52-year-old Swiss woman leads Race Across America through Bloomington

Isa Pulver, Bloomington, Indiana (RAAM, June 20, 2023)

At 12:21 p.m. on Tuesday, Isa Pulver pedaled her bicycle eastward on Bloomington’s SR 46 bypass, past Fee Lane, heading for 3rd Street.

There she would turn east towards Nashville, Indiana, following SR 46 to Columbus, Indiana. If all goes to plan, she will eventually arrive in Annapolis Maryland.

When she hit Bloomington, the 52-year-old Swiss cyclist enjoyed the overall lead in the Race Across America—the cross-country bicycle race that goes through town every year in mid-June.

On Tuesday around noon, Pulver was around 120 miles ahead of second place rider Lionel Poggio. Another 13 miles back was Leah Goldstein. The race starts in Oceanside, California and ends in Annapolis, covering 3,037.7 miles. Continue reading “52-year-old Swiss woman leads Race Across America through Bloomington” →

Wednesday night: Leaders of cross-country bicycle race roll through Bloomington, race referees know their movie quotes

RAAM male solo competitor Mark Pattinson heading east on 3rd Street at Clarizz Boulevard (9:12 p.m. June 23, 2021).

RAAM female solo competitor Leah Goldstein at the intersection of SR 45/46 and 3rd Street waiting at the light to turn left onto 3rd. (11:55 p.m. June 23, 2021)

Around midnight on Wednesday, a few minutes into Thursday, an SUV headed south on SR 45/46 waited at the light to turn left onto 3rd Street.

The door panel had an official placard—it was a race official’s vehicle for the Race Across America (RAAM).

RAAM is a 3036.9-mile bicycle race starting in Oceanside, California ending in Annapolis, Maryland. Since the race was founded 38 years ago, the route for the RAAM has not always been the same. But it has passed through Bloomington for several years.

Through the open window of the SUV the driver shouted to the B Square: “Cutters! The Italians are coming! The Italians are coming! Rebate? Rebate?!”

He caught his own mistake: “Wait, no, that’s not it … Refund? Refund?!”

The recitation of familiar lines from the movie “Breaking Away” was his response to the B Square’s question: “You know you’re in Bloomington, Indiana, right—the greatest bicycling town in America?” The highlight of the film is the victory of a team called the Cutters in the Indiana University Student Foundation’s annual Little 500 bicycle race.

The light turned green before The B Square could catch the driver’s name. Continue reading “Wednesday night: Leaders of cross-country bicycle race roll through Bloomington, race referees know their movie quotes” →

Race Across America takes cyclists through Bloomington again this year

On Thursday afternoon Bloomington was rain-free for the first time in a few days. A 10-mph wind blew out of the west. For competitors in this year’s Race Across America, that meant dry pavement and a nice tailwind as they pedaled past the time station on Third Street, a couple hundred yards in front of the SR 446 intersection.

Kabir_Rachure Cropped IMG_6193 — Kabir Rachure, a 29-year-old lawyer from India. Thursday, June 20, 2019 Race Across America passing through Bloomington, Indiana (Dave Askins/Beacon)

Continue reading “Race Across America takes cyclists through Bloomington again this year” →