THE PROLOGUE - Sacramento - Saturday, February 14 - 2.4 Miles
Sacramento is the capital of California. It is located 90 miles northeast of San Francisco, 383 miles north of Los Angeles. The name is Spanish for “sacrament”. Greater Sacramento has been cited as one of the five “most livable” regions in America in 2004, and the city was cited by Time magazine as America’s most integrated in 2002. During the California Gold Rush, Sacramento was a major distribution point. The city is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River, and has a deepwater port connected to the San Francisco Bay by a channel through the Sacramento River Delta. It is the shipping and rail center for the Sacramento Valley, fruit, vegetables, rice, wheat, dairy goods, and beef. Food processing is among the major industries in the area.
Team Type 1 wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Must be every motocycle in the police department.
It was a beautiful day despite weather concerns.
The Prologue opening ceremony.
A prologue is a time trial that is held the first day of a race to determine a race leader who will start the race in the yellow jersey. A time trial is when each rider races individually, against the clock, for the best time.
There were 17 teams participating in the Tour of California, 8 riders to a team = 136 time trials. The rider start times were 1 minute apart. The lowest ranked riders started first, up to the highest ranked riders who are the last to start. The course was a 2.4 mile route around the State Capital in Sacramento, which would take the riders less than 5 minutes to complete.
Photo of Carlos Barredo of Quick Step who finished 26th - time: 4′43″.
Photo of Dominique Rollin of Cervelo Test Team who finished 24th - time: 4′42″.
I had my media credential but wasn’t yet savvy to obtaining a photo vest for the day. I tried different locations around the course, but it was a challenge finding a good shooting position when the crowds had already been in their spots for hours.
Photo of Chris Horner of Astana who finished 20th - time: 4′41″.
I tried shooting as the riders started the U-turn at the bottom of the course, trying for more dramatic images. But soon the photo moto bikes pulled up to this corner and blocked my shots, plus I had squeezed in between some spectators who were grunting about my being there. I ventured off to find a better position.
Photo of Tom Boonen of Quick Step who finished 7th - time: 4′36″.
I found my way to the opposite side of the U-turn, so much better! And I was able to get down, in front, without any gripes from the crowd or security. I found my spot, just in time for the last riders who were starting.
Photo of Tyler Hamilton of Rock Racing who finished 71st - time: 4′49″.
Photo of Carlos Sastre, of Cervelo Test Team, winner of the 2008 Tour de France, who finished 91st - time: 4′53″.
The weather was beautiful this day, sunshine with clouds, but soon it would change to rain. It was a good day for my first race day.
Photo of Lance Armstrong of Astana, who finished 6th - time: 4′37″.
Photo of Michael Rogers of Columbia-Highroad, who finished 4th - time: 4′35″.
Photo of Levi Leipheimer, of Astana, expected to be the Tour winner, who finished 2nd - time: 4′34″.
Photo of Fabian Cancellara, of Saxo Bank, who won the Prologue - time: 4′32″, but had to withdraw from the race the next day due to illness.
I was at the opposite end of the course from the winner’s podium. By the time I walked the mile to the Capital Building, I missed the podium ceremony, missed getting shots of our Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
View more Prologue photos at TrueSport:
www.truesport.com/rzone/photos/2009/feb/toc041.html
The Mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson, former NBA star, hands Lance a “Kevin Johnson For Mayor” bracelet to wear.
Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer.
Levi Leipheimer.