power loss over successive days.
I have a lot of questions about the strategy... the 1-on-1-off seems unsustainable. Just doing a toilet break in those skinsuits is an ordeal. It's also interesting that they focus so much on aero when they are not even sure they can physically pedal for that long.
Great video! Good luck to you all. From what I understand, you (and everyone else) will need it. It's beyond insanity. Question: Hour on, hour off? Why on earth would they do that? The intervals seem WAY too short to provide the benefits of rest, recovery, nutrition, proper warm up and so much else. How will you ever get any worthwhile sleep? You have a partner out riding, so get some rest! Plus, aren't you setting yourself up to fail giving yourselves so many transitions? Surely they're the slowest part of the race, so you think you'd want to minimize their frequency. Plus, this is also probably the most dangerous part of the effort: exiting from and merging into traffic, pulling the vehicle over, milling about with traffic speeding by. Can't possibly imagine they will stick with this approach come RAAM.
I know Axel who set with Anders the Record for two riders. He told me that his Excelsheet had more than 1000 ToDos. He is able to focus on one single task and does everything to fulfill this. For the records the journey costs them more than 40.000€. Mostly paid by sponsors. I wish the two guys all the best to win this race.
Surely after years of competition, the best strategy must have emerged. I'm curious what strategy the current record holders used. I agree that the 1 hour rotation seems too short and doesn't allow enough rest.
@@LVQ-so5th The top teams use variable schedules to accommodate sleep, terrain, conditions, time of day, etc. Sticking to a hard 1x1 is bad idea. The big thing is sleep. Doing teams your heart rate fluctuates up and down all week due to rest periods; on a 1x1, by the time your heart rate is back to resting, it's time to get dressed and ready for your turn. Solo riders on the other hand, their heart rate basically stays elevated the entire week; when they finally sleep, they crash from a psychological shutdown, there's no 'winding down' for a nap.
WTF??? did you guys quit after 395 miles??? 2022 Race RAAM Category 2-Person Age Cat 18-49 Bike Type Standard Gender Male Racing Age 0 Finish Status DNF
Love your videos! I wondered if you could make a video about using hills as HIIT - outdoors this is. As I use the hills to sprint as hard as I can, and I wondered how this affects my calorie burn, fat burn, fitness, and weight loss prospects?
This is probably a bit late. The In Ear Comms pain is just the ear getting used to having something in it. If the riders were to wear the comms as much as possible, even off the bike, then their ears would get used to them quicker. I had a similar problem when I started wearing a Bluetooth headset for driving as a courier. After a week or so the pain went away as my ears got used to the headset.
Or just get one that doesn't hurt. Really a headset should be comfortable and effortless to wear, not everything about cycling needs to be uncomfortable.
This will be a fantastic series. HOWEVER... I am scratching my head watching this as to how with all the focus on aerodynamics, no one tells Mark to shave his arms. That's 8 watts lost at 40km/h. As for the bikes, GCNs own wind tunnel tests showed an 8-12 watt loss in efficiency with disc brakes (compared Pinarello F12 disc and rim). 15w at 35km/h of low hanging fruit lost for one, 8w for the other. I can only think the bikes were paid to be used by Argon 18 as advertising.
All the best would love to give it a try I've followed the race many times when it on and I'm in ore of the riders is thier still cut off times for the lrgs
A lot of preparation. Good luck. May the weather and traffic be kind to you. Has there been an Australian equivalent race? Perth to Sydney. Google Maps indicates 3,756 km 7 d 17 hr by cycling. How realistic is that?
The hardest part about RAAM is the cost. Not just the tens of thousands of dollars it cost to pay for everything you need (at least two crew vehicles, at least 8 support crew, all their food, travel to and from the race, the time off from work, etc etc), but being in a position to "not work" before the race to train, and to "not work" for the couple weeks of the race, and to find a support crew willing to give up two-three weeks of vacation to support a racer. The actual pedaling part is the easy part... (Don't get me wrong, hats off to anyone who can pull all that together. But is just so disengenuous for a couple of guys who get paid to ride their bike to 'tackle' the event. You want to impress me, find a couple of people who work 40hrs a week at a regular job and see if they can pull off the event...)
