AMGEN 2013

By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) 5/13/13 AMGEN 2013 I know I don’t normally do a ride report on a ride I didn’t do but I will make an exception for today’s ride to watch the AMGEN tour come through Hemet. It will be less of a narrative and more of a photo essay on my experience. We had a ride planned to go half way up the mountain towards Mountain Center so we could watch the pro racers make the climb over the hill and down towards Garner Valley and Palm Springs. I loaded up my SUV with chairs, an EZ-UP and a big cooler of water and ice and headed for the assigned turn out. Not knowing how many people would want to watch the climb I left my house just after 3am and arrived by 3:49am. Just in time for a nap till sunrise. I was impressed with the night sky so far from the lights of the city and was impressed with the sight of the Milky Way even to the naked eye. I did have my binoculars however. But it was too windy and cool so the nap won out. Once daylight came I got up and set up the EZ-Up and some chairs and waited till our group from Casino started to arrive. I did have Goliath and Punisher to keep me company till about 9:20. This was Diggers first time climbing the hill to the turn out and almost naturally he was the last to arrive. Not that the rest of the group made it up the hill unscathed because just about everyone was hot and tires and headed for cover in the shade of the EZ-UP. We were getting updates from MacGyver and Quicksticks on the progress between the leading break away and the peloton. Soon the leaders where upon us and headed up the long climb to the right after our turnout. However we had almost eleven minutes to wait till we spotted the peloton but when the came I got a bird’s eye view when some of the broke off from the pack and decided to pass to the inside of me and my camera to shorten the turn. All I could do was stand there and hope they didn’t run over me and my tripod. The support cars were everywhere and even in the back of the pack there was a car for every two or three riders. The group helped me take down the EZ-UP and put the chairs in my truck before they headed back down the hill as I stayed to talk with Quicksticks and Nicole. Quicksticks decided to head back down the hill and out to Palm Springs to see if we could get up to the vendor fair so I dropped off the gear and took my truck home and waited till they came to pick me up. We got there just as the break out riders turned off of Palm Canyon and headed towards the Tram Parking lot. The problem was the peloton was on them like ugly on an ape and there was only the Tram Climb left to go. Starting up the tram road the whole group slowed like they had run into a patch of mud and now the real fight started. One rider or one group after another attacked till the whole peloton shredded and Acevedo riding for Jamis won followed by Tejay for BMC 12 seconds later. Looking at the video it was slow going the last 1000 yards. We waited till the last riders passed us and then were told that there would be no trams up to the vendor fair for at least an hour so we decided to grab a bit to eat before heading for home. I can only speak for myself but I for one enjoyed my first AMGEN tour and the people I had a chance to view it with. Even when I felt like a rock in a stream when the peloton decided to ride around me.