Lance Sighting

After lunch today we went downtown to see the Prologue of the Amgen Tour of California bike race. We drove downtown and then took light rail to watch the riders. Drew did a little train dance while we were waiting at the station.

We rode the train as far as it would go and then walked the last four blocks. It was crazy how many people there were! We walked all the way around the capital and saw the race from several vantage points. After seeing it from the finish line, we decided to keep walking and see the start line.

Along the way, we found the team buses and warm up area. I thought I took some photos of the crazy crowd around the Astana warm up area, where Lance and his crew were warming up, but the camera was uncooperative. We did see a couple of other teams warming up.





Also in that area were the equipment trucks. Check out much they pack into this truck!



We finally made it over to the starting block and were able to watch a few riders take off...but from behind. You can kind of see the sharp end of the rider's helmet in the shadows here. The whole area around the start was packed with press and fans who were probably there much earlier than we would have been willing to get here.



We walked over to the area where the riders, after doubling back on K St, start their circuit around the Capital. We managed to see several riders.



When some of the more famous riders started showing up, this little area in the bottom of the photo was swarmed with press photographers. So we took off and started walking through all the booths and displays.

The walk up to the capital was really nice. And Lance was pasted all over the place!



We walked by the Jelly Belly booth where they were handing out samples of their Sports Beans. We picked up a couple and Drew demanded one pretty fast, so I opened it up. Drew loved them. I suspect it had more to do with them being jelly beans than sport beans, per se. Rich said they tasted like Gatorade, which explains Drew's obsession. Gatorade is Lightning Juice in our house and with my family. Drew loves it. And the sports beans turned Drew's tongue a lovely shade of chartreuse.



We settled into a lightly populated area across from the southwest corner of Capital Park. Drew fooled around with barricade for a while as we watched riders round the corner and hit the straightaway on L Street.













After a while, though, Drew got tired. And sat down at Rich's feet on the curb.



That's about when we noticed this woman, across the street, lying down on the street over a very large camera on a very small tripod.



We stayed for the last of the riders. We saw Dave Zabriskie, Levi Leipheimer, Thor Hushovd, George Hincapie, and Fabian Cancellara. It was very cool to see all these riders I've seen on TV and in the paper ride by.







And, of course, there is Lance Armstrong. I actually got a semi-decent shot of him with my little point & shoot camera!



After Levi Leipheimer, the last rider, rode by, the tour volunteers and police officers let everyone cross the course and cut the tape barriers.

After seeing the crowds heading to the light rail, we decided to walk the thirteen blocks to the car instead of trying to catch the train. Drew did okay for the first few, but then needed a ride on Rich's shoulders. It was a long day and desipte those sports beans, he needed a lift. We walked by the train tracks just as we got to the car and saw how packed the trains were, even then.

It was very interesting seeing a bike race. Maybe next year we'll try to bike down from home if Drew's riding ability improves. Or maybe we'll have to drive downtown and then ride our bikes. There was a little social/community ride before the time trials, on the route of the trial, that the mayor of Sacramento led. I can see enjoying something like that. They even had secure valet bike parking for up to a thousand bikes!

Ultimately, though, I don't know that we'll go again unless it's a time trial. It's a whole lot of effort just to see the peleton as it rides by. At least with the time trial, we saw each rider, individually, and over a period of time instead of all at once. That being said, it's just easier to watch on TV. I should note an exception, which would be for the Tour de France. I'll go see that at any opportunity, even a stage race. Hopefully with Steph.