At the very far end of the endurance scale from Carl Decker's US Elite victory, a group of 24-hour mountain bike racers has won the four-man team category in the USA's (and probably the world's) longest bike race, Race Across America. Team Beaver Creek - Vail - Mike Janelle, Toph Leonard, Jimi Mortenson, and Brian Smith - cross the US from California to New Jersey in just 5 days, 18 hours, 15 minutes. The four-man squad covered 3052 miles (4883km) in tightly-executed relay shifts, and put their success down to the discipline needed to swap riders efficiently.
"Transition is a very important part of the race," said Toph Leonard. "You need to stay away from high speeds to be able to maintain a consistent speed. The whole idea is to get a rider out on the road, preferably on a hill, and build up speed from there."
