Joseph "Joe" Baldassare and William "Bill" Bartek are a team of Life Partners on The Amazing Race 1 and The Amazing Race: All-Stars.
The show's original "villains", their anything-to-win style of racing would upset the other teams in The Amazing Race 1, yet it also made them pioneers of the game, as they invented most of the basic strategies that would be emulated by teams over the next several seasons. However, they would make a critical mistake in Thailand when, after winning the Fast Forward, they sat around all day waiting for a direct bus to the Pit Stop instead of immediately taking a route with multiple buses. When they finally arrived, they were last, and were only saved due to Nancy & Emily incurring a 24-hour penalty. Though they would go on to make the final three, the resulting time deficit from their blunder prevented them from being able to catch up to the leading teams after that, resulting in them finishing in a distant 3rd place.
Their lasting influence on the game would result in their return in All-Stars, where they found themselves in several altercations with Eric & Danielle. During a scramble to get a flight to Tanzania, they made the critical mistake of staying in line with Teri & Ian, resulting in both teams ending up on the last flight, over 12 hours behind the leading teams. Though they managed to outlast Teri & Ian, a lack of equalizers left them at the very back of the pack and they would ultimately end up on the last flight to Poland along with Eric & Danielle, where they were again had to face off to avoid last place, but made the mistake of choosing the slower Detour. They were spared by a Non-Elimination Leg, but this resulted in them being Marked for Elimination in the following leg and, although they managed to get to the next Pit Stop before Eric & Danielle, the Intersection prevented them from building enough of a gap to overcome their 30-minute penalty, resulting in their elimination in 6th place.
Profile[]
Retrieved from CBS.com
Joe and Bill were introduced by a mutual friend at a Utah ski resort in 1986. They have traveled extensively and happily together, and lived in Paris for two years. When they found out about THE AMAZING RACE on the Internet, they decided that it is the perfect game for them. They make a strong team because they've been partners for fourteen years and are totally compatible traveling companions. Joe[]I'd most like to receive a letter from: My mother Bill[]I'd most like to receive a letter from: Mom
"Team Guido", the avid adventurers from Season 1, return for another attempt at the $1 million prize. Claiming they've had their bags packed since they returned home from the first season, they are ready to go! Admittedly, one of the most conniving teams in the history of Race, "Team Guido" were the masters of the old-school strategy and successfully outplayed most of their former competitors. Although Joe has done really well for himself professionally, his reason for returning to Race is to win so that he and Bill can retire and never have to work again. He describes himself as loyal, intelligent and responsible. He also claims that the biggest difference between Bill and himself is that he saves more money while Bill is a spender. Bill on the other hand describes himself as meticulous and upbeat, claiming that his biggest fear is heights and looking terrible on national television. After 20 years, Bill and Joe remain committed and enjoy life to the fullest. One question remains though... After being away from the game for so long, do they have what it takes to compete against the best racers of all time?[2] |
The Amazing Race 1[]
Race History[]
Joe & Bill's Race History | ||||||
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Episode | Leg | Destination(s) | Detour Choice (underlined) |
Roadblock Performer |
Placement | Notes |
1 | 1 | United States → South Africa → Zambia | Air / Land | Joe | 2 of 11 | [1] |
2 | 2 | Zambia → France | Far / Near | Bill | 2 of 10 | |
3 | 3 | France | Tough Climb / Easy Walk | Joe | 4 of 9 | |
4 | 4 | France → Tunisia | Full Body Brew / Full Body Massage | Bill | 1 of 8 | |
5 | 5 | Tunisia | Listening / Puzzling | Joe | 2 of 7 | |
