Soggy Start in Seaside, CA

Rain returns with a downpour as we watch the teams set up in Seaside, CA for the start of Thursday's stage down the Pacific Coast Highway. Donna asked me to get a picture of George Hincapie and Barry's favorite rider is Jens Voight. As if on cue, as Barry and I stood by the Team High Road bus, George just about runs into Barry as he rides up and dismounts his bike! Then we walk a few feet away to the CSC bus and there is Jens sitting in the passenger seat - Barry walks up next to the window and I snap the classic tourists photo. We were able to get close to and see Levi Leiphiemer, Chris Horner, Tom Boonen, Paulo Bettini, Fabian Cansellera, Bobby Julich and many others. The rain really came down at the start, and we were soaked, but not nearly as bad as the riders as they set off for their 130-mile race down the wind-blown coastal highway.

Barry and I drove around some of Monterey and then headed down Highway 1 to find the Bixby Bridge. We crossed over and pulled over to look at an amazing double rainbow over the bridge. For Barry this was the highlight of the trip - he has had the photo of the peleton crossing the bridge up on his office wall since last November. We drove back six miles and geared up for a short, but cold, windy, scenic, strenuous and memorable 12-mile ride.

As we approached the bays that cut into the coast the off-shore wind comes at you after being whipped around the back of the river canyon that made the bay. The result is an amplified wind and rain mix that can come at you in any direction. Combined with the descent coming into these bays and the climb coming out, both of which could have you in a low gear and standing and holding onto the bars for dear life just to keep forward progress, made for a calorie depleting ride.

Finally we get to the Bixby Bridge. The ride over the span was amazingly wind free. The climb up to the rest area was a wind tunnel experience. We returned with the help of the wind we just pushed so hard against. It was nice to have the propulsion, but it was erratic and you still had to struggle to keep the bike upright.

We took photos at the bridge and then continued back to the car. Fifty-five minutes of riding that seemed like a full day. We did a total of 1900 feet of climbing in just 12 miles! Immagine how much climbing and how hard to battle the wind, rain and cold for 130 miles of racing (not riding). A new respect and awe was created today for the racers we have been watching.