This is why the Trans America Bike Race TABR is so much better - self supported, no back up, you set off, you suffer and maybe you get to finish, but you find yourself along the way - it's running right now 👍
Yes. They are not doing RAAM but team RAAM. However 2man team RAAM is quite challenging. Ps. I am a 4x RAAM vet, best time 243 hours and RAW record holder riding a fixed gear.
No but good luck. I've watched this race many times and there are so many boxes that need to align for a win and I think the first time is even harder. However if anyone can do it its these two, Mark simply doesn't even recognise the words give up.
I know you have a great cpm on the videos, I know you have sponsors up the wazu, amd I know you have a great subscription service and I know you are a well oiled machine but how on earth do you afford to do all these amazing features???? This challenge alone must have cost tens of thousands. (Thanks by the way)
GCN is part of the Play Sports network, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery so I would guess there is more than just TH-cam revenue funding the channel
Not sure of RAAM is the hardest bike race. Let say it is one of the hardest. First it is a supported ultra race, which makes it faster not harder. The second it is not the longest which it is/was the Trans Siberian extreme race. 9100km supported race with multiple stages from over 1300km, but yeah this one is also discussable how hard this is. In my opinion I think NorthCape-Tarifa is one of the hardest races, over 7000km. Crossing some really hard points on the way aswell: Col d’Iseran: 2764m Highest mountain pass in the Alps, Port d’Envalira, 2409m: Highest all year open mountain pass in Europe and highest pass in the Pyronees and Pico del Veleta 3398m; Highest ridable road in Europe.
The crew will never stop. Day four will be hell for all. Everyday there has to be a 3-4 hour break for all. Which means a longer pull for the riders as well. Think about how long it takes to fill up or buy food. Keeping a hour pull rotation comes from inexperience
Yeah an hour on, hour off seems like madness. It’s far easier to deal with 5, 6 or 8 hours in the saddle for 6-7 days than it is to deal with severe sleep deprivation and lack of recovery after 2 days… and the strain on the crew and support seems unsustainable. 8 hour shifts would have made much more sense to me…
I concur, the one-hour on and one-hour off doesn't sound like the way to win friends and enjoy the ride. And what if one of them is generally feeling better and stronger than the other, why not go two hours for one and 90 minutes for the other, something like that if need be--something, anything, longer than 60 minutes at a time. And for sure, a nice sleep break of a few hours every 24 hours, too. And, overall, please no sleepy riding, no no no. Riders have died doing this crossing and sleep-deprivation is a horrible experience with potentially life-ending results when one cannot see or think or ride straight.
Do this math. 5m to load. 5 to unload. 20 minutes to drive 20 miles. Ok. 30m to rest. Not so fast. The rider has gone 10 miles. So you have to drive another 10 minutes. Then in 10m the rider had ridden another 3 miles. Soooo…
We were up on the 2 man record for about 5 days in 2009 but fell away as we reached the Appalacian mountains and finished in 7d1h38m Looking forward to following your progress and the best of luck with the race.
Was the finish still in Atlantic City?
@@stevek8829 it finished in Annapolis when I did it in 08 and 09.
Please post something on recliner bicycles or recumbent bicycles
How was your rest scheduled? I m gonna supporting the 4 men team. AirRelax.
@@daveobrien4112 how many hours? What is your RAAM number?
“I’m not done yet in terms of wanting to know what’s possible as an athlete” .. perfectly put motivation.
Mark's laser-focused obsession with performing optimally as a team is both scary and inspiring. "We _need_ us to be a good team." And in the Around the World in 80 Days film, the slightest doubt of finishing from his teammates was enough to mess with his mental and tell off his managers. Even Laura Penhaul was not spared Mark's ire.
Truly an exceptional athlete. Mark is my hero. He will demand nothing less than the best. Good luck out there!
