Last year, shortly after we moved here, I saw signs around town about something called the Amgen Tour of California. I didn't pay much attention at first and thought it was a wine tour or something, because it started up in the San Francisco area. But just days before the event was coming to town, I found out it was a bike race! It was the first-ever, and it had participants who I recognized from years of watching the Tour de France. I was so excited. And at the same time Stage 4 was going to be here, my sister and her family were visiting. We planned to walk over and see it...but that morning it rained. Being outnumbered with 4 kids and 3 adults (James had to go to school) we didn't go. This year James said I just had to go because it is still my dream to see the Tour and this is nearly like it. But just like last year it had been raining for days.
The morning of Stage 4 it was just overcast and James drove Jonah and me to the race site. We wore rain coats and grabbed my umbrella. 30 mins before the race starts it rains...and rains harder...we are soaking...Thankfully Jonah didn't get too wet, but I was drenched and my hands were freezing; I didn't know if I could even take pictures. We saw team cars, cyclists (they all seem to look alike...) I think I saw David Millar and Levi Leipheimer; I kept hearing Mario Cipollini's name over the speaker; and I wish I could have seen George Hincapie. When the race started, the peleton just wizzed by and I just took pictures of anything. Still, it was very exciting for me. Jonah was happy to get free Bam Bam sticks and a cow bell.
This Monterey/Seaside experience was awesome, but I still want to get to France someday.
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