Infinite Monkeys

R.I.P. Dr. Bob Breedlove

Awful news today from the RAAM website. (My explanatory post on RAAM here.)

With profound regret, Race Across America announces that Bob Breedlove, competitor #188, collided head-on with a pickup truck at approximately 12.15 p.m. EDT, on [Thursday,] June 23, 28 miles west of Trinidad, Colorado. When paramedics arrived on the scene they pronounced him dead. The accident took place on a section of road that sloped very gently downhill for cyclists in the race. According to the driver of the pickup truck, Bob Breedlove appeared to collapse on his bicycle and swerved into the path of the oncoming vehicle.

Cyclists competing in the Race Across America are offered the option of completing the race, should they so desire.

Race Director Jim Pitre said: "Speaking both personally, and on behalf of the entire management and all those associated with the race, I extend my most sincere sympathy to the family of Bob Breedlove."

At the time of the accident, Bob Breedlove was leading the 50+ category, and was 12th overall in the race.

The last individual update (beyond numerical time-station check-ins and mph average) about Breedlove was posted early this morning before the accident, recounting:

Around Noon local time on Tuesday [the third day of the race], Dr. Bob Breedlove walked into the gas station at time station #12 in Mexican Hat, Utah [670 miles into the 3052 mile race] to cool off. With an ice pack on his head, he began reminiscing about his many past transcontinental crossings. He had ridden on this section of the course two times. He said that the Southern course he set the 50+ record on in 2002 (outside of RAAM) was much flatter the first half. ... Getting ready to leave, Bob put on a pair of thin orange long-fingered gloves overtop regular cycling gloves so people can see him waving at them across the country.

Dr. Breedlove's bio, and pictures of him before the race and reaching the continental divide are now posted on the home page of RAAM's site. Breedlove's epic ultracycling resume and his back and forth competition with the legendary Rob Kish have been inspirational to me in my reading over the last several weeks.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. My thoughts also go out to the organizers, and volunteers of RAAM, and particularly the other riders whose emotions are likely laid bare at this point in their undertaking. Noteworthy in my mind are those in the trailing third of the field and all of the team riders who are likely headed past the very location of the tragedy as they complete the route.

Dr. Bob Breedlove will be certainly be observed and his memory honored. I hope that we will see an award created to commemorate the 5-time finisher of the world's toughest athletic event.

Posted by Brad at June 23, 2005 04:36 PM | TrackBack