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Ivan Basso is ten feet away from me, and where is my Sharpie???
Cycling fans at Coit Tower, near the finish line of the Tour of California prologue time trial.
After this weekend I am suddenly finding myself very much motivated to ride my bike.
For those of you who aren't rabid pro cycling fans, Ivan Basso is a beautiful and talented professional cyclist who recently joined the Discovery Channel cycling team after leaving his teammates at CSC amid a drug scandal. Yesterday was the first day (technically the prologue) of the Amgen Tour of California, and Basso's first time racing with Discovery. Almost all of the biggest names in professional road racing were in San Francisco for the race.
I got photos of US road champion George Hincapie, world road champion Paolo Bettini, Norwegian time-trial champion Thor Hushovd (take your pick), star climber Michael "Chicken" Rasmussen, world TT champ Fabian Cancellara, the weird Specialized angel lady, and San Francisco's famed Frank Chu. I managed not to get a decent photo of sweet Ivan Basso, except from behind. The whole bunch of photos is here.
Last night Dave and I attended a benefit featuring Phil Liggett and Greg Lemond telling stories of Lemond's amazing comeback victory at the 1989 Tour de France. To prove it I have a photo of Phil with my friend Jeremy. Why, you may ask, did I not get a photo of Phil with myself? Because I am an idiot, that's why. (And because I still had I've-been-sick-at-home-all-week hair, but still. Phil Liggett! The man is a legend of such magnitude that people play drinking games in his honor.)
Today I rode over to Sausalito (a 30-mile round trip which tripled my total mileage for 2007) to watch the start of stage 1. I remembered my Sharpie this time and managed to get Hincapie to sign a water bottle for me.
And if it's not obvious, my flu is finally gone and I'm feeling much, much better, thanks.
February 19, 2007 10:54 PM
I've been thinking about the upcoming year of Cyclisme and last year's crazy drugs scandal, and how lovely it is to get this early dose. I remember your pix from last year (the one with Bob Rohl-whose-name-I-can't spell and George Hincapie together was great); this year's are way better. Can you blow up that one of Thor Hushovt-whose-name-I-also-can't-spell?
That's dose of Cyclisme, not dose of drugs. It's early yet here and my brain done gone back to bed already.
AMAZING pictures! And that Thor Hushovd, wow. Like, really, WOW.
Can't someone spare a couple Clif bars for the angel lady? Her hip bones are protruding.
I heart Thor - he is MINE ladies - hands off ;)
Finally had a chance to show Jonny your photos and he loved them.
I think it's hilarious that Amgen sponsors a cycling race.