Today was all about the Tour of California, which rolled into town today. This is year seven of the event, and I have yet to miss the San Jose leg of this race. For the first time, the race was starting in Beryessa, so I thought I’d see the beginning of the race (which I have never done). Also, the finish line was in Livermore, so close enough to drive to.
I decided to park near a friend’s house, figuring that if the place was full of cars, I could use their driveway. My instincts were right (perfect spot to park), but I didn’t have to use the driveway; I got there just in time to score a shady spot across the street. For the next two hours, I walked up and down Beryessa road, looking at the event tents, seeing all the equipment and visiting a couple of the team busses. I got to see Jens Voigt, Levi Leipheimer, Tom Boonen, Chris Horner, Gregory Rast, Matthew Busche, Ben King and Peter Velits up close at their respective busses, then I got to see Peter Sagan, Robby McEwen, and all the afore mentioned racers at the front of the start line. It’s too bad my camera/iPhone died just after the start of the race. At the finish line, Sagan, Heinrich Haussler and Boonen were practically a photo finish at the end. Sagan won (third day in a row!). I guess the two mountains between the start and the end of the race didn’t affect the sprinters much – it was an all sprint finish!
Jens Voigt
Levi Leipheimer