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drag racing the short bus
Join Date: May 2002
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Stage 7 Tour of California photos...
Okay Spinners, here's some shots from the Tour de. Cali - Pasadena leg.
I didn't get anywhere near the Rose Bowl, as it was packed. But still, I positioned myself in three key spots on the course - which was a 5-lap loop around the RB and neighboring streets. No photos of Lance, but a very cool shot of Frank Schleck on a breakaway. Needless to say, these boys were flying. The support cars could barely keep up. A couple almost crashed near the corner where I stood. Anyway, enjoy!   Lead break...  Peloton...  The support cars were doing about 50 mph around this corner, while their cyclists were already near the top of the preceding hill. This was why they were driving so fast - to get close to their men. It was like Int'l Cycling meets Pasadena road rallying - crazy stuff.  The big Rose Bowl lap hill - this is the breakaway group...  ...here's the peloton...  Schleck off the front at the top of the hill - he's strict bad-ass.  At the plateau before the downhill back to the Rose Bowl...  The only message that seemed to matter... 
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The Terror of Tiny Town |
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02-21-2009, 05:32 PM
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Oh wow, thos picture are AWESOME!!!! Thank you for sharing!
angela
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Hello http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1102514-we-lost-amazing-woman-yesterday.html |
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02-21-2009, 05:38 PM
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Great Picts! Several times back in 1983 or 84 there was a USCF road race around the Rose Bowl and I had a hell of a timne with the steep climb up the hill into the streets around the houses and then back down to the road around the RB itsself. I can remember pedaling flat out in a 54x12 gear and having trouble staying with some of the vets like John Howard, Phil Granacia and others!
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02-21-2009, 06:18 PM
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Dog-faced pony soldier
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Very cool!
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A car, a 911, a motorbike and a few surfboards Black Cars Matter |
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02-21-2009, 10:09 PM
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Cool pictures. I've seen the tour the last two years and the speed of the support cars always surprises me. The sweeper car is also humorous. I don't get the significance of the last pic?
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'78 SC |
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02-21-2009, 10:17 PM
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drag racing the short bus
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Quote:
The messages are intended for the racer to read as they cycle past. Thing is, they move so fast, I don't see how they can see anything written to them.
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The Terror of Tiny Town Last edited by dd74; 02-21-2009 at 10:30 PM.. |
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02-21-2009, 10:24 PM
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drag racing the short bus
Join Date: May 2002
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About the support cars: they were really hauling into that left hand corner. A couple actually missed the corner and very nearly broke through the barricade at the very right of the first two photos.
I think what really prevented a catastrophe of a car skidding out of control and into the crowd was the fact the support cars were well driven, and fairly high performance vehicles - many were Subaru Outbacks and a couple were Cadillac CTS-Vs. Any generic SUV at that speed around that sharp a corner, would be in the crowd and over the bridge. I mean, even a couple cyclists missed the corner - which says something, IMO.
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The Terror of Tiny Town |
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02-21-2009, 10:36 PM
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Did you ever do Acton road race? Around the same years, that was the district champion race. I was dropped like a bad habit on that race. |
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02-21-2009, 10:41 PM
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Quote:
Cool, I did the remodel on that green house (use to be off white) in the 4th photo about 8 years back. Kinda nice to see it in that photo. I didn't get a chance to go. I would have love to see Tom Boonon(sp?) and Schleck |
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02-21-2009, 10:46 PM
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drag racing the short bus
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Look 171 - which house? There three photos with houses in them...
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The Terror of Tiny Town |
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02-21-2009, 10:49 PM
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The 4th photo with the support cars. The one on the right of the Subi.
Hey, do you ride the Tue and Thu ride at the bowl? Last edited by look 171; 02-22-2009 at 12:07 AM.. |
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02-21-2009, 11:52 PM
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durn for'ner
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Great pics and a beautiful neighborhood!
I notice you donīt have any snow and are walking around in shorts and t-shirt..
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Markus Resident Fluffer Carrera '85 |
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02-21-2009, 11:59 PM
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Quote:
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02-22-2009, 12:07 AM
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drag racing the short bus
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Quote:
What time are the Tue, Thu rides?
