Kurt Matzler fights in the Rocky Mountains in the Lesachtal: Raam in the fast lane!

Kurt Matzler fights in the Rocky Mountains in the Lesachtal: Raam in the fast lane!

Bloomington, Indiana, USA - On June 15, 2025, the extreme conditions and the challenge of the Race Across America (RAAM) take their course. Kurt Matzler, an ambitious participant from Austria, faces the route from Utah to Colorado, where he meets temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius to -1 degrees Celsius. Together with his team, he prepared himself well and even uses the heating in the car to heat water bottles and prepare tea. The Wolf Creek Pass, the highest point of the race at 3,300 m, represents a special challenge. Matzler has already successfully mastered the three decisive passes of the Rocky Mountains - Wolf Creek Pass, Laveta Pass at 2,800 m and Cuchara Pass over 3,000 m. The route between the Laveta Pass and the Cuchara Pass is referred to by the Austrian participants as "the Lesachtal of the Rocky Mountains".

Nevertheless, there is not only gratifying to report. Isa Pulver, a well-known Swiss ultra cyclist and favorite, plunges during the departure from Wolf Creek Pass and pulls a broken collarbone. Pulver, 52 years old, won the Raam twice, 2015 and 2023, as a solo driver and was able to take third place in 2019. She is one of the few women who won the Raam as overall winner, alongside Leah Goldstein, who took first place in 2021.

The race of the athletes

Currently Matzler is in third place in the men's classification, followed by Isabel Pulver. Philipp Kaider and Lukas Kaufmann from Lower Austria lead the field of Raam athletes. On the way from Utah to Colorado, the route is particularly demanding because after the mountains it goes to the Great Plains of Kansas, which are mentally challenging. The high burden and the enormous requirements for the athletes make the event one of the toughest bike races in the world.

The RAAM extends over a total route of 3,037.7 miles, starting in Oceanside, California, and ending in Annapolis, Maryland. Despite the challenges, Pulver was in a strong position at the beginning of the race, around 120 miles in front of the second -placed Lionel Poggio and 13 miles in front of the third -placed Leah Goldstein. According to reports, her speed was so fast that she was traveling during her passage by Bloomington on Tuesday at 12:21 p.m. in the middle of the day. In the previous year, Nicole Reist, who took part in the Raam for the fourth and last time on June 11, 2024, was cycling through Bloomington, but later she ended up in third place after accidents.

Nicol travels and the record hunt

Nicolas, on the other hand, has made a name for itself over the years by participating in the highly sideways Ultra-Cycling race. Her goal for the 2024 race was to break the international women's speed record of 21.3 km/h, which has been held by Seana Hogan since 1995. In order to achieve this, it would not only have to travel over 250 kilometers and around 20,000 meters of altitude, but also maintain a speed of 9 days and 15 hours to break this record. The women's stretching record of 9 days and 4 hours, also set up by Hogan, is considered unreachable in view of today's longer route.

In the middle of these emotional and physical challenges, the athletes remain motivated, and the atmosphere at RAAM is characterized by competition spirit and determination. Thanks to the live tracking opportunities, fans and supporters can track the routes and progress of cyclists in real time. The race remains a fascinating event that explores the limits of the human body and spirit.