Tour de Precipitation...err...California Concludes

Jesse@Active — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:07:46 GMT

I suppose the only way Stage 7 was going to be remembered along with those that came before was if it rained just as hard as the others. And it did. But that didn't stop the riders from living up to their world-class billing. The 2008 Amgen Tour of California truly hosted the best and most exciting professional cyclists racing today.

The stages and weather conditions these guys pushed themselves through merited the enormous fan appreciation on display at each stop along the way.

I've got a recap of the stage on this Endurance Blog post: Leipheimer Wins 2008 Amgen Tour of California. The real excitement came, however, from wondering if Bissell Pro Cycling's Tom Zirbel could turn his daring solo breakaway into a stage win. Ultimately, it was George Hincapie who won the day and Levi Leipheimer who took the overall race. (Below, being led by his Astana teammates).

But once the race was over, the rain stopped and all eyes were on the podium.

The awards ceremony pretty much summed up the most memorable moments of the tour.

Australian Rory Sutherland of HealthNet Presented by Maxxis proved to be one of the more fun-loving guys in the race. He was second to Hincapie on Sunday.

And while riders like Mario Cipollini, Paolo Bettini and Tom Boonen filled up on a steady diet of awe and admiration, Americans like Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and Hincapie (below) truly were the crowd favorites.

Those retro High Road jerseys helped, too.

Due in large part to the solo heroics of Jackson Stewart and Scott Nydam, The Tachyon Most Aggressive Rider jersey was awarded to the entire BMC Racing Team, leading one to believe BMC really stands for Big, Macho Cajones.

And who knew a Canadian riding for an American Continental team could be so suave? Dominique Rollin of Toyota-United, who won the crowd with his Stage 4 win through the tempest along Highway 1, gave some of his roses to the podium girls after being presented with the Herbalife Sprint Leader jersey. His excitement every time he walked up on that stage was infectious.

Similarly, there was Team BMC's Scott Nydam and his ear-to-ear grin as he racked up points before finally winning the California Travel and Tourism King of the Mountains jersey.

Yeah, he looks like he's enjoying himself.

And speaking of that...I've been a mite critical of Levi Leipheimer's emotional output in earlier stages. Well, it quickly became obviously the man was waiting until it was really over.

Attaboy, Levi! Let David Millar have it! Haha! Actually, Levi was the consummate professional throughout the race. Even when asked about his (hopefully brief) exclusion from the Tour de France, Levi was honest but classy. Impossible not to like.

That can also describe Slipstream Chipotle, who proved, with their overall team victory, that they're not just the "clean team" but a group of guys who know how to race together. Directeur Sportif Jonathan Vaughters remarked at the post-race press conference that they aren't just a collection of good cyclists, but a team of racers who genuinely like each other and enjoy racing together.

Some other memories of AToC '08? The beautiful towns of Solvang, Sausalito and Seaside. Highway 1 and the crazy route I took to get there. And the fans--many very dedicated and knowledgeable cyclists, others just interested in the spectacle and awed by what they witnessed. It proved to me that despite a mainstream media addicted to doping stories when it comes to cycling, there's nothing like watching the real thing in person.

Stage 5: The Race of Truth

Jesse@Active — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:14:15 GMT

Friday's Stage 5 individual time trial in Solvang was intended from the start to be the kind of race that would allow the top competitors to lay it all out. If you were going to get a podium spot, you had to make a statement here. Well, race organizers got what they wanted.

Solvang is a small village surrounded by pastoral hills between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. I knew it was supposed to be a place that had a some European characteristics, I just didn't realize how distinct those traits would be.

They were definitely distinct. At first, the town has a Disney-created feel to it. But once you wander around, you notice that the people have put effort into the built environment. This is where and how they want to live. The community was very welcoming and I heard over and over, "Come back to see us." "Thanks for coming to our town." "We'd love to have you back in Solvang." And not just from the tourism bureau.

At first, I thought this was the Press Room. But it turns out (unfortunately) it wasn't.

So back to the race. The time trial consisted of 15 miles around the countryside, with some rolling hills and winding roads. The battle was expected to be between Levi Leipheimer and Fabian Cancellara. Because time trials are seeded by overall classification, those two would start last.

The numerous fans along the course and near the start/finish seemed pretty cycling savvy. Yet despite the big names that came through every now and again (like Jens Voigt passing the Specialized Angel, above), the buzz was basically "How close are we to Fabian and Levi?"

The two riders before them were Slipstream/Chipotle rider David Millar and Rabobank's Robert Gesink. Gesink wasn't really a threat to win the stage (he finished 20th), but Millar looked to be dialed in from the start.

After all the riders were on the course, word slowly started coming back that Millar and Leipheimer were tearing it up while Cancellara was struggling to keep pace with them.

The crowd went nuts when Leipheimer motored across the line well ahead of Cancellara and 29 seconds ahead of second-place Millar.

True, the overall race isn't won, but the feeling at that moment was that it's Levi's to lose. I'm becoming more and more impressed, however, with Team Slipstream/Chipotle. Both Millar and Christian Vande Velde grabbed podium spots, moving the squad into the overall lead of the team classification. They're out there to prove they aren't just a fashion-conscious, steroid-free team, but that their main goal is the same as everyone else's: To win bicycle races.

And wear cool socks. That, too.

Man in the Arena

Tour de Precipitation...err...California Concludes

Stage 5: The Race of Truth