Plavški Rovt
Plavški Rovt () is a settlement in the Municipality of Jesenice in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is ...
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
n cyclist and a soldier in the Slovenian Army. He became prominent for his multiple wins in the men's solo category of Race Across America (RAAM). He died on in a head-on collision during training. He was descending on his bike on a narrow mountain forest road in
Plavški Rovt
Plavški Rovt () is a settlement in the Municipality of Jesenice in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is ...
near Jesenice in Slovenia and hit an oncoming car.
Robič won the Race Across America (RAAM) 5 times (then a record in the men's solo category): in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010. He was in the second place at the final time station in 2009, but dropped out of the race in protest against what he found to be unfair time penalties awarded against him. For example, he received a time penalty for urinating in a non-designated place on the start day of the race, before the race even started. Robič swore never to enter RAAM again, but changed his mind and came back and won again in 2010.
On , Robič broke the world 24-hour road record by cycling non-stop. In 2005, he won Le Tour Direct, (7d 19h 40m) a race on a course derived from classic
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
routes. Robič won the DOS-Ras Race Across Slovenia four times, the Tour Direct twice, and the Tortour in 2010.
Robič was renowned for pushing himself to extreme mental breakdown during endurance races. He was laboratory-tested, and his abilities to produce power and to transport
oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements ...
were found matching those of other top ultra-endurance champions worldwide. During the 2004 Race Across America, it was reported that he only slept for a total of eight hours during his eight-day, ride across the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
.
From 1988 to 1994, Robič was a member of the Slovenian National Cycling Team. During that time, he was also a Slovenian national road champion. In his career he won more than 100 races and was on the podium at least 150 times. He was also a winner of Maraton Franja, Juriš na Vršič..
In addition to achievements in races, Robič was the recipient of the Sportsman of the Year awards for special achievements, Slovenian of the year for special achievements, and awards for fair play and tolerance in sport.