Blanchester will be the host of Time Station 41 for the transcontinental bicycle Race Across America (RAAM). Ohio time stations are the final rest stop for the international racers before the last leg of the bicycle race over the Appalachian Mountains.

The race, considered to be among the most gruelling international bicycle race, starts in Oceanside, Calif., and makes its way across 14 states to the finish in Annapolis, Md.

Franz Preihs, 31, of Austria won fourth place in last year’s race. This year Preihs, a solo rider, hopes to win first place.

Preihs has two homes in Austria and lives with his wife, Michaela.

“I started [racing bicycles] at the age of 22. Prior to my cycling career I was an active ultra marathon runner and I was in the Austrian youth alpine national team,” he said.

When racing RAAM, contestants are exposed to a variety of terrain and weather conditions. The race route travels across the Rockies, through the heartland of America, and finally the Appalachians. According to the RAAM Web site, “it continues to stand as one the toughest events in the world and a tribute to human endurance.”

The route is over 3,000 miles, teams typically cross the country in six to nine days, averaging from 350 to 500 miles per day. Solo racers finish in nine to 12 days, averaging 250 to 350 miles per day. Teams have a relay format and race 24 hours a day. Solo racers have the challenge of balancing a few hours of sleep each night.

Training for the race is vital for those who aspire to win. Priehs rides between 50 to 180 miles a day when he trains.

“During spring I do a lot of training on my road bikes, and on my mountain bike as well. I spend 2 to 3 weeks at the Canary Islands in February and March for training. During winter months I do a lot of cross country skiing,” Priehs said.

Diet is also critical for the racers success. A dietitian is often part of the racers support team. It is their job to maintain the racers health by monitoring their calorie intake. According to Priehs, he consumes between 14,000 and 16,000 calories a day during the race.

“During RAAM, I have a 95 percent fluid diet,” Preihs said.

Priehs does not race alone. Rather, he has a 14-person support team which includes a mechanic, medical doctor, dietitian, sport scientist, physiotherapist, and a crew of friends.

One of the race’s most essential requirements is that the racers stay on the route at all times. The crew is carefully monitored by GPS units and odometer readings, as is the racer’s bicycle. This makes comfortable sleeping a bit of a challenge for some riders.

“I have two motor homes and a minivan with me, so if I take a sleeping break, between 90 and 120 minutes, I sleep in the motor home, when I take a short nap during the day, I just lay down beside the street,” Priehs said.

“The whole race is amazing! The whole country is breathtaking, every single mile can be heaven or hell,” he said.

Priehs feels good racing in hot and dry deserts like Monument Valley, while the Appalachian mountains pose more of a challenge.

“The Appalachian mountains are hard to climb after more than 2,500 miles of cycling,” he said, “I had a good time while riding through Ohio last year. I knew that Martin (Dressman) and his wife Connie would be waiting and cheering at the Blanchester Time Station, and that kept me motivated.”

Many riders also have a sponsor which aides the rider financially.

“My main sponsor is ATOX, but I get support from a lot of companies, even some from the Cincinnati area like Cincinnati Bell and Cox Financial,” said Priehs.

It is the twenty-eighth year for the race. The race is broadcast over the Internet around the world as the event takes place. This years race will have racers from twelve different countries.

The two local time stations in Oxford and Blanchester will be in need of volunteers to work the time stations twenty four hours a day over four days. No experience is necessary, merely an interest to witness and be a part of one of the most inspiring races in all of athletics.

“Meeting people from all around the country and world can make for some very lasting memories and friends in some cases. I was fortunate to become friends with solo racer Franz Preihs over the last few years. Franz and I become friends through email many months before his first RAAM,” said Martin Dressman, Priehs’ crew-mate.

“In the 2008 race, his first RAAM, Franz fell asleep for a few seconds while riding in New Mexico and hit a roadside construction sign,” continued Dressman. “He broke his collar bone and ended up in the hospital for four hours. It looked as if his race was over. Surprisingly he got back on the bike, refusing to quit, and ended up finishing in fourth place. What determination!”

“For the 2009 race, I received the privilege of being a part of his fourteen person crew. I am the only American out of his mostly Austrian crew. I have never felt more honored. Volunteering and getting involved even as just a spectator can lead to many other unexpected surprises and friendships.”

For more information on RAAM visit their website at www.ohioraam.org.