Swell Time in Santa Barbara

A few weeks ago, The Boyfriend and I were in Santa Barbara to bike and to see the Amgen TOC Stage 2 finish climbing Gibraltar Road.  Unfortunately, The BF came down with a cold which I later caught, but, after our vacation.  So, our cycling was less than we planned but still, we had a swell time. Here we are on the bike path that parallels the ocean front.

The day of the tour, guess who waved to me -- yep, firemen in their big red truck! They are heroes (we saw some of the after effects of the devastating mud slides and fires).  We had a great vantage point to see the cyclists coming.  Look closely and you'll see a helicopter, meaning, the cyclists are near.

Here's me waiting.  Lots of cyclists and hikers joked with me as they passed by.  Made my day.  Loved the guy who had the 7-Eleven jersey.  I hung out a lot at 7-Eleven in my youth drinking slurpees. The 70s....

Omg, here they come.  It was over too soon but what a thrill to see them.  We also had a great time seeing them up close (spinning away) later in the week for the time trial in Morgan Hill. I practically fainted and got all girly seeing George Hincapie up close.  Omg, he's handsome.

Another gorgeous shot of Santa Barbara.  It's such a beautiful place with its stunning scenery, its neighborhoods, the beaches, the temperature, and vibrant downtown among other things.  Til the next visit.

In Solvang for Stage 6

Friday May 20th

The BF and I bike into Solvang and before our eyes is the Shack's big truck with Levi Leipheimer's and Chris Horner's time trial bikes. What a sight. We press forward and I smile and wave to tour directors, media people, police officers, pro cyclists warming up. I told a Jelly Belly cyclist that I loved his jelly bellies (I do, I do; delicious beans). The BF is completely embarrassed by my behavior. We find the perfect spot to watch -- the hill about half way through the circuit.

First up are the amateurs. We cheer them on. Next up, the women!!! Go Kristin Armstrong. And then the men. The excitement! The helicopter hovering. The cars. The motorcycles. Seeing them all up close. Oh my gosh, there's Levi!

And the man -- Chris Horner! What a day. It was a thrill to see it live.

Amgen TOC Stage 4

When I finally got to the top of Sierra Road, drenched in sweat (bike time 57 minutes; sigh), there was my friend PP and The Boyfriend, a truly welcoming sight. Damn fine looking stud.

Me: On the way up, I met all these guys!
The BF: I thought you were going into menopause, you know, the pause from men.
Me: You tickle me pink with your humor, Mister! I'm just getting hornier as I get hotter!
He: Sigh.
Me: And to think, I'm only in the early stages.
He: Truly frightening.
Me: Oh by the way, you may want to start taking a mega vitamin.




Lookey, it's Sharkie. He patted me on the head. That's probably code for something. The BF is shaking his head. Sharkie was super. Okay, enough about me because today, like the previous stages, and the upcoming stages of the Amgen Tour of California is all about the fabulous cyclists participating in this wonderful cycling event.





They're coming! They're coming!






It was truly exciting as a sea of cyclists swarmed past us. I simply can not fathom how cyclists are able to bike so close to one another. I can't fathom a lot of things but that's another story.





A close up of them, their arms glistening. Being so near to them, being able to watch this short leg of today's stage was indeed a wonderful experience. Here's to the rest of the tour! Thanks to Adobe Tracker (for whom I once worked) for allowing those of us who don't have cable to watch it on the computer.

2009 Amgen Tour of California Stage 3

Oh darn, what's his name!

Today, given the gloomy weather forecast, The Boyfriend met me in downtown San Jose to watch the start of Stage 3 of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California instead of waiting on Sierra Road like he has done in previous years. He stood along Tunitas Creek yesterday to see the cyclists. Despite the horrible weather, people have come out en masse to cheer the cyclists! I'm waiting to hear from my cycling budette P as to what it was like on Sierra; P also did the KOM the other day; what a babe. As you can tell from my photographs, The Boyfriend secured us a super vantage point! Thank you Mr. Boyfriend.









Floyd Landis!






George Hincapie. Damn fine looking cyclist with a damn fine clothing line.







Our unassuming camera shy hero Levi Leipheimer, and hopefully on his way to winning the Tour again.











This guy looks familar.







Let's hear it for all the cyclists participating in this year's tour! We're into Day 3 of torrential downpours and gusty winds. Yes, California needs the rain to avoid the dreaded D (drought) but let's hope the cyclists get a bit of a break for the rest of the tour. And a big thanks to the Tour Tracker that is allowing Lorraine (who had to go to class today) and me to watch it online at work. Loved the sign written in the green hillsides of Modesto that said, "We love (shape of a heart) the Tour.

KOM and Me

Me bundled up before setting off to meet the King of the Mountain (KOM) cyclists at the base of Sierra Road. It was chilly, around 45 degrees but no rain, so, I dashed off to cheer them, blow kisses, wave, and wish them a Happy Valentine's Day. Well, that was the plan.... The policeman at Sierra Road informed me that I had missed the riders by a long shot. Sigh.




While there was snow atop nearby Mt. Hamilton, the hills have turned green from the recent rain and the trees are flowering. Today is the start of The Amgen Tour of California (in Sacramento)! Come Tuesday, they'll be in downtown San Jose and heading off to Sierra Road and onwards to Modesto. I'll be there in downtown SJ to capture it all. Below are some scenic photos of the area that they will travel as they make their way towards Modesto.




Somewhere on Piedmont.




A meadow of yellow green flowers while biking along Piedmont.





