The first Brazilian appearance at Raam. 2004 Photo: Mizputen Team Extra Distance - Atlantic City '04 Photo: Paradizo
Back then in 1994, I use to train much more than the average 24 years old triathlete. My career began with 18 and after few good age group results, I soon was being sponsored and traveling throughout Brazil looking after races. Doing lots of mileage and competing so often that only by recalling it my legs feel empty. That was my mark. Training as hard as I could, competing harder. I loved it, and it seemed that I was very much suited for the sport of triathlon.
My friend at the other side of the line was Cid Cardoso Senior, father of three great athletes, who back in the early 80's started organizing some triathlons in Rio de Janeiro, right after the sport was brought to Brazil. He worked for IBM for ages and all of his sons where studying in US universities at that time. The oldest, Cid Junior, already owned a multi sports shop in Virginia, the InsideOut Sports. So he was kind of strongly bonded with the US for a Brazilian.
After that quick explanation about the RAAM, he began to tell me about his team idea. He has put together a Brazilian Team, a personal effort on participating on the RAAM for the first time, just for the traveling and fun purposes. The team, very much on the RAAM spirit, was formed mostly by family members and close friends. Half US, half Brazilian. A cheap way to afford it. Two of his sons, Cid Jr. and Flavio, riding together with a former Brazilian cyclist called Jose Secco. The fourth rider, a amateur triathlete who also happens to be a friend of mine, was diagnosed with a minor knee problem and was intended to go to surgery a one month before the RAAM. It might have been 5 or 6 weeks prior the the start date. Considering the RAAM magnitude, he was short on time to get a substitute. So he began looking after someone.
“Yes, of course” I said right after he muted, waiting for my reply. We arranged a get together to watch a RAAM video (nonetheless was the amazing '82 Great American Bike Race duel between Boyer and Secrest).
What was I entering? I thought.
Was it to much even for my standarts?
Nevermind, I've accepted already.
The history between Brazil and RAAM began exactly one year before. Back in '93 some friends of the Cardoso family in the US, the Nickle's family, raced the RAAM team event on a true demonstration of a family team. The Cardoso's got so inspired by the Nickle's thrilling adventure and it's histories, that they decided to live their own RAAM experience.
So after they'd put together a team, calculated the budget and got more infos on the race, they entered the '94 race.
At that point I wasn't part of it, but I would be, of the first Brazilian appearance on a RAAM. Wow, that's was a great feeling!
Recalling my position at the time, in despite of my lack of knowledge about the challenge I've accepted, I was pretty much in shape. Even more, I was ready for anything. Specially on the bike, my strongest discipline.
So, fearless I met the team on Virginia and we put some long and hard miles. I've known the gorgeous Blue Ridge Pkwy., the place where Secrest annihilated his chances of beating Boyer. We did some meetings, logistics discussions and a little strategy (even sitting on rolling chairs and simulating the transitions schemes between riders and vehicles, a funny but worthy way).
We arrived in Irvine totally excited, expecting the unexpected, without any clue of what was ahead of us. Our logistics and preparation were perfect so to speak. We felt like we did our homework.
Our first impression arriving at the hotel parking lot were like:
“Well, we're not the only ones at this crazy race!”.
We started racing hard, as all the teams did. The desert heat was strange to us all, even the crew. The race pace was so incredible fast that we thought we would blow our legs off before the dawn. In fact we kind of did, but that's another history.
By the days that followed, we adapted very well to the situations the RAAM imposed us and began to really dispute the race. The RAAM is so gigantic, that a lot of times, most of it in fact, you forget that it is a race and keep on focusing only on riding your shift as hard as you can to get your rest period. But the things worked fine for us. We saw ourselves riding for the third position, sometimes getting close to the team ahead and others being chased by the one behind us. I was awesome. The greatest sporting moments of my life. Going up hill on the chilly Wolf Creek Pass or riding at midnight towards a huge storm on the Arkansas flat roads. All of my fondest RAAM memories come from that first time. For us, a bunch of Brazilians getting lost on the middle of nowhere, in the darkness of the nights or under the scorching heat, it was a dream come true.
