Tour of California 2006 (stage 2)

[m0t0-ryder]

So today I went and checked out stage 2 of the Tour of California bicycle race.
I rode as far up Sierra road as the police would let me and waited for the racers. This was about 75 or so miles into these guys race day.
I chatted with one of the course marshals and was told that a breakaway had occurred and there was a group of three with a max lead of 4 minutes, but that that lead was going down and it was about 1 ½ minute as they came into the beginning of the Sierra Road climb.

Here’s that group of three.
63 – Madds Kaggstad (Nor)
132 – Michael Creed (USA)
145 – Ben Jacques Maynes (USA)



Before each group or racers was an escort of motorcycles.



Here’s comes the main peloton
The eventual stage 2 winner (George Hincapie) can be seen in this photo. (Lightening pointing at him)



Moto content. My beemer over there.



The support vehicles carried quite a variety of spares. Front Wheels. Back Wheels. And bikes.




And there were quite a few rider support cars.



The riders then went the rest of the way up Sierra while myself (and everyone else watching on Sierra) went back down to Piedmont Ave to see them on their next pass through.
Here’s a few photo’s from this pass.

The three breakaway riders



The following Peloton, closing quickly.
(Again, the eventual stage winner, Hincapie can be seen in here. 6’th rider back, in blue)



And another peloton group.



And another



And finally the sweeper.
(notice the brooms on the bumper)

[xmailman]

Good job. They went by me so fast on Monday all the photos looked the same just different color jerseys.