Inspired by one of the most celebrated cycling films of all time, Stephen Auerbach’s “Bicycle Dreams,” artist Michael Valenti created this print to capture the relentless determination a rider must have to attempt THE RACE ACROSS AMERICA. Riding without sleep, day and night, through heat and cold, mountain and desert terrain, to compete and complete this remarkable race is an amazing feat of human endurance.

“It makes the Tour de France look like a cup of lemonade by the swimming pool.” – Legendary Endurance Athlete John Howard speaking on difficulty of RAAM

The Race Across America, or RAAM, is an ultramarathon bicycle race across the United States that started in 1982 as the Great American Bike Race. RAAM is one of the longest annual endurance events in the world. In length the RAAM is comparable to the Tour de France, but the races differ to a great extent. Most importantly, the Race Across America has no stages, i.e., it is in principle a nonstop event from start to finish, with the fastest competitors needing slightly over a week to complete the course. By contrast, the Tour de France features a different route each year and is about 2,300 miles long; the distance is divided into individual daily stages spread over the course of about 3 weeks and contested at much higher speeds.

Filmmaker Stephen Auerbach has made two films on this one of a kind event, “Bicycle Dreams,” and “Race Across America.” The films have won over 20 film festival awards and they continue to play in theaters around the world.