The team that started as a rookie, true outsider, ended up fighting for the podium. It was a surprise for everybody, RAAM team director (Chris Kostman and his fellow partner and official at the Toyota Camry, Aletta Nickles), other teams and even ourselves. We finished third. It tasted as a first. We managed not only to finish it (as a Team, a happy one!), but only behind the amazing Germans at Team Manheim and the almost unbeatable Kern Wheelmen.
Well, the dream come true has come to an end, it was time to clean the RV and pack the stuff to flight back to Brazil.
The modest repercussion that a small budget team had back at our country was big enough to spread the news among the cyclist and the triathletes in special. We didn't realize at the time how our third place had reached the cycling enthusiasts around our country.
Still in Savannah, in the back of my mind is was determined to come back. To experience all this greatness again. Regardless of our classification, that entire RAAM was so memorable that even more than a decade after this first time, I still consider it the best sport experience in my life. And by far.
So, as soon as we got back I started to talk with my RAAM cycling mate, Jose Secco, about the 1995 race. It was only a few weeks after our achievement that another friend of mine called me and showed his will to enter our team. With all the Cardoso's family inspired on repeating it, I thought we got a very positive vibe to put a team together again.
Of course was not an easy task to raise all the money needed to travel with a whole team from Brazil. In despite of his passion, Cid Senior wouldn't afford another self sponsored participation. So we needed to look for a sponsor, that came in very handy thru Joao Paulo, our new rider, from Coca-Cola. Big money, logistics, some pressure and a lot of repercussion. Great I thought. I will get in charge and put the whole project together, after all I was the one who brought up the whole second RAAM idea. Another challenge.
So I did it together with my friends. We came again to Irvine, with perfect logistics and team, conducted and fine tuned by Cid Senior. We took second on the four riders relay classification. Fighting a leg breaking battle with the leaders from Kern Wheelmen till the last mile. The history repeated itself. The second time was as good and intense as the one twelve months before.
The repercussion that we got this time was way bigger. Well, as big as an amateur cycling team racing abroad could get. We were second now, and the obvious question in the air was: third place on '94 and second on '95, what about 1996?
I was decided to come back again, it was to good to simple let it go. Again I spend some energy and started to put a new team. The Cardoso's decided to rest now. Even Cid Jr. decided not to ride again, twice was enough. The rest of us, riders, decided to continue as another RAAM team.
Again we manage to get a big sponsorship, now from Pepsi, thanks again to our friend and combative rider Joao Paulo. What happen was that 1996 would be an Olympic year (Atlanta). We'll needed to calm our nerves down and train harder to race in 1997. Our goal: to win!
I wasn't much on this mood but it was the team's. We trained more and harder. This time the spirit wasn't like the ones from the two previous years. We didn't quite realized it till a couple of years after. But in my mind it was not to same feeling.
Half of the staff team was from Bakersfield, CA. They were Kern Wheelmen friend and cyclist Ron Jones and his mates. We made a more serious approach on our third RAAM. We even got a contract signed with former Tour de France stage winner, the Brazilian Mauro Ribeiro, to help our team achieve the maximum goal. That was the beginning of an error. To put the goal ahead of the passion.
In the other hand I was completely exhausted. I was racing from Ironman, ½ IM and Worlds races to Sprint Triathlons. Even winning some, and for the past five years I was restless. It was expected that sometime I was about to hit the wall. And hit it hard. It came right during my third RAAM!
We still got a honorable third place, but the experience wasn't a good one. We faced the difficulties that all teams fear. Our team didn't manage to keep together and united throughout the whole race. Chaos and deception.
Back in Brazil, in despite of the unplanned third place, for everybody else it was such an achievement. So we got a lot of media exposure. We even published a book, well written by our fellow rider, Jose Secco.
At that time I've decided to give it a break. Focus on recovery and start with Adventure Racing, that was being born in Brazil.
The whole team vanished. On the other hand the interest of some fellow triathletes on the RAAM began to raise. More exposure brought the most difficult bike race on earth to the eyes of lots of people. It has grown to the point that some friends decided to race as a duo on the 1998 edition.
Ricardo Arap, a talented cyclist joined one of the best Brazilian Ironman triathlete, Alexandre Ribeiro, entered the RAAM. With more then personal struggle and will, Ricardo and Alexandre beat the World Record on the transcontinental traverse. With their names on the Guinness Book, the RAAM was already part of the Brazilian cycling enthusiasts reality. It was no longer a strange and crazy event.