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02-22-2009, 12:18 AM
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6pm day light saving time. You will see them there. becareful at that ride. Lots of crashes because some people think that they are racing. Try to stay in the front half of the group. The Montrose ride is a good ride. One of my favorite all time club ride. I miss it so much everytime I see them going down huntington Drive. It starts at 8:00am at the Trader Joe's on mission in S pas. They pretty much stay on the streets head out east and end up in Sierra marde. Usually pretty safe and not too much accidents. IF you are up for a beating, start with them at Descanso Garden. That's where the real starts is. Make sure you go there warmed up. Its all down hill to Trader Joe's but they go so fast that you will be dropped. ask me how I know. You can do the long loop or a short one. You live in LA near griffit park right, or was it burbank?
Last edited by look 171; 02-22-2009 at 01:43 AM.. |
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02-22-2009, 01:13 AM
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When Schleck took off, I thought he'd take it all the way home. Dude was crazy fast at the crest of the hill then he was gone. Surprised the rest of the 10 in the break away caught up with him. I guess big George gassed on the 4th loop because he just didn't have enough to catch up to the three sprinters.
I've never watched a bike race before but I really got in to the ToC. I've ridden some of the roads they covered from Sac to Santa Cruz. Of course at a much, much slower pace and with plenty of breaks. |
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02-22-2009, 01:18 AM
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Tour of Missouri is coming up in about two months.. Rolla MO has packed sidewalks in the downtown area the whole day. Last year it was pretty amazing. Really awesome atmosphere. I never thought mid-missourians would treat cycling as such a spectator sport.
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02-22-2009, 02:42 AM
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For Look 171, yes I did that one and I remember one year that the state championship for seniors and us vets was up to the observitory in Griffith Park (SP?) in LA and the bad air nearly killed us all! That was a terrible course as you had to work so hard going up hill and the going down part was so twisty that you never had time to eat or drink! There used to be a criterium nearly every weekend at one of the beach cities all summer long! Yeah I was a vet even back then and I was president of the LaJolla Cycling club which we had Mark Gorski as a member (gold medal in 84 olympics) and Richard Byrne the inventor of the Turbo Trainer and Skid Lid helmet which started a whole industry of different stuff for bikes. I even still have my French Vitus framed bike that I brought home from a Navy cruise before they were imported into the US and a whole Campy Super Record setup! Don't ride much any more due to the arthritus now.
Oh yeah I have some 8mm movies of Greg Lemond lapping the senior 1/2 & pro field at the UCSD criterium when he was the junior world champion that some day I hope to get converted to DVD! |
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02-22-2009, 11:21 AM
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We stumbled onto the race yesterday. The g/f and I went for a ride on the GS up Tujunga Canyon up to Angeles Forest. We then went down AFH and see these people on the side of the road sitting in chairs. There were tons of people on bikes as well. Then I put 2 and 2 together. We got off the AFH/ACH part before the peloton got close.
I ended my racing career (was a Cat 3) at the Rose Bowl tu/th ride back in '92 I think. I was just getting into form around March and on the last lap I was up in the front 1/3 going around the downhill corner when the guy two bikes ahead swung wide, the gun in front of me touched his brakes and his rear dropout ended up in my front spokes and over the bars I went, landing mostly on my hip. Never been the same since. I did the Rose Bowl road race once or twice, but did the tu/th thing pretty regularly for training from '89-'92. Also did informal hill climbs up to Chantry Flats. A nice anerobic 15 minute or so stint... |
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02-22-2009, 11:35 AM
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Here are some pics from my limited vantage point. I've got to go out on the course next year.
Requisite forum image:  Breakaway pack leads peloton by about 4 min.  One of 5 sprints:  View inside the peloton:  Nocentini (left) edges Roulston at the finish:  Stage 7 winners on the podium (Weening (3), Nocentini (1) and Roulston (2):  Overall leaders. Levi Leipheimer (1) in the middle has a 36 sec. advantage going into the eighth and final stage:  Sherwood |
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02-22-2009, 11:56 AM
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1979 Porsche 911SC 3.0
