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Uploaded: Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 5:51 PM
Updated: Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 10:13 AM
A soggy ride
Amgen bicycle tour passes just south of Pleasanton, through Livermore city streets
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by Janet Pelletier
Pleasanton Weekly Staff
Photos
 
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| Sprinkles of excited adults and children alike braced the intermittent rains Tuesday afternoon in Livermore, trying to catch a glimpse of cycling hero Lance Armstrong.
The Amgen Tour, the California version of the Tour de France, was on Stage 3 of the eight-leg, 700-mile race. Yesterday, the more than 150 cyclists traveled from San Jose, north along State Route 84, north on Isabel Avenue, turning right on Concannon Boulevard in Livermore and continuing on to Modesto.
True to Amgen's estimated arrival times, the cyclists reached the Concannon segment at about 1:30 p.m. A first-grade class from Emma C. Smith Elementary School on Murdell Lane took the short walk up to Concannon to cheer on the riders, clutching yellow LiveStrong posters that Amgen staff handed out just minutes prior. A number of police cruisers, motorcycles and Amgen security staff passed by before the real draw came near.
The first to pass was a four-person cyclists group including: Jeff Louder (BMC), Brian Vandborg (Liquigas), Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) and Bradley White (OUCH). Roughly four minutes later, the rest of the pack cruised by at about 28 miles per hour down Concannon, whizzing past a smattering of spectators wearing raincoats and holding cameras.
Lucky for most Livermore spectators, the rain managed to stop while the cyclists passed through town and then it started up again just as most were retreating back to their cars.
For more information on the Amgen Tour, click hereAre you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Steve Rosefield, a resident of the Pleasanton Valley neighborhood, on Feb 17, 2009 at 11:00 pm My wife Stella and I rode to the summit of Patterson Pass to cheer on the riders today. Even though the weather was dismal, it couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the hundreds of spectators that lined the approach to the summit. We intend to travel to San Diego next weekend to ride up Palomar Mountain and watch the decisive final stage of the race. In a few short years the Amgen Tour of California has become a world class event that draws the finest professional field that has ever raced on American soil. And it passes through our backyard every year. Cycling is an unbelievably accessible sport. And this race presents ample opportunities to see the athletes and equipment that dominate this sport at close range. The Tour de France is, by far, the biggest spectator sporting event in the world. But if you can’t make it to France, there is a cheaper option. Dust off that bike! I checked with your boss … They said it would be OK to take the afternoon off and watch the race next time it comes to town ;-)
P.S. … There is daily television coverage on Versus.
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Posted by Jim Van Dyke, a resident of the Vineyard Hills neighborhood, on Feb 19, 2009 at 8:22 pm I hereby nominate Steve Rosenfield to lead the "Bring the Tour Through Downtown Pleasanton in 2010" Campaign. All in favor say "AYE!"
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Posted by Steve Rosefield, a resident of the Pleasanton Valley neighborhood, on Feb 19, 2009 at 11:45 pm Funny you should mention that Jim. I had volunteered to help with the local route planning of the proposed Tour of America race and was trying to get them to consider launching a time trial stage from our downtown area, but they folded up shop before it ever got far enough to approach the city. They still have a web site up, but I doubt we will be seeing that race come to fruition any time soon.
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Posted by avid reader from So Cal, a resident of another community, on Feb 22, 2009 at 12:40 pm Great article! Creative writer; puts the reader right into the action of the race. Dazzling pictures.
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