I was quiet and comfortable on adventure racing, altough the RAAM memories kept on coming to my mind much more frequently than any other experience I had.
I kept on talking about it and encouraging some friends to participate. But the money and logistics involved are simple to much an obstacle to everybody.
A couple of years passed by until I found an appropriate time to approach the subject again. It was time to let the RAAM flame inside me burn higher again. It was 2001 and a very close friend of mine, Jose Pinto, was living the most difficult days of his life. His newborn son was diagnosed with a genetic disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
He followed all my RAAM participations closely. I shared with him all the details, glories and failures I had. I was long decided to race with him someday, share good times with the ones you care, just for the moments of joy. For the pleasure of the sport. Two thousand one seemed to be the year to realize it. Jose needed something to relief all the stress he was onto and nothing seemed more adequate to an excellent triathelte and cyclist champion. He asked for a time to think, organize his feelings and thoughts.
After a few days he called me back with a positive answer. This time we'd race on the two persons category. A new challenge for me, but specially for Jose on his first RAAM. My fourth time will be a personal challenge and an opportunity of redemption from the bad memories of the '97 race. Above all it would be a time to share with a great friend all the moments one can have racing throughout almost 5000k through the USA. We struggled to raise the money till the last day. Finally with a modest team structure we flew to Portland. We were specially motivated by wearing the Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy badge. Let everybody know about the disease and raise attention over the FSMA actions. For Brazil we wanted to raise interest on all relatives and families of children with SMA, to unite, share experiences and help each other. To put together an organization to take care of these matters.
The team was lean on structure. The best we could afford on a low budget. We did choose the best of the best friends to join us. The team was united and prepared. The race was though but we struggled and manage to get it under control. We, and I mean the whole team, were perfect. Transitions, navigation, nutrition and everything involved. We won the category. We broke the previous record set by the Brazilian duo Ricardo and Alexandre in '98. The wooden plate was finally in my hands, for the first time in four attempts. The challenge of racing twice as much miles was not enough to put us down. We won. Jose's son and family were at the finish line in Pensacola. Tears of joy had fallen. We started in Portland with a goal. We arrived in Pensacola with it achieved. Our goal was to enjoy the journey and live to tell. And we did it! What a personal conquer for me and Jose, and all the FMSA.
Unfortunately on this same edition, my former RAAM partner Jose Secco joined by Ricardo Arap on his second RAAM participation, DNF due to physical problems. That made me remember how difficult RAAM is. Not only on the physical aspect, but the relationship between the team members, in such an environment. Competition, lack of sleep, navigation, constant mood changes, differences. That's how the RAAM really is, specially for the teams.
With no big sponsors, we got a lot of repercussion again. For us, it was important to continue to spread the SMA existence and let everybody know about it. We succeed.
The narrow perspective on raising the money and personal matters made me put the RAAM on a drawer. At least for a couple of years.
Ricardo Arap decided to try again, this time riding alone. And he tried hard, for two times, never reaching the finish line.
At 2003 another friends of mine, now Ronaldo Mattar and Marquinhos entered the race. Again, depending on personal efforts, they struggled to put together a team. With no experience, they did very well finishing their RAAM experience, as a team. Two riders because it is cheaper and much easier to put things out. The hardest way to conquer the challenge as a team and they suffered well.
It passed almost a decade of our first RAAM. I was thinking to myself that it would be a great reason to return in 2004. Celebrate my fondest memories by living it again! Or at least trying to.
Ten years after I was putting a whole team again. This time were going to race in four again. I wanted to race with Jose. He wasn't much on the mood to race as a duo, so I decided to invite and old time friend and cycling enthusiast, Ironman and ultra marathon runner Marcio Milan. He was the one who contacted the big sponsors we had back in 1995 and 1997. He was so passionate about sports and the RAAM that I decided to ask him to race with us. Since he was reaching his 55 years of age, he was looking to something big to celebrate it. With Marcio's working fellow Cassio, we raced my fifth RAAM in 2004. Ten years after, I was back on the same race again. The RAAM hasn't change much. The spirit was still there. The event got better organized, got a more professional perspective. Of course I had another view this time, another approach. Everybody changes, so did I. But my love for it was still the same. I simply love riding my bike, specially on scenic and breath taking routes. That's the RAAM is all about. All difficulties are secondary.
