Solo divisions tightening up in RAAM

While four-man and eight-man teams continue to pass through the Fort Scott time station today as they cross the country in the Race Across America, the solo riders are creating drama as they travel through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Almost all of the eight-man team had been through Fort Scott as of Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, the back half of the four-person field were expected to arrive overnight or early Thursday morning.

Swiss rider Dani Wyss made significant headway on Slovenian defending champion Jure Robic in the men's solo under 50 division, the premier division in the race. Robic, who has won the last two RAAMs and four of the last five, passed through time station No. 43 in Athens, Ohio, at 2:12 p.m. Central time Wednesday. Wyss, who at one time was about an hour behind Robic, went through Athens about three minutes later.

Due to staggered starts, many of the riders have been actually on the road longer than the leaders. But they were passed by Robic and Wyss long ago. The rider currently in third place, Gerhard Gulewicz of Austria, has been on the course about a half-hour longer than the leaders but is about 100 miles behind them, having checked in at station No. 40 in Oxford, Ohio, at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The race began in Oceanside, Calif., and ends in Annapolis, Md. From Athens, there nine time stations to check through before Annapolis. There are 446 miles to travel between Athens and Annapolis. The total distance of the race is 3,021 miles.

The women's under 50 division is also starting to become more competitive. American Janet Christiansen still led when she checked in at time station No. 35 in Greenville, Ill., at 1:06 p.m. But Brazil's Daniela Figueiredo Genovesi, who trailed by several hours a couple of days ago, passed through Greenville exactly a half-hour later.

Christiansen and Genovesi are the only riders left in the women's under 50 division. Twelve of the 21 men in the under 50 male division are still on the course.

In the eight-person open division, Team Type I is still blazing through the course at about 24 m.p.h. in their quest to reclaim the time and speed records they held until last year. Most of the teams have been on the course for four days.

Team Type I reported in at Bloomington, Ind., at 4:42 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Second-place Team ViaSat reported in at Effingham, Ill., at 3:19 p.m.

Team RANS leads the four-person male under 50 division, checking in at station No. 33 in Washington, Mo., at 3:40 p.m. Wednesday.Team Strong Hart, in second place, was probably within a few miles of that station as of 5:30 p.m. but their last check in was at Jefferson City, Mo., at 3:15 p.m. Team Surfing USA, though it checked in two minutes earlier at Jefferson City, was officially in third place because that team has been on the course a few minutes longer than Team Strong Heart.