Broadview Heights ultra-cyclist dreams of breaking records in Race Across America
by Chris Collins
“I like to go for long rides,” said Giovanni Prosperi.
That’s somewhat of an understatement from the 45-year-old Broadview Heights resident. Prosperi is a marathon ultra-cyclist who rides in long-distance bicycle races that cover hundreds of miles and take more than one day.
In late August, he was the overall winner of the Hoodoo 500 competition in Utah. Prosperi covered the 500-mile loop in 40 hours, 27 minutes, riding nonstop through several states and national parks, including Bryce Canyon, and reaching elevations of up to 10,000 feet. It was his first overall victory.
“It was the first time I finished a [multi-day] race without sleeping,” Prosperi said.
The first day of the race was rainy, he said, and the second day was hot with a headwind. The average elevation was about 6,000 feet.
In July, Prosperi competed in the Race Across Oregon, a three-day event that covered 630 miles. The first night, he took a two-hour sleep break, and he slept five hours the second night. His total racing time of 57 hours, 35 minutes won the Solo Under 50 category and was third overall.
That race included several mountain climbs with elevation changes of about 50,000 feet.
Prosperi, a native of Italy, began competing in Europe a few years ago without much success. In one race, called Everesting, competitors had to complete several climbs totaling the height of Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest peak at over 29,000 feet. Prosperi was unable to finish.
He decided to move to the United States in June 2019, after he and his wife, Dr. Katerina Greer, became engaged. Greer, a gastroenterologist, practices at University Hospitals and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland. The couple married in August 2019.
Greer is an avid supporter of her husband’s racing efforts. She and other friends and relatives follow him in a support van during races.
“It’s fortunate that she’s a gastroenterologist,” Prosperi said, “because I had a lot of stomach problems at times.”
During a race, cyclists can’t eat large meals, because it is difficult to digest food while riding. However, a rider has to eat and drink constantly to have enough energy to keep going.
Prosperi switched to a vegan diet and believes that helped his performance.
“I’m very proud to be vegan,” he said.
Prosperi’s ultimate dream is to complete the Race Across America, a 3,000-mile ultra-cycling marathon that begins in Oceanside, Calif., and finishes in Annapolis, Md. The distance is comparable to the renowned Tour de France.
Prosperi plans to compete in the 2022 Race Across America, with hopes of finishing in about nine days, averaging two or three hours of sleep a night. That would break the record for any Italian rider.
He credits Cassie Schumacher, a Northeast Ohio counselor who finished first in her category in the 2013 RAAM, as his cycling mentor.
To keep in shape, Prosperi tries to ride every day, going on longer rides of 100-150 miles at least twice a week. His favorite place to ride in the area is Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
“It’s a beautiful environment,” he said.
Why does he ride? “I’m trying to understand what this means to me,” he said. “I want to see how far I can do.”
Feature image photo caption: Giovanni Prosperi celebrates winning the Hoodoo 500 ultracycling competition in Utah.
