More to life than…

Solvang is a great venue for a time trial, and driving through the central coast’s wine country from San Luis Obispo was a very special treat.  The hills, which are typically brown most of the year, were a splendid shade of green that only the winter rains can bring.  And to think of how fleeting that is, you have to enjoy the moment when you can, and we did.

Just before entering Solvang, we noticed a few cars parked along the main street.  We kept driving into town and found a parking spot just off the main road that was pretty close to the action.  In a town with a population of just over 5,000, it would be hard to park too far away.  The 2008 Amgen Tour of California utilized every bit of real estate Solvang had to offer.  From the vendor’s booths to the live band in the park.

The start and finish lines were only a block from each other.  As soon as the entire field was on course, we simply strolled over to the finish line to watch the riders come in.  It was the first time my family and I have ever been to a pro cycling event, and it amazed me how close you get to the riders. 

We were no more than 10 feet away from them as they staged themselves for the start, and we had to back up about 100′ from the start line to watch them launch from the gate.  Any closer and the loudspeakers from the announcer were deafening.

As they begin to build speed, they pass by so closely you can almost reach out and touch them.

Dominique Rollin cruised right by us after his stint on the course.  He was enjoying the atmosphere as much as we were while the rest of the field was still coming in.  My wife even walked over to him, shook his hand and congratulated him for his stage win the previous day.

I would have liked to seen all the stages from the prologue in Palo Alto to the finish in Pasadena.  Guess what we’re doing next year.

This entry was posted Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 4:09 pm and is filed under cycling, general. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.