6 | 6 | Tunisia → Italy | Foot / Hoof | Joe | 2 of 6 | [2] |
7 | 7 | Italy → India | Glide / Ride | Joe | 2 of 6 | |
8 | 8 | India | Elephant / Row Boat | Bill | 4 of 5 | |
9 | 9 | India → Thailand | Used Fast Forward | 4 of 5► | [3] | |
10 | 10 | Thailand | Hike / Climb | Joe | 4 of 4 | |
11 | 11 | Thailand → China | Volley / Rally | Joe | 3 of 4 | |
12 | 12 | China → United States | Flat / Steep | Bill | 3 of 3 | |
13 | 13 | United States | Race Over | 3 of 3 | [4] | |
Average | 2.76 | |||||
Legend:
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Notes:
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The Amazing Race: All-Stars[]
Race History[]
Joe & Bill's Race History | ||||||
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Episode | Leg | Destination(s) | Detour Choice (underlined) |
Roadblock Performer |
Placement | Notes |
1 | 1 | United States → Ecuador | Wrangle It / Recover It | No Roadblock | 5 of 11 | |
2 | 2 | Ecuador → Chile | By Hand / By Machine | Bill | 3 of 10 | |
3 | 3 | Chile | Vertical Limit / River Wild | Joe | 7 of 9 | |
4 | 4 | Chile → Argentina | Navigate It / Sign It | Bill | 4 of 8 | |
5 | 5 | Argentina → Mozambique | Pamper / Porter | Joe | 5 of 7 | |
6 | 6 | Mozambique → Tanzania | Solve It / Schlep It | Bill | 6 of 7 | |
7 | 7 | Tanzania → Poland | Perfect Pitch / Perfect Angle | Joe | 6 of 6 | [5] |
8 | 8 | Poland | Eat It Up / Roll It Out | Bill | 6 of 6 | [6] |
Average | 5.25 | |||||
Legend:
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Notes:
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Post-Race[]
- In 2010, Guido, their pet dog and team namesake, died.
Trivia[]
- Joe & Bill are the first team of LGBT racers to compete on the race.
- First same-sex couple to compete.
- Thus, they are the first all-male couple team in the American Race. This would be followed by Reichen & Chip, Lynn & Alex, Tom & Terry, Ron & Bill, Josh & Brent, Tim & Te Jay, Bergen & Kurt, Will & James, and Ricky & Cesar.
- First same-sex couple to compete.
- Joe & Bill are both the first team to finish a leg without using the Fast Forward and the first team to win a leg without using the Fast Forward.
- Joe & Bill are the first team to win the Fast Forward and not arrive first.
- They are the first team to perform the Fast Forward, and still arrive last. However, unlike the teams that followed them (Dennis & Andrew in The Amazing Race 3 and Bopper & Mark in The Amazing Race 20), Joe & Bill were saved due to Nancy & Emily receiving a 24-hour penalty after quitting the Detour.
- Joe & Bill are the first team to finish last in a Non-Elimination Leg and survive the following leg.
- Joe & Bill and David & Jeff are the only teams to make it to the final leg, but not make it to the Finish Line without being eliminated on the course.
- Joe & Bill are the first team to be eliminated in Poland.
External links[]
Interviews[]
Season 1[]
- Jane Clayson on The Early Show (12/14/2001): "Ding Dong The Lawyers Won"
- Brill Bundy at Zap2it (12/14/2001): "The Amazing Crosses the Finish Line"
- Reality TV World (01/15/2002): "TARS Exclusive Interview with Team Guido"
- Miss Alli at Television Without Pity (01/26/2002): "The Guido Interview"
All-Stars[]
- Oscar Dahl at BuddyTV (04/02/2007): "Exclusive Interview: Joe and Bill, 6th Team Eliminated on The Amazing Race: All-Stars"
- Christopher Rocchio at Reality TV World (04/02/2007): "Joe and Bill talk about their All-Stars experience"
- Eric Goldman at IGN (04/03/2007): "All-Stars Interview: Joe & Bill"
- Teeuwynn Woodruff on RealityNewsOnline (04/03/2007): "I Think We Know Each Other's Strengths"
Post-Show[]
- Rob Cesternino & Jessica Liese at RHAP (02/26/2014): "Amazing Race 2014: Episode 1 Recap LIVE with Team Guido"
- Jessica Liese at RHAP (11/0/2014): "The Amazing Race 2015: Team Guido-cast!"
- MIchael Harmstone & Logan Saunders (01/23/2015) at YATNCAST: "Podcast #53: Guido-cast"
Social Media Profiles[]
- Bill's Facebook: /TeamGuido
- Bill's Twitter: @TeamGuido
References[]
The Amazing Race 1 Teams | ||||||||||||
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The Amazing Race: All-Stars (2007) Teams | ||||||||||||
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