We rolled into Weaubleau, MO last night around 10:30 after a long day of chasing racers. We covered a total of 450 miles and got countless great interviews (a couple of which were the last given by the riders before abandoning the race. No restaurants or convenience stores open, so we split an apple, a Clif bar, and some beef jerky for dinner. The sole motel in town was a real adventure. There was a slug in the bathroom and the rest of the joint was just about at the same level. However, the phrase any port in a storm prevailed.
Team and individual riders have started dropping like flies in the Missouri heat and humidity. Paul Carpenter dropped from the race this morning, along with Spanish Team COANFI Desafin ASPANOA. As the race enters the Ozarks, things are heating up and the humidity will continue to take a toll on the riders.
Team Doc2Doc and Convicts of the road cranked through the rolling hills leading into Jefferson City. Team Doc2Doc lost one of their bikes when it fell from the rack at the back of the team car and the crew lead told us that carbon fiber doesn't bounce well. Two riders on the team are sharing a bike and they are hot-swapping saddles in order to accommodate both riders. Their mechanic is working overtime trying to keep the machines in good condition, fighting derailleur adjustment issues, and swapping chains as they stretch.
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Team Doc2Doc's Garth Smith was hammering through the hills and twists & turns through Jefferson, MO. Despite my best efforts to get the money-shot of Garth in front of the State Capitol, things didn't work out with traffic and lights. We left Garth and Team Doc2Doc as they crossed the Missouri River.
Dex Tooke rode through the night and was disappointed to not have had the opportunity to see the lakes and other beautiful scenery. He continues to be incredibly upbeat, joking with the media team about how he's very used to the heat and humidity. Dex plans to keep cruising along until he hits the Mississippi.
A half mile up the road we encountered Sabrina Bianchi whom we saw come in for a rest in Weaubleau last night around 2300 race time. She was still smiling along and putting up with our bad Italian. When we asked her how her saddle was treating her, she responded with a wave of her hand that it was "medio…" She's also sporting some multi-colored kinesio tape on her right knee.
Team All Wheels 4 Fibromyalgia pressed their advantage in their division (4-person mixed) through Missouri. We last saw them coursing for the Mississippi. They are currently the second 4-man team on the road behind the powerful Bandwidth.com team.
Amy Xu was comfortably cruising along in fourth place in the women's solo race, although it looked like the bunch of flowers her team manager had picked and attached to her head tube yesterday for a little inspiration had been removed. Michele Santilhano looked comfortable on her way to the Mississippi milestone. We were unable to talk with her today because of heavy traffic conditions on the narrow and winding roads, although she has not thusfar not been very effusive with us, instead giving us a wave and staying focused on the task at hand.
Spain's Julian Sanz described the Missouri countryside as "calor," or hot. He resorted to spraying down his head an neck with a bottle of water but said he was otherwise feeling fine. We spotted the team RV of Dr. Michael Nehls at the bridge over the Mississippi, but didn't catch a glimpse of his junta of supports or the good doctor himself. I suspect he is resting, having made a major milestone in the race. His strategy of resting 6 hours each 24 is working well for him.
We spotted Ferenc Szonyi's team at and around TS36 in Greenville, IL, but no sight of the Italian. Szonyi currently resides in eighth place in the solo male division.
As the sun set on another day of racing, we charged towards Effingham, IL in search of the Rob Morlock and the Bandwidth.com team. They left TS36 in Greenville 45 minutes ahead of us and were tearing up the tarmac on the rolling hills. I was hoping to catch them at or before sunset. It's a little challenging to get good shots with the long lens in the evening. The light quality is fantastic, but since the riders are generally eastbound, there's very little light on their faces with a ton of light behind them. The lens I'm using is so long that flash can't reach the riders, so the roadside shots with the big dog were usually silhouettes.
My friend Erin at Outdoor magazine informed me via e-mail this morning and had contributed to a story about Jure. Erin was in my vehicle as a journalist during this year's RAAM and we both have a deep appreciation for what's required to finish this event, let alone win it five times. I had the pleasure of serving as a photojournalist for the 2010 race, but spent most of the two weeks covering those racers in the middle of the standings, so saw little of Jure after the first day, but his speed was remarkable and his focus was undeniable. 
