It’s AMGEN Tour of CA time!  The 2013 Tour is currently underway, making it’s way up to a final stage race from San Francisco to Santa Rosa.  I haven’t been able to make it to any of the 2013 stages, but I may try to catch the feed zone during the final stage and see if I can come away with any souvenirs.  I was lucky enough to catch the first stage race in 2012, as well as the time trial that took place in Bakersfield due to a work obligation which had me down in L.A. the following day.
If you have never seen a professional race with riders of this caliber, it is something worth checking out. Â The amount of speed these guys carry during a race pace is unreal! Â I have never seen cyclists riding so quickly on flat ground. Â I think I could keep up with them, but probably for only 20 seconds or so.
above:Â The peleton racing by momentarily turned this calm area into a gusty wind storm!
below: The pre-staging area was filled with team buses and thousands of dollars worth of bikes.
above/below:Â Race fans and cycling booths crowded the streets of downtown Santa Rosa. Â You could keep yourself busy during the race, which started and finished in downtown.
below: The following pictures are from the time trial in Bakersfield.  They can be clicked on and expanded if you have the screen real-estate.
