It's not that I didn't partake in yesterday's Tour of Utah activities, I just got home late and needed a blog break. I was up early on Wednesday to catch up on emails, then squeezed in a full day of real work. Luckily I didn't have many meetings, so I listened to Stage 3 on Tour Tracker. Terry and I also did a lunch ride, which ended with a flat. After work, we headed to SLC for the Peloton Party to celebrate the success of the Women's Edition and the Tour of Utah in general. It was nice to see so many familiar faces and unwind a bit.
I woke up missing the race, so I worked for a few hours and then headed out at 11a to catch the men coming over the Wolf Creek KOM. I lost cell coverage in Woodland at the Sprint Line, but that made the experience more exciting. It felt like the stages in the Pyrenees when we hung out on the climbs and had no idea what was happening until the helicopters arrived and the Tour de France went flying by. Most of the time in the US, you can get coverage and watch Tour Tracker the entire time. Everyone is huddled around phones and it's a different atmosphere. Without coverage, it forces everyone to be a little more friendly and the air is full of anticipation.
I parked at the KOM but the crowds were light and the road wasn't too steep, so I continued down the climb and found the crowds and the chalk. I ran into friends and had a great time waiting for the race. Katie's crew had a great setup with banner, flags, and an elk bugle. Someone had done quality road painting, a couple were playing backgammon, and we were all enjoying a gorgeous day on the mountain.
Eventually the caravan started to arrive filling us in on the race status, then finally the helicopter crested the ridge and we all went crazy. The break was just ahead of the peloton and catching quickly. We ran, rang cowbells, and cheered for the riders as they climbed against a strong headwind.
There were several groups and solo riders off the back, so we gave them more cowbell and once the broom wagon came by, we jumped in our vehicles and followed the caravan. I continued to wave and ring the cowbell out the window, then stopped for a few minutes once I had coverage to try and watch the finish on Tour Tracker. Sounds like it would have been great to be at the finish, but the KOM is where it's at.
I got home in time for some more work commitments and then our friends from Texas arrived for the weekend. They were on the finish line at Soldier Hollow so we compared notes, then we went for a ride. Another fantastic Tour of Utah day!
 |
| Lunch Ride Flat - yet good views |
I woke up missing the race, so I worked for a few hours and then headed out at 11a to catch the men coming over the Wolf Creek KOM. I lost cell coverage in Woodland at the Sprint Line, but that made the experience more exciting. It felt like the stages in the Pyrenees when we hung out on the climbs and had no idea what was happening until the helicopters arrived and the Tour de France went flying by. Most of the time in the US, you can get coverage and watch Tour Tracker the entire time. Everyone is huddled around phones and it's a different atmosphere. Without coverage, it forces everyone to be a little more friendly and the air is full of anticipation.
I parked at the KOM but the crowds were light and the road wasn't too steep, so I continued down the climb and found the crowds and the chalk. I ran into friends and had a great time waiting for the race. Katie's crew had a great setup with banner, flags, and an elk bugle. Someone had done quality road painting, a couple were playing backgammon, and we were all enjoying a gorgeous day on the mountain.
 |
| UHC in Yellow at start of Stage 4 |
 |
| SmartStop in Yellow at finish of Stage 4 |
 |
| Katie's banner and flag - so awesome! (Katie organized Stage 5 in Kamas last year, she's a big fan) |
Eventually the caravan started to arrive filling us in on the race status, then finally the helicopter crested the ridge and we all went crazy. The break was just ahead of the peloton and catching quickly. We ran, rang cowbells, and cheered for the riders as they climbed against a strong headwind.
 |
| Thanks to Canyon Bicycles for the race updates - we had no idea what was going on without coverage! |
 |
| Todd stopped for a bit to give us an update, as did one of the VIP cars. |
 |
| We have our 1st helicopter sighting - Katie warms up the flag! |
 |
| Off the back, but still getting lots of love (and cowbell) from our KOM crowd |
There were several groups and solo riders off the back, so we gave them more cowbell and once the broom wagon came by, we jumped in our vehicles and followed the caravan. I continued to wave and ring the cowbell out the window, then stopped for a few minutes once I had coverage to try and watch the finish on Tour Tracker. Sounds like it would have been great to be at the finish, but the KOM is where it's at.
I got home in time for some more work commitments and then our friends from Texas arrived for the weekend. They were on the finish line at Soldier Hollow so we compared notes, then we went for a ride. Another fantastic Tour of Utah day!
 |
| Tour of Utah brings in lots of tourism, our guests are from Texas! |
Comments
Post a Comment