Another slightly foggy morning out in Marin.  The clouds lifted as I dropped into Sausalito, and the weather was fantastic the entire time after the Golden Gate bridge.  I caught up to the school buses once again, which was untimely, but one of them dropped the flashing red lights as it was about to merge back onto the roadway, so I took my opportunity, knowing he’d have to stop again up ahead.  Timing is everything.  Especially when it comes to these school buses.

So after a rather quiet ride back through to the bike path, I snagged another opportunity to hit a light, and found myself riding back towards Sausalito.  I passed a woman riding a Trek road bike (or at least I thought it was a Trek), arm warmers slightly bunched down her arm, but not all the way to her wrists, and what appeared to be an 11-23t cassette.  Not even a minute after I passed her, she stomped her pedals past me as I looked on, baffled.  She continued to tear through the bike path, passing basically everyone heading in the same direction we were going.  I saw the BRITEsport boys heading out for their ride in the middle of it, too.  I arrive at the light, crossed the street, and tapped the pedestrian walking button – meanwhile, she was in the left turn pocket, waiting in front of a car.  The light turns green, and since I’m closer to the lane we’re riding towards, I reluctantly go ahead.  As soon as the slender rolling hill came, she flew by me once more, and continued to pass commuters all the way back to the bridge.  I wouldn’t have been so amazed, but she actually had a decent spin – her knees weren’t swimming out of her saddle, 65rpm style.  Kudos to you, token random decent cycling woman.

Climbing mountains and roads that look like castles, obviously.

Originally from SRAM.

You just keep putting in the work every season.

It’s been often been fun, it’s often been painful but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

Robbie McEwen ends his 17 year career as a pro cyclist – Cycling News.  Photo from Cycling Tips.

Race worthy for a fact.  And still race worthy.

More on Fyxo.

Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare) rides on a NeilPryde Diablo, new SRAM Red, ENVE Smart 3.4′s, and mango King R45′s.  Race ready.

Originally on Bike Radar.

Kristin Armstrong (Exergy Twenty12) on her way to winning the Amgen Tour of California Women’s individual time trial.

Originally on Podium Insight.

After having a rather lazy Sunday, I found myself eager to wake up this morning to ride.  I woke up at around 3am thinking it was time to get ready, and then again at 4am, itching for my alarm to go off.  And of course, all the times I found myself lying awake for a minute or so, I kept thinking, “Wow, I’ll be tired when I actually have to wake up.”  Disrupted sleep cycles are a bit of a downer, but I was lucky to have woken up feeling decent.  I had completely forgotten that the Bay to Breakers running race was yesterday too, so to see basically zero people out in the morning kind of made sense.  Though I did start seeing more people as the morning grew late, but not nearly the amounts of people I usually see.  Maybe it was that fantastic weather I’ve grown to love.  The slightly damp bridge, the thin, cooling layer of mist on everything, the droplets that form across the lenses, that peel streaks across your face, and the smell of wind.  Perfect weather.

I’ll cut to the highlight of my ride, since the majority of it was pretty boring and normal.  On my way back towards my house, I saw a guy waiting at a light in front of me.  CAAD8 (or possibly an Optimo), raw – guy was wearing a purple/white kit, backpack, probably commuting to work.  Yahoo?  No, but something just as cool: Cycling News.  I was baffled and mesmerized.  How/where…?  I must find out more…

Monday.  Yes.

Wheelies through tunnels while racing some of the toughest stages in any pro cycling race.  Keep it light, keep it fun – this is pro cycling.

Photo from Cycling Tips.

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) took his 5th stage victory on the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California, outsprinting Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) and Boonen’s teammate, Gerald Ciolek (Omega Pharma-Quickstep).

Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell), Nathan Haas (Garmin-Barracuda), Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthCare), Thomas Damuseau (Argos-Shimano), Scott Zwizanski (Optum Pro Cycling), Morgan Schmitt (Exergy), and Jasper Stuyven (Bontrager-Livestrong) formed the break of the day, 10km into the 72km long stage.  10km remaining into the race, Sutherland attacked with Zwizanski – they were countered by Haas, but all reeled in with 5km remaining.  Robert Gesink (Rabobank) took the final GC win, 46 seconds ahead of David Zabriskie (Garmin – Barracuda) and 54 seconds ahead of Zabriskie’s teammate, Thomas Danielson.

Photos from SteepHill.

Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) took the summit finishing in Lecco on stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia.  Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) took 2nd place, while his teammate, Alberto Losada Alguacil took 3rd, 23 seconds down.

Rabottini rode off the front of the peloton early with Guillaume Bonnafond (AG2R-La Mondiale) and quickly built up a lead of 9 minutes in the opening 50km.  92km into the race, Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) and Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel-Euskadi) formed a breakaway of their own.  Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD), Alberto Losada (Katusha), Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar) with teammate Andrey Amador, and Marco Pinotti (BMC) bridged to the newly formed breakaway.  Rabottini dropped Bonnafond up ahead, in the originally break.  At the top of the 3rd categorized climb of the day, Rabottini had a 3 minute lead ahead of the chase group, now being lead by Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF Inox) – the peloton was another 3 minutes back from the chase.  Rabottini took a spill on the wet pavement but recovered – he held a 2 minute lead over the chase group in the closing 7km.  Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) attacked from the lead group, but was reeled back in.  Rodriguez was the next to place an attack, and was able to bridge up the Rabottini.  Rodriguez now holds the GC lead, 30 seconds ahead of Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin – Barracuda) and 1:22 ahead of Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale).

Photos from SteepHill.