On Pine Flat Road

It has been raining almost non-stop for the past 48 hours. More than eight inches have fallen in Ben Lomond, a local epicenter for rainfall in the Santa Cruz mountains and about three miles (as the crows fly) from today's decisive King of the Mountain line at the top of Pine Flat Road (the Bonny Doon climb).

After a miserable Sunday of wind and rain on the bike, the world-class racers in the Amgen Tour of California clipped in to face a miserable Monday of wind and rain on the bike. The television cameraman kept wiping the lens as they rolled across the Golden Gate Bridge. I can just imagine his frustration - it's an iconic moment, raindrops be gone!

I bundled up to stay warm and dry, and headed for a spot along Pine Flat Road. Much to my surprise, less rain was falling on the other side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. I scouted up and down the road before settling in a stretch with reasonable visibility, sufficient grade (to slow them down), and a good background for pictures.

The intermittent mist lifted, the sky grew brighter, and just before the leaders arrived, the heaviest deluge of the morning started dumping on us. Juggling an umbrella and my camera, I regretted leaving my tripod in the car. The messages we had chalked on the road vanished in less than a minute.

Getting a shot of a solo rider is straightforward; when a pack comes along, you can just click away and hope for the best. As luck would have it, I had a close-up of Lance that was completely out of focus.

The arrival of the riders is heralded by an impressive motorcade: CHP motorcycles, an event car broadcasting the lead positions, various VIP and official vehicles. It's fast, furious, and festive. As one CHP car approached, this message came over his loudspeaker:

You all rock, being out here in this weather!
I don't know who's crazier, you or the guys on the bikes!

From the expressions on their faces, some of those guys on the bikes might have been re-examining their decisions to be professional bike racers. Mark Renshaw (Team Columbia) still had a sense of humor, though. When a spectator called out "Welcome to sunny California!" as he passed, he twisted back around to share a wry smile as he looked up at the sky.