I'm super excited for you guys! You've worked out the nuances of the event, you've assembled the perfect team, and you've both put in all the hard work. Now it's time for everything to all come together. Best of luck! 🍀
This is going to be another suspenseful GCN+ cyclomentary, can't wait!!!
same here and i am a 100kg guy riding his 15 year old cyclo cross bike to work almost every day, often barefoot in the summertime;))) so i think i am not the usual target demographic;)
@@breakshot7451 I'm 65kg and not even strong. I'm not also target demographic but doesn't matter. We watch
Hum, maybe go like old fashioned astronaut/submariner? 4 hours on the bike, 4 hours to eat and sleep, and repeat. That would imply 12 hours of riding and 12 hours of sleeping and eating. 4 hours is Mark's standard riding shift, and not even a challenge for a racer, especially if they don't go full out like in a standard bike ride.
Best for you all, and I will definitely want to know more!
any GCN vid featuring Mark Beaumont is a CERTIFIED BANGER.
Now that's one GCN+ film I really look forward to. Can't help but think these two amazing athletes will break the record! 💪
Maybe have Mark do a solo race from the beginning next year. Mark doesn’t really strike me as a team guy anyway. Or film him on the unsupported TABR, suits him better probably.
I live 1 mile from the start and hope to see you guys on the day of the start to wish you guys well
I hope there are more episodes leading up to the race, and then several episodes during and one summation episode. Great work and good luck
Wish you were doing daily videos of the race live! With only one racer on the bike doing it solo as a 2 person team because of Covid is news worthy. Let’s go!!!
I’m definitely looking forward to seeing this. I love watching this type of content as it’s extremely inspirational ✊🏾
I have a person to watch , Les Crooks ! Go Les... and , thank you for this ! Good luck to Mark and John and the crew !......Peace
I have always wanted to do that Race (solo). Not for the competitive aspect...no chance of competing for placing, just want to have the experience. Come retirement I plan on doing a ride across America choosing my own route and the Tour Divide from Banff to Mexico boarder.
Good luck guys, can't wait for the GCN+ Documentary!!!
They have a rigorous time cut. What you want to do is just ride across America
@@notreally2406 very true, this one will have to remain a want. Besides I want to enjoy the ride across the states, pick my route and not feel constrained by the clock. I may tackle Tour Divide first as it’s higher on my want list.
I hope you guys off with this race before the current heat wave we are in now. I live in Austin, Texas and we seem to be pegged at 98-102 deg F. I'm headed out for a ride now and it's already 78 with the high set to be 102 by 2:00 pm. I wish the whole team a safe and successful adventure. Thanks GCN for helping with this event and I'm very much looking forward to the documentary film on GCN+.
Great teaser! Looking forward to seeing how this unfolds - awesome team!
Looking forward to this one and to see Mark and Johnathan set a new record.
We miss you Jure Robič! One of the gratest RAAM competitors of all time, a 5 time winner! Good luck guys!
Jure will always be the champion.
The first 1,500km can be a killer, not because of the terrain but because the heat will be extremely draining. Keeping hydrated and cool will be vital.
The brits do not understand the heat of arizona and utah. Its 45c+ on the tarmac.
Wow. What a challenge. Brilliant to be able to follow it like this. Wish you good weather and tailwinds the whole way chaps. Stay safe and nice dreams when sleeping…..
The solo record holder did it in 7d ~16h, which is crazy for a solo rider. He(Christoph Strasser, Austria) seems to take the first place quite often.
Wiki: "... he became the first person to ride more than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) in 24 hours... achieved 1,026.215 kilometres (637.660 mi) with an average speed of 42.75 kilometres per hour ... he also broke 11 other world records, for Kilometer and Mile distances of 100, 200, 300, 500 and for six, 12, and 24 hours." - that was with 9 hours of rain
Is he coming for this race? I would like to watch that!
No he is not this year. The situation with covid was too unsure.
@@malaysiadentist4637 Strasser hasn't raced RAAM in a few years. Last year's RAAM was actually one of the least competitive events in recent years due to so many international participants not showing from pandemic uncertainty.
@@cup_and_cone Many People (incl Strasser) couldn’t join last year because US covid visa restrictions made it impossible. There are no big sponsors behind the RAAM contestants (well, except the ones in this video), getting a crew together for two weeks, organize everything and then be denied entry last minute wasn’t a risk many were willing to take.
He's an extraordinary athlete, so inspiring.
