June 20th, 2014, John, Bruce and Pia are about to accomplish the unimaginable, not only beat the 4 person mixed team record, but to smash it by 5 hours and go sub 6 days, with just 3 team members as Cary was taken out by 65 mph wind gust. They are getting all of 1 to 2 hours a sleep each day, they are all in their 40's and have nailed 3,000 miles and endless mountains with an average speed of 21+ mph.  

John is posting his epic rides on Strava, please DISPENSE KUDO'S.  This is a race and they are giving it their all!!!!   

June 18th:  John said it took one day and 8 hours at night to reel in the German male team after they lost their teammate, Cary.  John stated, "Today God blessed me to race like a pro. After I caught them here, they caught us again 4 miles later.  Then I was up again dead even with their best 27 year old German racer. We lined up and I dropped the hammer for 6 miles at 30+ mph and opened a 1.25 mile gap on him.  While his coach was on loudspeaker fading in my rear view.  Taking the fight against cancer to the road."  Four hours into Johns shift it is now 100 degrees as he is crossing small towns and sprinting to make every green light to maintain momentum, he is riding his TT bike.  Pia, his teammate and John are reeling in The Germans.

Cary, their strongest rider, was blown off the road by a 65 mph wind gust while going 45 mph. His bike ended up 100 feet down mountain side, he is in hospital with a broken collar bone and will be ok.  The team will now finish with three riders and are ahead of their original schedule and have had to change their 20 min on and 20 min off rotations since now have 3 riders sharing the segments. Now in 3rd place.

Some Statistics for John' s group, Stand Up 2 Cancer: Day One and Two . . . . 

       

If you’re interested in following John's team and their progress from June 14-20, click on the website below as it is a living scoreboard for the event.

Team Stand Up 2 Cancer / BMS is listed under the 4 person mixed team category. John, "We are competing to win the mixed team category and give the all 4 men teams a tough race. Our goal is to break the mixed team race record of 3,000 miles in 6 days, 4 hours. If we do that, we will be pulling into Annapolis between 12-3 pm on Friday, June 20^th."

 

The website link below will show where they are in the US, down to the exact road, time and rank/place vs. all other teams. http://tractalis.azurewebsites.net/Contents/Item/Display/212  It is also an app that can be downloaded to your mobile phone.

 

Summit member, John Fee is participating in the Race Across AMerica which departs on Saturday, June, 14th from Oceanside California and finishes at Annapolis, MD at the City Dock.  This is a 3,000 mile worldwide bicycle race. http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/raamfp.php?N_webcat_id=1 While some of the glory has faded since the inception of the race in 1982 it draws racers from all over the globe.

John's employer, Bristol Myer Squibb is sponsoring the 4 member team and consists of BMS colleagues who are triathletes and in their 40's.  The 4 person relay team will take turns in a format where two of the racers will ride alternate segments for 20 minutes in a time trial style for a period of 6 hours.  During the next 6 hours the other 2 racers will repeat the alternate segments for 20 minutes while the first team sleeps.  

John is currently training, building a foundation of miles to prepare for the 3,000 mile stretch across the United States.  Riding outdoors is preferred after the long winter and does aid in training for inclement weather.  Preparation also includes learning the rules from the massive tome, for example, must obey traffic laws and when encounter stop sign, must stop.  This year a company specializing in adventure support will supply the transportation, meals, laundry, soigneur support.

The relay team has two goals, as a mixed team to finish the course in six (6) days and four (4) hours.  As a 4-person relay team they also have the goal to stand on the podium.