*REPORT FROM THE ROAD: 6-11-2010 8:30 AM EDT*

  Rob approaching Kayenta, AZ, 5:30 AM PDT, 6-11-2010 (Photo by Mike Desilet)

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Night crew driver Mile Desilet tells me that after a tough night of climbing, Rob decided to sleep at about 2:15 AM. And sleep he did. According to Mike, "...it took about 20 minutes and Rob fell right to sleep. And he slept two solid hours."

That is why, as mentioned in last night's final post, you see his average speed coming way down.

Rob is back on his bike now and still trying to ramp his speed back up for the day, but Mike says he is looking good and is in good spirits.

Some random observations, courtesy of Mike:

• Rob is starting to develop a sore throat, but otherwise feels fine.
• This morning he faces a long, very gradual 30 mile climb that rises about 2,000 feet over 30 miles.
• As the sun comes up in Arizona, the temperature is actually dropping. Mike says that when Rob got back on his bike, it was 70 degrees. As I was talking to him, it had dropped to 55, so they had to stop and give Rob more clothes.
• Mike was part of night crew in 2008 and he said by this point in the race two years ago, Rob was already having trouble standing on his own. This year, he says, Rob is totally himself and self-sufficient.
• We think that Mark Pattinson also took a sleep break as well, but are not sure. Things will become clearer over the next 12 hours or so.
• As predicted, Jure Robic is a machine and today will probably pass all of the women riders who left 24 hours before him. (More on Jure in a later post today.)

Ah, the ebb and flow of RAAM. Nothing happens fast. The standings change and play out like a football (or, in honor of the World Cup, soccer) game in slow motion.

All in all, a good start to day three of RAAM.