The team I was in won the race in 2016 but the organisers played funny buggers which ended up in a lawsuit and finally the proper result being reinstated - ie we (Team DMS) were eventually reinstated as the winners. Short story - another team (team Working Nation) had cheated by claiming an impediment which they didn’t experience and almost gotten away with it (until a detailed data analysis showed they cheated). Absolute disgrace really. It all left a very bitter taste in the mouth and really called into question the professionalism and integrity of the organisers. Having said that, leaving the owner of the race aside, it is a terrific bike race and well worth doing once in your life. Good luck guys. And please ride safe. It is very scary at times.
Fascinating ! What did TWN say their impediment was ? I see they're listed as winning the 4 man team that year ?
Respect to you - it sounds bloody gruelling !
@@leskennedy they claimed they were held up by a fallen tree in Indiana by 30 mins (there were tornadoes going through that area and it was f’ing scary riding with trees and debris all over the road. I was riding that leg and it was insanity). Anyway, they had 30 mins credited to their time. But we were a little surprised as we rode through that same area at almost exactly the same time and it was clear from the tracker data that they were probably held up for c5 mins. I still have the calls. (Well either that or in that segment they were riding at 50mph for the time they were supposedly moving). In the end they won the 4 man and we won the 8 man and the overall but only after a law suit brought after we were disqualified for calling out their cheating. The irony!. Getting DQ’d for pointing out to the organisers that TWN lied about their hold up. The organisers wanted TWN to win the overall as they were making a moving about the race and were keen for them to win(and definitely not keen for their inaccuracy to be brought to light). It was a very weird situation and really highlighted how sport can be corrupted - even at this amateur level.
@@Flynbourne blimey. There's definitely a movie to be made here ! Crazy achievement David. 👍👏
omg, super excited for Mark & Johnathan - should make a cracking documentary.
all the best for the race.
I think you should do the tour divide next. That’s the one I REALLY want to check off the bucket list.
Keep in mind that the Desert in Arizona is very draining. Many competitors "survive" it to find they can go no further later on in the event. Please keep in mind that record highs are anticipated this upcoming week. Please be very careful and hydrate way more than you think you'll need.
Pretty sure Marc Beaumont knows how to keep going after crossing a desert after riding around the world twice.
@@PaulTomblin Every Desert is different. The real thing to keep in mind is Oceanside maybe 70F and the Desert floor 110F.
If the route is along I40 they'll not be down where the desert is truly an oven.
Wishing you both all the success in this humungous effort here in the USA. Have followed. Mark and all his rides around the world. BEST OF LUCK AND ENDURANCE, MARK AND JONATHAN and THEIR SUPPORT TEAM !! ☘☘
Mark: I watched both of the films on this RAAM, obviously gutted that Jonathan had to bail, but in the closing interview, you said you would try it again,,,,,but SOLO. Just wondering why? I hope you do go for it again, what a MONSTER ride!!! Good Luck for whenever that time may come. ☘
We are so excited to cheer you on out of Oceanside tomorrow! Wishing you a successful race!! 🚴
I rode “zig zag” across the USA back in 1977 in a (personal) record time of 5 m 14 d 11 h 15 minutes with a 32lb. Fuji and a 30 lb. pack. I could not imagine doing it in less than a week, awesome, best of luck!
A bit of context and kudos for the existing record holders… Jean Luc Perez and Evans Stievenart rode 3082 miles at an average speed of 19.85mph in 2019. Stievenart is a “wattage bazooka” recipient for his record ride at the Le Mans 24 Hour Velo race in 2017 where he rode 590 miles in those 24 hours. Perez also rode Le Mans, completing 545 miles.
Mark and Jon are really going to be up against it here! Good luck to them both 💪
Do we know how they rotated ? How many hours on/off ?
@@leskennedy Hmm - reply has vanished, so apologies if duplicating here. A sponsor's write up reported they were taking 75 minute turns, and napping for 10-15 minutes. As the race progressed, Stievenart took on most of the climbing and Perez the descents.
1hr stints seems crazy to me. I'd have thought 4 hrs would be much more forgiving in terms or meaningful recovery when you're looking at a weeks worth of bike time. But then... what do I know?! Alternatively: mixed higher intensity 1 hr stints through the bulk of the day, then 4 hrs through night, so each rider gets a proper sleep cycle in daily??
