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 RAAM Weather Forecastby Dave Speelman, Meteorologist KAMR NBC Channel 4, Amarillo TX Expect southerly winds Sunday to pump in some moisture throughout the day with thunderstorms developing in the afternoon and evening. With some of the cloud cover, expect temps to be held down to around the upper 80s in Las Cruces and mid to upper nineties as the riders pedal on to Roswell, and mid-90s in the Texas Panhandle. The forecast: Partly Cloudy, 40% T-Storms, High: upper 80s in Las Cruces, 90s elsewhere. South winds at 10-20 mph...a little stronger in the vicinity of storms.
 Day 3 of the 1998 Ensure Race Across AMerica saw cyclists moving into the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico. It marked the third straight day of desert riding, but again with much cooler than normal weather. Scattered afternoon and evening thundershowers gave isolated areas some much-needed rain, but no cyclists were rained upon. By this morning, every rider had slept at least once. As daylight began to fade, Gerry Tatrai was headed for the major climb up to Cloudcroft (over 8600 feet elevation). Tatrai passed through Time Station #14 in Alamogordo at 6:57pm, a little over two hours ahead of second-place Seana Hogan. A severe weather alert had been issued for the Alamogordo area for the evening as a huge thunderstorm brewed in the mountains to the west. The peloton got a little more spread out during the day and previous night, with little groups of riders getting established along the way. While Tatrai and Hogan had carved out their little niches, a gaggle of five were slowly but surely whittling away at Seana's second-place position. Leading this group was Tom Buckley, who was only 50 minutes behind at Time Station #13 (Las Cruces). Following a little further back were Paul Solon, Mark Patten, Rob Kish, and Steve Born. Danny Chew was about to join the back of this group as the dinner hour approached. Missing from all of the action the past 48 hours was 1997's defending champ, Wolfgang Fasching. Wolfgang was sidelined back on Day 1 just southeast of Indio (Time Station #2). Although he was the first solo rider to pass through TS#2, in just 10 miles, he was in dead last. The heat had taken its toll on the Austrian, and he had to regroup. And regroup he did, having moved his way up to mid-pack by late morning today, just five hours behind Hogan.
    But it is still Tatrai and Hogan who are stealing the show. Both are having incredible rides. As Tatrai descended into the White Sands area, he sreamed "Yahoo!" It was either exhilarating, or an endorsement for his favorite internet search engine. And Hogan was bright and perky much of the day, happy to be spending another day on the bike. Her characteristic slow cadence grind gives the illusion of soft-pedaling, but nothing could be further from the truth. As she entered Deming this morning, she was rolling along at about 40 rpm, but over 20 mph. Not bad for nearly 48 hours!
    Tom Buckley spent the day firmly entrenched in third place, and slowly gaining on Hogan. Having learned many important lessons in RAAM 96, and having put in some stellar performances in other ultra races, Buckley was riding like a seasoned RAAM veteran. His crew was much more experienced, and knew what to do, and when to do it. Inside the crew vans, Buckley's organization was evident. The crew people were still in good spirits (if a bit cramped and hot), and were busy getting their rider down the road. Sharon Harris (lower right) is always quick on her feet as she readies a new bike for Tom for the climb out of Las Cruces.
 Andreas Clavedetscher rode strongly through the night and early morning, and was the fourth rider into Deming NM. But the Leichtenstein resident was showing the effects of heat to which he was not accustomed, and went down for a rest during the heat of the day, at least temporarily relinquishing his position.
 Steve Born continued to have a great journey, arriving in Deming by mid-afternoon. With two states now behind him, Born is feeling more confident by the mile.
 Former RAAM winner Paul Solon continued to move through the pack slowly but steadily. After a very slow start, Solon had moved into the pack riding in Tatrai's and Hogan's shadows. With a history of RAAM-related neck problems, Solon was already using a special chin rest that extends vertically from his handlebar stem.
 RAAM's elder statesman, Rob Kish, was also inching his way up the rankings. No one in RAAM rides as quietly, yet forcefully, as does Kish. He's always there, a threat that can never be discounted. Anyone with 12 RAAM finishes has the ability to put the hammer down at a moment's notice. The big question: when?
 Another rookie riding extremely well is Mark Patten. Mark could easily rival Born for the "biggest legs in RAAM" honor, his physique being quite impressive. His massive quads turn the cranks with sheer power. With another day nearly over, it was time for RAAM to ride into the night...a night that will bring riders to Roswell NM, and later to the Texas Panhandle. The desert will be gone, but the heat will not. Tune in tomorrow for the latest news.
Use the menu below to check the updates posted each night during the race!
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