The Radavist

After only shooting the start of the AMGEN Tour of California yesterday, today I was glad to be out on the course. My good friend Jeremy Dunn ensured that I got to ride in one of the SRAM support vehicles. We were in a caravan of about 20 cars, as the peloton chased down the break through the mountains. The biggest prick on the elevation map was Mt. Diablo and as the temperatures rose throughout the day, it was surely hell for the racers.

While I didn’t have the chance to hop out of the car and frame any shots, the audience and super fans provided more than enough entertainment as we drove through some of the most beautiful countryside California has to offer. Oh and descending in a team car is something else. Wow.

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This morning I found myself walking up to the second stage of the AMGEN Tour of California not knowing what to expect. I didn’t attend the opening day in Santa Rosa, nor did I experience the Sunday afternoon crowds that flooded the city, so I had no idea what awaited in San Francisco.

SF is a cycling-savvy city, to say the least and the reception, especially on a Monday morning, was warm. Each team’s caravans bustled on the inside, as their bikes were neatly leaned against the side. Fans walked up, commented on gear and patiently awaited for the athletes to leave their busses.

Once a team would exit, they were swarmed with fans, flashing their iPhones, interrupting them for a photo and it quickly became apparent that it was going to be an energetic morning. Rather than go too much more into it, I’ve compiled a nice Photoset, only of the start. We didn’t make it to stage itself, or the finish, but I’m happy with how these came out.

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I’m very excited for Mike and the entire Mash crew. In a year, their shop has become a destination for out of towners, a meet up for group rides and a bike shop that caters to track bikes. Mash is synonymous with track bikes in SF and the 1-Year Anniversary Alleycat celebrated that.

Unlike last year’s Twin Peaks Time Trail, this race was separated into two events: an alleycat qualifier and a Twin Peaks race. Only the top racers from the alleycat could race up to Twin Peaks. I hung around all day, chatted with racers and shot some photos.

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Compared to last year’s event, the 2012 Red Bull RideNStyle race track was a huge improvement. The lanes were wider, racers were required to use some of the fixed freestyle course and with the addition of two banks on the staircase, people were encouraged to gap the channel. Much as I anticipated, the competition came down to four racers.

In the end, it came down to Addison Zawada, Hern and Walton. Three strong racers, all out for it and the crowd was into it.

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