Our team was on a small budget again and half of it (including the crew) without previous experience. It was fun, as always we struggle hard again to keep the team united and racing. Our two rookie riders, in despite of their lack of riding experience so to say, were great. Every pedal stroke was a progress for them. Every mile down was a relief. They were also conquering their dream. For me and Jose, another good RAAM experience. More fun and joy. We finished in Atlantic City proudly on the seventh place. The route was memorable. No rain at all, beautiful scenery and pure riding pleasure.
The duo Ronaldo and Marquinhos raced again that year. With the previous year experience, they put together a solid RAAM, enjoying the race form beginning to the end. Unfortunately we didn't have much time together before and after the race because our different travel schedules.
Brazil got another team entry in 2006, my '01 team companion Marcio Milan putted a team together with two Portuguese athletes. A team to pursuit the glory of finishing another edition of this marvelous race.
Until 2007 we got no solo finishes. Our teams has successful accomplished the RAAM, including some well placed finishes. Obvious racing as a team is much easier, but it also costs a lot. Somehow there were some people following their dreams since our first participation.
It was December of 2002, Marcio Milan still without any RAAMs at that time, together with Joao Paulo (RAAM '95 and '97) decided to try a RAAM like event in Brazil. The test edition of the Extra Distance was a North to South 4000k route, along the Brazilian coastline. There were a few invited 4 riders teams, that rode the entire distance together as a peloton for 7 days, with a single superb structure. Double deck bus, a refrigerated truck and some vans. The experience was fine, although it was unthinkable on a real competition. The Brazilian highways are to busy on traffic and the secondary roads are not suited for bike riding because of they got a very bad conserved pavement. Nonetheless the 'Brazilian RAAM' idea was not forgotten. We ought to rethink a way of doing it.
In October of 2003, me and Jose Filho started the first Ultra Cycling race in Brazil. A 24 hours race called Desafio 24h ('24 hours Challenge'), on a beautiful location called Porto das Dunas at the Northeastern Ceara State. We decided to organize a RAAM inspired race here in our country, a chance to make the RAAM more accessible to the Brazilian cyclists. Only teams competed in this inaugural event, totaling 98 riders. Over a 21k loop, riders kept on shifting for an entire day. Two months after, another event. This time an 800k race, on the RAAM fashion. It was even an RAAM qualifier. The solo cyclist Julio Paterlini won the Extra Distance 800k with me on the second place (my longest ride ever). More than 300 cyclists, with amazing 17 solos. Those were our first two Ultra Cycling events, both in the same year.
The events continued on 2004, the Desafio 24h with almost 150 riders. I did second again to Paterlini at the Extra Distance 800k, that kept on growing in numbers either.
Unfortunately the ED800 ended after the third edition and turned into a 24 hours event in 2006, but also without a chance of having a second edition.
The Desafio 24h on the other hand kept on going and growing, since 2005 with the solo category, and even with the special participation of Rob Kish itself on 2006.
2007 we finally got two cyclists decided to enter the RAAM solo. Julio Paterlini 2 times ED800 winner and Claudio Clarindo 2 times Desafio 24h winner, were ready. At the team division we got Marcio coming back again, repeating the half Portuguese team with a fresh new young rider, Miguel. After a steady race throughout the entire course they proudly finished at the boardwalk in Atlantic City, a deserved third RAAM success for Marcio.
At the solo race we saw a particular battle between Julio and Claudio for most of the course. Both were looking for the title of the first South American to finish the RAAM. At the end, Claudio, a younger rider, won by a few hours of advantage with 11 days. Both were great though. For our country it was another breakthrough, another mark.
Brazil had a grand total of 16 RAAM entries since 1994. Two solo finishes, three solo DNFs. Nothing less than 10 team successes and only one DNF.
The RAAM brought not only some dreams come true to a few Brazilians, but it also pushed the existence of Ultra Cycling events in Brazil. What else can I say.
After 2004 I'm quiet about RAAM, at least until the next one.
Michel Bogli, 37, five times team RAAM finishes, director of the Desafio 24h event in Brazil which will be held again this year in October 27/28. More informations at www.desafio24h.com.br
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