Amgen Tour of California – Party on Trinity Grade

Posted by Neil on May 18, 2010 in Versus | 0 comments

Covering a stage is a lot like shampooing: lather, rinse, repeat. You begin the day at the start line because that’s your opportunity to get photos, grab a quick sound bite and steal as much food as you can from the VIP tent. Often it’s straight from the start to the finish line to set up, start writing something and wait for the racers to come tearing into town. There’s a certain comforting rhythm to this routine and after awhile it becomes rote. However today I stepped outside the journalist box and went from the start in Davis to the Trinity Road climb. Why? Because I knew that, no matter what the weather conditions, this five-kilometer hill was going to be going off.

With the gas needle hoovering in the red zone, I finally found Trinity Road, located just 20 miles from the finish line in Santa Rosa. A smattering of cyclists were braving the pouring rain and slowly riding up the gradient. Along the road spectators were starting to gather picking out spots under trees, hoping that the branches offered some shielding from the rain. As I continued to drive up the hill, crowds were forming along side the road and becoming rowdier as I ascended. Finally, near the top there was an awning set up with a couple of guys enthusiastically waving California flags at everyone and everything. And oh yeah, one guy was dressed as a pirate. I knew I had found my spot to hang.

Read the rest of my post at on Versus.com.

Don’t miss the Wheel Sucking with Neil Tour of California videos on Versus.com.

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