canklecat

Weather was probably a factor in this year's speed/time. It was unusually hot and windy for June across much of the US.

RAAM now is closer to the original spirit of the Tour de France, before the TdF became a spectacle, complicated by emphasis on stage wins, primes, multiple jerseys, etc.

There's a parallel TdF race somewhat comparable to RAAM that's even less recognized than RAAM. Most years the TdF route is ridden by solo riders trying to experience the same stages, sans team support. This year Lachlan Morton is riding the TdF route totally self-supported, trying to beat the peloton to Paris. He'll need to skip the scheduled rest days to do that.