We had been in Breckenridge (home of the Stage 5 finish line) earlier in the week, but not at the right time to see the stage finish, so Sunday was my big chance to watch the race in person.
Representin the Best Cycling Team Ever at the Finish Line in Breckenridge
The final stage began just down the road in Golden, made a loop around North Table Mountain (a place where we frequently climb in the winter), then charges up Lookout Mountain (a ride I've done many times myself), then plunges back into Golden, shoots over to Denver, and finishes with 6, 5-mile loops around downtown Denver. My plan was to catch the start in Golden, ride half-way up Lookout Mountain to watch some of the climb, coast back into Golden, then drive to Denver for the finish.
The Start Line in Golden:
I made it down to Golden, parked (in what I'm pretty sure was an illegal spot--but no ticket) then hopped on my bike to find some action. I was hopeful that I could find the staging areas where the team buses park and the riders get ready for the stage. After some aimless wandering, I spotted a team car with bikes on top and decided to follow the car to its destination. Sure enough, all of the team buses were there with huge crowds around. The first thing I noticed was the disparity between the top Pro teams and the developmental squads. Its like comparing a garage band to the Rolling Stones. Well, maybe not that different, but the fancy painted buses & matching team cars are not universal. The Columbian teams, and even the lower-tier American teams had modest rented minivans with good ole-fashioned bike racks on top. The riders simply sat in $5 Wal-Mart folding chairs next to their minivan. A bit different than the air conditioned luxury touring buses of the big teams.
The Haves:
The Have-Nots:
The bus scene was interesting, because you had hordes of people standing around with cameras, and when-ever a door handle jiggled, the crowd would hold their collective breath assuming the next star of international cycling was about to emerge. However, it was usually some anonymous team massouse or helper that came out. At one point I heard someone say, "When this is over I'll have to get someone to tell me whose autograph I jsut got." Why are people so ravenous for autographs of people they know nothing about? It must be part of the weird obsession with celebrity, but it seems pretty extreme. While I was watching this, trying to decide which team bus to stalk, a lanky gentleman in cacky shorts and a Radioshack T-shirt walked by, completely ignored by the anxious multitudes. I instantly recognized Axel Merckx, son of probably the greatest bike racer of all time, the incomparable Eddie Merckx. Axel was a great rider in his own right, the top lieutenant of Floyd Landis during his ill-fated Tour de France victory in 2006, but now retired, his the Second Team Director for the Radio Shack squad at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. If it weren't for those annoying in-car interviews that Versus likes to do, I doubt I would have recognized him. Axel was nice enough to pose for a photo with me, and I shook his hand and told him I have a nephew named Axel.
Me & Axel Merckx:
I hung around the Garmin bus for a bit, and managed to catch a glimpse of David Zabriskie, the American Time Trialing ace, and Christian Vandevelde. I was tiring of the tease, and decided to stake out a spot to watch the start. As I was departing, I passed the BMC bus just as Cadel Evans was heading to the start area, and snapped another quick pic.
Cadel "I like to punch people" Evans, 2011 TDF Champ
It was very difficult to find any place with even a bad view of the starting gate. The crowds were really unbelievable. 5-10 people deep, lining every street. While searchingabout for a gap in the wall of humanity, I stumbled upon the secret formula for viewing the celebrities up close. The organization sets up a corridor for the riders to get from their bus to the start line. If you hang out there at the right time, the riders will come to you, sometimes making several passes, and always at a slow speed. I saw all of the big names, although I didn't recognize Andy Schleck in his orange "Most Aggressive Rider" jersey until I was flipping through the photos at home.
Christian Vandevelde, TDF 4th place finisher, UPCC second place overall:
Ivan Basso (in Green) famous for finishing 2nd to Lance in the TDF before getting busted for doping.
Andy Schleck, 3 times second in the TDF:
Frank Schleck, 3rd in this year's TDF, stage winner on Alpe d'Huez
Tejay Vangarderen, UPCC Best Young Rider, first American to wear Polka-Dotted "Climber's" Jersey in TDF
Frankie Andreu (I was the only one in this line who knew who he was)
Levi Leipheimer, UPCC Winner, 3 time Tour of California Winner, TDF Stage winner & TDF 3rd Place Finish
George Hincapie, Team mate of TDF winner record 9 times, 3x American Road Race Champ, TDF Stage Winner & Yellow Jersey wearer
Cadel, please stop following me around!
Laurens Ten Dam, famous for crashing in spectacular fashion
Elia Viviani, UPCC Green Jersey winner
Tom Danielson, 2011 TDF 9th place overall, record holder for Mt Evans Hill Climb & Lookout Mtn Hill Climb
Next was time for the starting gun, which was a real let down, since it was virtually impossible to see any actual riders through the crowds. I think the start would be cool if you had a front row seat since it seemed like the announcers were introducing individual riders.
The Start
After the blur of helmets whizzed by, I hopped on back on my bike and zoomed towards Lookout Mountain. This is a ride I've done many times, and I even keep track of my best time for the sake of tracking my fitness, but I hadn't ridden in three weeks, and there are some significant little bumps just getting out of Golden. As a result I found my ass seriously kicked before I even got to the official start of the climb.
It was a really fun ride though, as the crowds were already in place, and many of them were warming up by cheering for those of us riding for higher ground. I made it to the first set of switchbacks with plenty of time to spare, and staked out a spot where I could see the riders pass a couple of times. The crowds were unbelievable considering no cars were allowed on the road. Literally thousands of people had ridden their bikes up the road to watch.
It was pretty neat watching the motorcade drive through, building our anticipation with each passing police siren, but it was a serious tease, at is it was easily 10 minutes for the first car to the riders. We were all watching the TV helicopters hopint to estimate the field's progress up the other side of the ridge. Eventually the riders appeared, and we were all pretty amazed at the gaps. The first group was only about 20 riders, and there were probably 4 or 5 seperate packs, with stragglers in between. Garmin Cervelo was clearly pushing the pace, with 3 riders in the front, hoping to detect a weakness in Radio Shack's armor. I was really stunned by their speed. Apparently these American hills, though at a high altitude, are nowhere near as steep as Alpine roads like Alpe d'Huez, and the pro peleton had no problem blazing up them. I consider myself a pretty good climber but I doubt I could have hung with them for more than a few hundred meters.
First view of the riders on the furthest curve
The first group, lead by Garmin Cervelo. Most of the big names are in this shot.
The first group again, now with Columbians in the lead.
Jens Voigt, 3rd from Left.
It was cool to see, but it was over in a flash, and with all the focus on photography, I hardly saw anything. I thought I was going to run alongside the pack and shout stuff, but it all happened way too fast for that.
After the riders came through I made a harrowing descent down the twisty road back to Golden. Its a lot of fun descending a closed road. You can really push the limits of your rubber with little fear of coming around a corner into the grill of a dump truck.
The peleton in Golden, with Cadel and Jens on the far left.
Once I was in Golden I found a corner packed with fans, and figured that must be a good spot so I hung out there and waited for the riders to finish the long loop to the summit of Lookout Mountain. There was a 90 degree corner and a significant uphill at this spot, so I figured the peleton would be moving relatively slow and I would get some good shots. I was wrong:
At that point I had realized that there isn't much point in watching cyclists ride by at 30 mph, so I called it a day and decided to watch the rest of the stage from the comfort of my couch. I was really glad I made it down to the start area; that's really the way to see it. I learned a lot form my experience on this stage, and if another pro tour comes through CO, I will be prepared to take maximum advantage: get there early, and find the steepest damn hill on the race route.