Disclaimer as I also know nothing. But one on one off seems impossible, i dont see how they could get meaningful recovery in that time
I agree, it's totally stupid. You saw the whole group tried to say it was a dumb strategy, but Beaumont overruled them. He is only useful in solo challenges.
@@rdcanyon I wonder if they will change strategy as they go. Sleep deprivation is a killer.
@@leskennedy I'd say they'll be forced to. The teammate will just get burned out, then Beaumont will be angry at him. Happened to Hank on the tandem LEJOG attempt! Mark seems extremely bloody minded
Agree, I’d look at 4, 4, 4, through the night then 3, 3, 3, 3 through the day. This will rotate the riding sequence through each day and allow some reasonable sleep. You have to ride aerobically over this period of time and recovery will be more important than riding at threshold. You want to minimise power loss over successive days.
I have a lot of questions about the strategy... the 1-on-1-off seems unsustainable. Just doing a toilet break in those skinsuits is an ordeal.
It's also interesting that they focus so much on aero when they are not even sure they can physically pedal for that long.
Riveting! Very excited to follow you on this epic journey!
Good speed to you both and your crew!
Would like to see you beat 6 days.
All the best to you guys incredibly difficult i remember when James Cracknell attempted to cycle across
Great video! Good luck to you all. From what I understand, you (and everyone else) will need it. It's beyond insanity.
Question: Hour on, hour off? Why on earth would they do that? The intervals seem WAY too short to provide the benefits of rest, recovery, nutrition, proper warm up and so much else. How will you ever get any worthwhile sleep? You have a partner out riding, so get some rest! Plus, aren't you setting yourself up to fail giving yourselves so many transitions? Surely they're the slowest part of the race, so you think you'd want to minimize their frequency. Plus, this is also probably the most dangerous part of the effort: exiting from and merging into traffic, pulling the vehicle over, milling about with traffic speeding by. Can't possibly imagine they will stick with this approach come RAAM.
Yet more proof (as if it's needed) that Mark is built different... and anybody who can match that level of performance is constructed the same way!
kinda sad that u didnt even mention christoph strasser... he is the literal goat of raam
Jure Robič ( Slovenia ) King of RAAM
Godspeed boys. I hope your crew has RAAM experience. Smash that record.
Less than a week away. I should be at the start in Oceanside to see the teams off. Have a great race guys. Loved seeing the insight to the prep.
This is craziness. Good luck to everyone involved! Hope, there's going to be at least a great documentary. 🤞💪
Hank and Mark 2023! Make it happen!
I can't wait for the full feature to be released. Good Luck to both of you!
1hr on/off seems a mental approach. How are they going to get any meaningful sleep over 6days. Good luck guys. If anyone can Mark can
This is great! Thank you!
This is going to be absolutely amazing! Can't wait to see the documentary. All the very best of luck to Mark and John 👍🚴👍🚴❤️❤️
Can’t wait for the next instalment! Go guys!
I wondered how long it would be before GCN went for the RAAM...nice one Guys
Excuse me.... but why has the bromance been killed off? I see no other duo than Mark and Hank for this epic adventure....
the key to this event is ideal nutrition. There are things that can make this much easier on the body. it's all in the biochemistry
I know Axel who set with Anders the Record for two riders. He told me that his Excelsheet had more than 1000 ToDos. He is able to focus on one single task and does everything to fulfill this. For the records the journey costs them more than 40.000€. Mostly paid by sponsors. I wish the two guys all the best to win this race.
That's more to dos than I care for in a lifetime. Amazing.
I wonder what those hour-on, hour-off shifts are going to feel like by day 4 or 5? Quite happy to just be watching the documentary! Good luck guys
Same here.
Surely after years of competition, the best strategy must have emerged. I'm curious what strategy the current record holders used. I agree that the 1 hour rotation seems too short and doesn't allow enough rest.
Maybe they're just trying to fool their competitors. It doesn't seem sustainable to me but nothing Mark does seems possible so what do I know?