Piedmont and Calaveras. The Amgen TOC cyclists will come down Calaveras. Boy are they going to fly!





Intersection of Piedmont and Calaveras. By the way, last weekend, I scheduled a custom bike fitting (a big thanks to P for suggesting this). The guy at the bike shop looked at me and said, "I've been known to do wonders but in your case (a long drawn out sigh)...." It was an eye opening experience for me and something I should have done quite some time ago. He marveled at the fact that I have catalogued (organized) the clothes in my walk in closet. Anyway, he adjusted this and that and me and well, tomorrow is another day for me to be someone else other than Weenie Woman.





Going up Calaveras a wee bit before turning around as the winds kicked in and the sky clouded up, threatening a rain storm. I leave you with this -- The Boyfriend is traveling on business but he sent me a dozen long stemmed roses and well, it left me feeling mushy not weenie....

Tour of California Stage 3

While The Boyfriend was stationed at the top of Sierra Road enjoying his view and the excitement of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California Stage 3, Lorraine and I were getting ours, up close and personal, in our cozy cubicles. Need I say more.... Thank you Adobe (my former employer) TourTracker for providing us with nonstop video and audio feed of the tour and of course the camera persons. The two guys covering the tour are fabulous as well. Lorraine and I remained and will remain glued to our computers except for restroom breaks and library related crises.

From the start of today's stage out of Modesto, it was nonstop action and breaktaking scenery. The aerial shots of Mt. Hamilton and Sierra Road were spectacular. Lorraine, a noncyclist, got it that the climbs were difficult. These guys make it look effortless as they glide gracefully like ballerinas in a beautifully orchestrated movement of precision and inner strength. It is a joy to watch.

Once the cyclists began their descent from Sierra Road, we walked over to the finish area near City Hall in downtown San Jose. We positioned ourselves at 2nd Street so we could watch them come along the corner and stream down to the finish. First the two leads came and then several batches and next, individuals alone and then, a lovely small peleton in a sweet formation and lastly, the few remaining souls. The crowd cheered for each and every rider and we hope they know that. Unlike last year when they came flying through in a blur, this year, they seemed a bit slower (caution, we're still talking soaring speeds) and we were able to distinguish who was who; clearly the addition of Mt. Hamilton had an effect on this year's route.

We salute the cyclists in today's arduous journey and look forward to the remaining stages. We hope the pros know that they have brightened our day and we're glad they're here in California.

Tomorrow is another day and we'll be right there with you.

Tour of California Prologue

I spent the day in downtown Palo Alto at the start for the 2008 Amgen Tour of California Prologue. A good sized crowd cheered the cyclists as they shot off, both the amateurs at the beginning and the pros doing the time trial that went along Hamilton to University to Palm into the Stanford campus.

Above is Tyler Hamilton.

For Low Key Hill Climbers and radio fans, in the above photo, here's Irish Greg from KFOG shooting off. Go Greg! He also participated in the Webcor San Jose King of the Mountain event the day before and finished first in his category. We're proud of you.

Next up, it's The Boyfriend. He volunteered as a marshall and got a plum assignment at the start allowing close ups of the cyclists. I was close enough to touch them. They were like rock stars and actually, that's pretty darn cool. While on the beat, The Boyfriend was able to: a) prevent me from flirting with the pros and the crowd; or b) to protect the pros or the crowd from me. Take your pick. :)

A photo of me taken by me. I really enjoyed watching the cyclists tear down the road at incredible speeds along with their motorcylists and cars in hot pursuit. I also enjoyed the man who struck up a conversation with me. He was quite handsome; tall, blonde, attractive wrinkles, taking photos with a huge lens. He reminded me of the actor Ed Begley Jr.

A photo of George Hincapie spinning. I'd like to look like this when I'm on the trainer. Sigh. I like his clothes line and have a few hanging in my closet.

Levi Leipheimer preparing to go go go. He was so cute in blue.

Next up, I'll be at the finish line with Lorraine at City Hall in downtown San Jose later in the week as the cyclists do Sierra Road and Mt. Hamilton. Oh my Gosh.

Stormy Weather

"Keeps raining all the time." Won't be seeing much of the world this weekend due a severe weather alert for the Bay Area. I share a few photos taken in September 2006 of the climb up Mt. Ventoux also known as the Giant of Provence.



The photo above is the last stretch before you reach the top. A Frenchman on the road gave me a shove on my tushy and that was enough to motivate me for a stretch! A short while later, I heard the sounds of our touring group above cheering me on. It was an emotional moment.




The photo above captures the descent. The starkness at the top contrasts sharply with the start of the ride -- a flat dull beginning that gives way to lush woods leading eventually to a somewhat lunar scenery. Our Mt. Hamilton though has its own beauty and I look forward to seeing how the cyclists in the Amgen Tour of California handle it.

Amgen Tour of California Stage 3

Wednesday, Lorraine and I waited at City Hall, the finish line for Stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California. The crowd was enthusiastic and the clouds threatening. It was exciting to witness this tour in its second year.


The San Jose Mercury News is posting photos of the tour by amateur photographers. Mike Kolesnik shot the photo of the cyclists climbing Sierra Road. The photo of the bystanders is a Merc photo on today's front page. Don Ho captured the cyclists on 2nd Street and Taylor, downtown San Jose. You'll find hundreds of photos on Smugmug and Flickr as well. Michelle Ross has some nice photos of cyclists on Sierra Road. Michael Suvihura has photos of the various stages. Videos and a live stream are available on the Tour of California webpage.