TT Toledo
Coming to you live from stage 20 of the Vuelta, and reporting whilst still marginally sober. Racers are coming in fast on the 30+ min time trial, with several overlapping at the finish. We’re parked at a beer garden along the last little stretch, having run the last 10 km of the course earlier this morning (no rental bikes to be found, so we went primitive).
Several observations from my first time live at a grand tour. First, this is awesome. Second, cycling is hard (related observation from my mother-in-law: “these guys are really suffering”). Third, cycling looks cooler with castles in the background (sorry USA). Finally, if my 5 month old son, currently sleeping despite the crowd, were to ride professionally, it would be at least 2029 before he was back at the Vuelta.
Picture is an unknown rider coming up the last incline and rounding the corner to the finish. Not a bad shot with an iPhone.
Oh, and happy birthday to the editor-in-chief: Frank, the fixie-curious flatlander.
Wait, new update; we just met David Millar, today’s winner, out on the town. He was happy to see some fans, but had no team gear left to distribute…. So he gave my wife the Garmin socks he raced in, right off his feet. They’re in the sink at the hostal right now….
Holy Shiet. That is a proper post from our on-site writer. And he writes well from the beer garden, that’s our boy. I watched online today but couldn’t pick out my friends as the camera made all the crowds a blur but the riders were hauling the ass. Glad to see Millar received a Toledo sword, a useful gift. Once Fabian C. leaves the race mere mortals can compete in a time trial. All right JTIII.
And happy birthday Frank.
Were they ‘Dopers Suck’ socks Jim? Soaking them will never get them clean…
Happy birthday big man.
Happy Birthday Frank.
Thanks all for the happy birthday wishes!
Jim, AWESOME POST. I can not, however, understand why you are washing the socks. You’re not planning to ride in them, are you? Very, very cool to have stage-winner socks. Anxiously awaiting your return to check them out in-person.
On a related note, I sat on Jan Ullrich’s TT bike in the start village of the Gaillac TT at the 2003 Tour. I gave his security guard an (awesome, I assume) sandwich I was carrying and he let me lift and poke at his bike. And then he let me sit on it while he held it up for me. Never saw Der Jan, though. I assume my sitting on the bike is why he won, of course. His bars were crazy low.