Hi gang
I was the RAAM Race Official in charge of Boyer for the duration of his nine day crossing in 1985. I was 18, just out of high school, getting ready to go off to college, but had also qualified to be in RAAM 85 that May. Anyway, Boyer most assuredly didn't "diss RAAM as the dumbest thing he's ever done." He also didn't walk away with the win until the last 500 miles. He was very humbled by the experienced (no mean feat, that) and had and has only good things to say about his RAAM experience, as well as about his rival in that race, ultramarathoner Michael Secrest. He had so much respect for Secrest that he became one of his sponsors in 1986 and helped him enter the 1986 Bordeaux-Paris.
As for Boyer's name, it's Jonathan, shortened to Jock by his family. The Francophiles heard that as "Jacques," but Boyer himself never went by that. All I've ever heard him called in person is Jonathan, which is how I know him.
In RAAM 85 his biggest gear was 42x21. There are comments about the bike he rode in my article "The Bikes of RAAM" found here:
http://www.adventurecorps.com/
I saw Jonathan in May as his bike shop in Monterey does technical support for a benefit ride for diabetes research that I organize. He's as fit as ever and told me he still races 1/2/pro events.
Needless to say, those nine days in the car in the summer of 85 were very influential and transformative for me.
- Chris Kostman LA, CA
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