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.

My morning started off kind of cool in that I found out I was staying at the same Ramada Inn in Modesto as the Saunier Duval-Scott team. I offered to help carry one rider's bags down the stairs--he was dressed in his kit and looked a little confused as to how he would get his leather case and metallic rolling luggage down the wet concrete steps--but he politely refused. On top of that, they were driving around in unmarked mini-vans. Wow. Here's this European Pro Tour team making its way through the budget motel circuit in California. Wonder what they thought of the continental breakfast...

For today's start in Modesto, large, bulbous clouds hovered over the sky. They seemed to loom as a warning for what lay ahead: the 4,360-foot peak of Mt. Hamilton and the category 1 climb up the Sierra Road. The clouds seemed to overemphasize how mid-size and modest Modesto felt (I couldn't resist the name game there, but it fits). Compared to the other stops in the Tour so far, it had the easiest parking and the most...curiously interested crowd. There weren't as many cyclists and most people seemed to have come out for the spectacle of the whole thing more than any interest in the actual race. It was fun to see pretty much every elementary school class in town lining the streets ringing cowbells. As a reporter for the Modesto Bee later told me, "That's because kids in Modesto grow up with cowbells!" But it was a genuine interest and enthusiasm, and it was cool to be a part of.

The morning was marked by a Slipstream rider, Tyler Farrar, in the yellow jersey. Unfortunately, he would withdraw from the stage, and thus the race, because of a stomach virus that might have affected more than one rider.



After the start, I found my way to San Jose while the riders tackled the hills. Because the roads up Mt. Hamilton were closed to everyone but locals only, I skipped it. (Also, it was 35 degrees at the top and I packed light.) However, here's a blog from another Active community user, ToshiMoshi, who made the trek.

By the time I got to the broadcast in the press room, Levi Leipheimer and Rabobank's Robert Gesink had broken away from the peloton and were tearing it up the Sierra Road. Leipheimer is the defending AToC champion and was making his first real run at the yellow jersey. The mindset of the journalists around me was that the race had now really begun.

The finish was a fast sprint into the city. I was able to finally get myself into the press area just beyond the finish line. An exciting place to be, but not the best view if your aren't wearing a special vest and behind an enormous lens.



Leipheimer seemed to concede the stage to the 21-year-old Gesink, who was the Best Young Rider at last year's Tour of California. And as well he should, Gesink did the majority of the pulling for the two breakaway riders. Said Leipheimer a little later, "He was the guy I picked to be my ally."

Here's a shot of Geslink being interviewed by our very own Bruce Hildenbrand for the AToC DVD:



He was seriously overjoyed to be the day's victor. In comparison, Leipheimer was...stoic for a guy getting smooched by the podium girls. To busy concentrating on the remainder of the Tour? The guy might be a pedaling powerhouse, but he's not exactly a smile machine.

Let's compare. Levi:





It's the same look! Blue Steel. Le Tigre. The same look! (Sorry, started quoting Zoolander there.)

Now let's see Gesink:



Yeah, he looks happy. I mean, I've studied those photos multiple times and the conclusion is that if the Rock Racing podium girls can't get Levi to smile, then...ummm...what was I talking about again?