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The Amgen Tour of California was held from February 14-22, 2009. The Tour was held again this year with a few changes in the overall race route. I enjoyed the opportunity to watch the racers at a few points of the race. The stage race started in Sacramento, CA with the Prologue and ended with Stage eight in Escondido, CA. This race had the strongest field of racers ever assembled in the US in the sport of professional bicycle racing. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures I took of the race this year. The weather was not good during the early stages of the race and access to good viewing areas was harder at the start and finish points to races. There were more VIP tents and if you were not a VIP or paying lots of money you better have a 200 zoom camera to bring the action closer to you. The Amgen Tour of California was highlighted by the return of Lance Armstrong. Lance is promoting the cause of fighting cancer. Check out the Lance Armstrong Foundation website online.
Dave McGrath-Wagner |
| Prologue: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009, Sacramento, CA |
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The AMGEN Tour of California started off in Sacramento, CA with the Prologue on Sunday, February 14, 2009. The start of the 2.5 mile individual time trial was on the Capital Mall near 8th street and the finish at the intersection of 11th and "L" streets. I arrived early in the morning at 9:30 am to grab a spot very close to the start ramp. The big attraction of course was the return of Lance Armstrong but also of verious other pro racers making their comeback to racing. Big names in the competition included George Hicapie, David Zabriskie, Christian Vande Velde, Fabian Cancellara, Ivan Basso, Michael Rogers, Floyed Landis Tom Boonen, Tyler Hamilton and Levi Leipheimer among many others. The event was very intertaining. The winner was Fabian Cancellara.
Dave McGrath-Wagner |
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| The pictures below were taken just after completion of the time trial. I made it over to Team Astana's bus and spotted Lance and Levi Leipheimer riding their stationary bikes. It was really a lot of excitement with the crowd all around them. I managed to take some really good close up pictures of Lance and Levi. |
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| Stage One: Sunday, Feb. 15, 2008, Davis, CA to Santa Rose, CA |
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The start of Stage One took place in downtown Davis, CA in the rain. I arrived early and enjoyed chatting with a few big fans of bicycle racing. It was a great time. I managed to get in a few pictures of the start of the race. My view was badly blocked by a rush of photographers on the start section of the race. I managed to get a log of close up shots of the racers as they signed in for the race. Dave McGrath-Wagner |
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| Stage Two: Monday, Feb. 16, 2009, Sausalito, CA to Santa Cruz, CA |
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The start of Stage One took place in downtown Sausalito, CA located in Marin County across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, CA.
The course left Sausalito and riders went across the Golden Gate Bridge and down portions of Highway 1. I drove do the first King of the Mountain (KOM) point of the race route and took some pictures. The best was enjoyinga small walk down the rode a few miles and chatting with a cancer survivor. It is always enjoyable to speak to others about the sport of bicycling but inspiring to speak of one's desire to live and survive beat the battle of Cancer. The gentlemen was a true hero to me just as Lance is to many cycling fans. The pictures were few but hopefully next year I will have better luck. Dave McGrath-Wagner |
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Links to the Top Professional Bicycle Teams in the World
| Team Saxo Bank |
| Astana Cycling Team |
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