@@LVQ-so5th The top teams use variable schedules to accommodate sleep, terrain, conditions, time of day, etc. Sticking to a hard 1x1 is bad idea. The big thing is sleep. Doing teams your heart rate fluctuates up and down all week due to rest periods; on a 1x1, by the time your heart rate is back to resting, it's time to get dressed and ready for your turn. Solo riders on the other hand, their heart rate basically stays elevated the entire week; when they finally sleep, they crash from a psychological shutdown, there's no 'winding down' for a nap.
This just keeps getting better and better
we did it as a team in 93, man how time flies.
Hank: "I do the hardest challenges on GCN"
Mark: "Hold my beer"
Go guys, I'll be rooting for you
What did they get the Tokyo electron and turn it into a road tt. If so, that's sick
Well, good luck lads, I hope you smash it.
Was Hank not available?
Or did he think better of it lol.
Good luck with it ! Just thinking about a challenge like this makes me feel ill ! Luckily those guys are not normal !
People go crazy (no exaggeration) in this race. Seven days of sleep deprivation will do it.
can't wait for this!
What happened to the 2 man/Team GCN at the RAAM 2022? On the RAAM website, it lists them as a DNF?
WTF??? did you guys quit after 395 miles??? 2022
Race RAAM
Category 2-Person
Age Cat 18-49
Bike Type Standard
Gender Male
Racing Age 0
Finish Status DNF
Jon got covid
Love your videos! I wondered if you could make a video about using hills as HIIT - outdoors this is. As I use the hills to sprint as hard as I can, and I wondered how this affects my calorie burn, fat burn, fitness, and weight loss prospects?
Next you guys should do the Indian pacific wheel race, 5500km across Australia, Perth to Sydney solo unsupported race.
This is probably a bit late.
The In Ear Comms pain is just the ear getting used to having something in it.
If the riders were to wear the comms as much as possible, even off the bike, then their ears would get used to them quicker.
I had a similar problem when I started wearing a Bluetooth headset for driving as a courier.
After a week or so the pain went away as my ears got used to the headset.
Or just get one that doesn't hurt. Really a headset should be comfortable and effortless to wear, not everything about cycling needs to be uncomfortable.
3000 miles in a car over 6 days would be hard enough!
I think it’s awesome that some people are able to pedal a bicycle across the USA. Wish I was able to. A lot of people wouldn’t drive that far.
It really is incredible - such a feat of human strength!
Will we get any sort of live or daily coverage?
When will this be released on GCN+?
Where's Hank? Cracked? No he does the tandem version next year. Go Hank!!!
I live about 15 minutes from the finish line in Annapolis. May have to head down and cheer Mark and Jonathan on at the finish line
Amazing! It would definitely be appreciated
This will be a fantastic series. HOWEVER...
I am scratching my head watching this as to how with all the focus on aerodynamics, no one tells Mark to shave his arms. That's 8 watts lost at 40km/h. As for the bikes, GCNs own wind tunnel tests showed an 8-12 watt loss in efficiency with disc brakes (compared Pinarello F12 disc and rim). 15w at 35km/h of low hanging fruit lost for one, 8w for the other. I can only think the bikes were paid to be used by Argon 18 as advertising.
Have they given up? Flatlining for some time now.
OK….I’ll get GCN+….you got me :)
Is going time trial position the best option for a 7 days ride
amazing story thanks for the video
Good luck, guys!
Team GCN....DNF in less than 1 day. I wonder what went wrong. I hope no crashes.
Unfortunately Jon was ill, forcing Mark to start solo
Best of luck to you all.
I have no doubt that Mark will absolutely crush it.
Beaumont is a monster IDK how he does it
good luck guys
well im only 7 mins in and cant do one hour on one hour off...... its got to min 4 hours on 4 off
Wow this is going to an amazing film and series good luck to you John and Mark u have all my respect 🚴🚴🤩👍
All the best would love to give it a try I've followed the race many times when it on and I'm in ore of the riders is thier still cut off times for the lrgs
Something is not clear to me, i do not see you in the raam 2022 live tracking. I hope you are all right guys...
Hi Jacques, they're in the team event which doesn't start until this weekend!
A lot of preparation. Good luck. May the weather and traffic be kind to you.
Has there been an Australian equivalent race?
