Greetings faithful Pez fans, from wonderful Rome, Georgia! We're on the roads again - riding the routes and meeting the fans to provide the race coverage you just can't get anywhere else... He's bad, he's nationwide - he's Roadside Dave - and these are his stories...
Once again the tour was blessed with great weather and wonderful roads. Huge crowds lined the streets and watched as Peter Wrolich successfully fended off a late surge from the Johnny-come-lately sprinter Lance Armstrong to win the day in downtown Rome.
We’re on tour with the folks from Discover Adventures – looking for the true Southern experience.
Stg 2 : The Blister Exists
For me, it was another day with the Discover Adventures tour group. The morning was like most, piling into the vans and transferring to the drop off point. Each day the Discover Adventures crew offers riders their choice of fully supported routes: small, medium, and long distances. After putting a couple of Heinekens to bed at the wee hours the night before, chatting about the race with some of the Discover Adventures guests, and posing for silly pictures with Johan Bruyneel as he made his way through the hotel lobby for a bite to eat yours truly decided on a short day of riding, and a long day of picture taking.
Johan plays along with our self-promoting antics.
While riding with the good folks of the tour, I managed to spot a photo opp like no other, a group of schoolchildren having their mid day snack. Under 80-degree clear skies, I deftly left the confines of the paceline to snap a pic and accept the free goldfish crackers and cantaloupe from the kids.
Dave ventured through the land of little people – very little people.
I asked if the children were ready to see one of the greatest races in all of cycling go by, and of course if they were excited to see Lance Armstrong. I then realized that at roughly 3 years old, these kids were more into snack time and yelling at the nearby train that was passing by than they would be in cycling. Ok, that’s cool. If I was 3 again instead of 33, I think I’d be into sugar treats and sunshine more than bike racing, too. In fact, to their collective I may have been one sweaty mess of an interloper.
After making peace with the natives and deciding to leave, I realized I would have to hit it hard to get back with the group I had been with earlier. Luckily, Flick had turned and waited for me a mile down the road, and I enjoyed the considerable draft of the Memphis native to get me back to the group. (PICTURES) Soon after bridging, the efforts of both the chase and the night before had sunk deep into my soul, and in the interest of having some legs for later in the week, I packed it in with the amiable Jason of Discover Adventures, my “group leader” for the tour, and proceeded to enjoy air conditioning and trail mix. Oh yeah, and a Sierra Nevada pale ale, too.
Apparently they grow some interesting crops in Georgia – like kitchen appliances.
We turned the van towards Rome, and happened upon site after site, the best of which was an appliance farm in front of an apparently abandoned house. It made no sense: empty house, and a front porch full of dilapidated old kitchen appliances. Too cool for school. We parked, opened another beer, and took a few photos.
The undisputed champ of one-handed-snaps-while-riding shows his stuff.
By the end of the day, it was super hot sprint time, and the crowd favorite Armstrong just missed a repeat of last year’s sprint win. Afterwards, after answering some questions, he ducked out of the press conference. Upon leaving the conference area, I ran across race announcer Dave Towle, and introduced myself. “I love the Pez site! I check it everyday!” Thanks, Dave, we love you too, cycling needs a high-energy pitchman like you, keep it up!
You guessed it – that’s our PEZ-Cam front and center in the media scrum.
There are some good things going on in Georgia my dear folks, this much is for sure, and I promise to fulfill my obligation to bring you the lighter side of the race as the week goes on. If you see myself or the intrepid Ted Arnold out on the course in our Pez gear, stop us and we’ll give you some Pez schwag!
Peace out, my homeslices.
Roadside Dave Stg 3: Three Nil
Mr. Crayton – ex-racer and lifelong fan.
“I was a bike racer 50 years ago”, said 84 year old Charles Crayton, of Rome Georgia, as he sat on his riding mower at the edge of his property, cane across his lap, encouraging all the folks riding by trying to tackle the tough Mt. Alto climb, the site of today’s individual time trial. “I don’t envy you, but good luck!” he cheerfully offered as I pushed off to go finish, or at least attempt to finish, the climb. Good dude. Good, cowbell waving, hootin’ and hollerin’, good ol’ southern dude. Thanks, Chuck, you made it a bit easier to do this climb this year.
Today’s Mt. Alto TT climb – Dave’s gag-reflex returned to haunt him after last year’s mis-adventure.
The road starts to point up now for the riders in the Tour de Georgia, and the fireworks are soon to begin. This 18-mile time trial, complete with the aforementioned Mt. Alto climb, should start to separate the oil from the water in the peloton. The climb has some really biting parts in it, but the scenery and the beautiful pavement made it a joy to ride. Last year this was part of a split stage, road race in the morning, TT in the afternoon, but this year the organizers have given the TT a day all to itself. It might help some riders. It certainly helped me. I looked off into the ditches every now and again, scanning the lush green vegetation to see if maybe by some odd happenstance the lunch I lost on this bitch of a climb last year would still be there. I couldn’t even remember the exact spot it happened, I was lucky to abscond with all organs intact, albeit a bit lighter.
Mike Creed’s fans don’t mess around when it comes to full support.
We headed out in the morning under gathering clouds and cooler temps than we’ve had this week. I was joined again today by Tom Foster of the OS supplement company, a great new energy drink powder maker that’s gonna be coming on strong, so look for their products. He provided me a great wheel by which to pace myself up the climb, as I was determined not to have a repeat of last year’s terrible, painful ride. While glancing up around the switchbacks leading up, the crowds had started to form. Lines of families from the area, racers who had driven in from out of town, and of course, the intrepid “Michael Creed Nation” folks, all set up their temporary campsites. A few whistles of encouragement, a push from a Pez fan, and lots of palpable excitement seemed to be the order of the day.
The backside of the course was a fast, pretty descent, and I was back into Rome to get the bikes on board the Discover Adventures trucks and back in the van to get washed up before watching the stage. My compadre Ted Arnold will be once again harassing some team and getting into a car for the TT, so I am off to go get some more local color for you.
Again, look for Pez, see Pez, stop Pez, and we might schwag you up!
Check out the Discover Adventures website, for trips to Georgia and other great cycling vacations.
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