DONNA PHELAN WINS THE RAAM 6 HOUR WORLD TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Jay Prasuhn / November 5, 2025

News, race report, V-PRi

Donna Phelan Wins the RAAM 6 Hour World Time Trial Championships

Former Canadian pro triathlete Donna Phelan has triumphed at this year’s Race Across America (RAAM) 6-Hour World Time Trial Championships (WTTC). The 6-12-24-Hour World Time Trial Championships are widely regarded as one of the toughest distance TT races in the world. Today, we'll do a quick breakdown of this unique event, recap Phelan's perfect race, and take a closer look at her World Championship-winning V-PRi triathlon bike.

Discover the V-PRi

Speed in the Desert

Donna Phelan riding her V-PRi at the RAAM 6 Hour World Time Trial Championships

Every fall, the best endurance time trial racers from around the world gather in the inland desert community of Borrego Springs, California, to determine who is the fastest in the world, set personal records, and spend time with friends in the bicycle racing community.

Competitors at the RAAM 6 Hour World Time Trial Championships

The event is held on a fast and flat 18-mile loop with broken chip-seal roads and arid conditions. Racers complete as many miles as possible in 6, 12, or 24 hours. Save for an assortment of hulking metal sculptures by Ricardo Breceda of a dragon, mastodons, horses, an eagle, and a Jeep dotting the desert scrub brush landscape, there’s not a single feature here to take the mind off the constant load on a rider’s legs. They ride lap after lap, all through the dry 90-degree heat. Bring lip balm, sunscreen, and a tough mindset.

The Perfect Time Trial

Donna Phelan racing on her V-PRi at the RAAM 6 Hour World Time Trial Championships

Donna Phelan was ready for it this year, and for her, the hotter the better. For eight years, she’s competed in the RAAM WTTC 6-hour race, with six second-place finishes and one third-place finish. In all that time, the top step of the podium has eluded her. Until this year.

Donna Phelan locked into the aerobars on her V-PRi at the RAAM 6 Hour World Time Trial Championships

A hard early effort saw her set the pace, piloting her V-PRi to the race lead from the gun. Locked into the aerobars hour after hour, Phelan only made brief stops in the pit for bottle refills and ice water over her head. All day, she never looked back, covering 122.4 miles in five hours, 58 minutes.