Perth to Sydney. Google Maps indicates 3,756 km 7 d 17 hr by cycling. How realistic is that?
The hardest part about RAAM is the cost. Not just the tens of thousands of dollars it cost to pay for everything you need (at least two crew vehicles, at least 8 support crew, all their food, travel to and from the race, the time off from work, etc etc), but being in a position to "not work" before the race to train, and to "not work" for the couple weeks of the race, and to find a support crew willing to give up two-three weeks of vacation to support a racer. The actual pedaling part is the easy part...
(Don't get me wrong, hats off to anyone who can pull all that together. But is just so disengenuous for a couple of guys who get paid to ride their bike to 'tackle' the event. You want to impress me, find a couple of people who work 40hrs a week at a regular job and see if they can pull off the event...)
This is why the Trans America Bike Race TABR is so much better - self supported, no back up, you set off, you suffer and maybe you get to finish, but you find yourself along the way - it's running right now 👍
Yes. They are not doing RAAM but team RAAM. However 2man team RAAM is quite challenging. Ps. I am a 4x RAAM vet, best time 243 hours and RAW record holder riding a fixed gear.
Fixed gear across the USA? Legendary effort. The Rockies must of been fun
@@gobgobcachoo the race across the west. 860 miles. Got beat by two regular bikes.
Cant wait for it!
Neither can we!
Absolutely incredible stuff
All the best guys! You CAN do it 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Could you look at 10 x Ironmen Contest (Swissultra)...
No but good luck. I've watched this race many times and there are so many boxes that need to align for a win and I think the first time is even harder. However if anyone can do it its these two, Mark simply doesn't even recognise the words give up.
Best of luck boys
They should have taken BioRacer suits. They are the best with 14 billion lightyears advantage...
I know you have a great cpm on the videos, I know you have sponsors up the wazu, amd I know you have a great subscription service and I know you are a well oiled machine but how on earth do you afford to do all these amazing features???? This challenge alone must have cost tens of thousands. (Thanks by the way)
GCN is part of the Play Sports network, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery so I would guess there is more than just TH-cam revenue funding the channel
Not sure of RAAM is the hardest bike race. Let say it is one of the hardest. First it is a supported ultra race, which makes it faster not harder. The second it is not the longest which it is/was the Trans Siberian extreme race. 9100km supported race with multiple stages from over 1300km, but yeah this one is also discussable how hard this is. In my opinion I think NorthCape-Tarifa is one of the hardest races, over 7000km. Crossing some really hard points on the way aswell: Col d’Iseran: 2764m Highest mountain pass in the Alps, Port d’Envalira, 2409m: Highest all year open mountain pass in Europe and highest pass in the Pyronees and Pico del Veleta 3398m; Highest ridable road in Europe.
The crew will never stop. Day four will be hell for all. Everyday there has to be a 3-4 hour break for all. Which means a longer pull for the riders as well. Think about how long it takes to fill up or buy food. Keeping a hour pull rotation comes from inexperience
Surely fresh crew could be swapped in mid way through? Or is this not allowed in the rules?
Yeah an hour on, hour off seems like madness. It’s far easier to deal with 5, 6 or 8 hours in the saddle for 6-7 days than it is to deal with severe sleep deprivation and lack of recovery after 2 days… and the strain on the crew and support seems unsustainable. 8 hour shifts would have made much more sense to me…
I concur, the one-hour on and one-hour off doesn't sound like the way to win friends and enjoy the ride. And what if one of them is generally feeling better and stronger than the other, why not go two hours for one and 90 minutes for the other, something like that if need be--something, anything, longer than 60 minutes at a time. And for sure, a nice sleep break of a few hours every 24 hours, too. And, overall, please no sleepy riding, no no no. Riders have died doing this crossing and sleep-deprivation is a horrible experience with potentially life-ending results when one cannot see or think or ride straight.
Great convos. You can change crews for sure. But that’s over a dozen people.
Do this math. 5m to load. 5 to unload. 20 minutes to drive 20 miles. Ok. 30m to rest. Not so fast. The rider has gone 10 miles. So you have to drive another 10 minutes. Then in 10m the rider had ridden another 3 miles. Soooo…