The Start/Finish Line on Puddingstone Drive.
Being a resident of Southern California,
it is hard to believe this was the first time I attended the San Dimas Stage
Race. How it got way from me for all of
those other years, well, the list of reasons is long, but extremely
distinguished. However, sparing all the
excuses, I am just glad I finally pedaled my behind out to Bonelli Park
for the 15th running of the event.
And, I was not disappointed, either.
While the event is a three-day affair, with a time-trail up
Glendora Mountain Road, and a Criterium in downtown San Dimas, the road race
around Bonelli Park was the only day I could attend. The course was roughly seven-miles, and it had
a bit of everything, from windy flats, to twists and turns, a hellacious up and
down hill (known respectively as Cannon and Walnut Avenue’s), rollers through the
park, and a trip over a dam. The latter
was an issue on Saturday morning, as California
is what California
does; A magnitude 5.1 earthquake the night before had authorities inspecting
Puddingstone Dam before the racers were allowed to cross over it.
With the Engineers giving the “All Clear,” the races
commenced, as did the overflowing enthusiasm for the event. I had heard Racers were a rude, smug,
self-inflated bunch of hooligans, and while some truly are, I found the bulk of
the participants to be friendly, engaged, and just darn happy to be there on
their bikes. How can one argue with
that?
You can get "Up and Close" at cycling races. Just don't get too close.
I basically spent most of my time near the Start/Finish
line, and also cruised the “Pits” a few times marveling at the very expensive,
light, and exotic race machines, along with some very colorful kits some of the
teams wore. Whether a professional team
bus and support vehicle setup, to the small, independent participants in white,
un-sponsored vans, all were there to race, and make sure they enjoyed doing it. That included the one guy who rode his bike
to the event, with only a backpack as his means of “Team” support. Now that was a real enthusiast, racer! And, on the subject of enthusiasm, the Cat 5
racers (beginners) were giving it their all at the event just as much as the
Pro’s did.
The upside of my day’s adventure was some really good, close
racing, the awesome weather, the enthusiastic fans, and the announcer’s in the
booth, whom were very informative and entertaining. In addition, I have never seen so many
beautiful, expensive bikes in one place being ridden by so many super-skinny
people (I really have to ride more).
Also, I came home with fifteen, new, team water bottles!
The only downside to the day was at the Finish Line of the
Men’s Pro Race. As the laps wound down,
the crowd began to grow at the line, and that included photographers. Lots of Photographers. While I truly enjoy photography myself, the
one thing I do know is to stay the heck out of the way of a rapidly approaching
peleton. Well, even after being honked
out of the way by the Referee’s car, the photo-hounds crowded back into the
finishing chute just as the winner was celebrating (about twenty-yards after
the line), and while I did not see the accident, I certainly did hear it. THUD!!! When the proverbial dust cleared, I saw
two riders down, one I recognized as a rider from Team Jet Fuel Coffee –Norco, which
I believe was stage winner Anton Varabei!
The other was possibly third-place finisher Canyon
Bicycles-Shimano’s Daniela Eaton.
Depending on whom you believe, either Varabei hit the photographer, or
Eaton hit the photographer, or they collided attempting to avoid a photographer. However it occurred, both riders went down after
finishing 70-miles of hard racing, and the last thing they needed was a
finishing chute full of people which should have been there.
The Pro Men's finish. In two-seconds the winner would not be celebrating.
Overall, a good show was put on by SoCal Velo, but sadly,
they lost control of the event three-seconds after the Pro Men’s finish.
Apparently the issue with overzealous photographers is quite well-spread, as this article on "The Inner Ring" explains.
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