Credit Agricole - Tubular Technique

While wandering the pits in a post-stage 6 haze and as hurried fans rushed to catch a glimpse of their favorite riders, BKW set up camp at the Credit Agricole (CA) service course to catch a complete gem-of-an-experience: watching the mechanics prepare for the final stage of the ATOC.

The last of the day's riders hadn't even rolled in before team mechanic Jerome Picart began work on the team's countless wheels. Below view highlights of the well-rehearsed, finely-honed art of gluing tubulars.

ATOC - Wheel Selections

ATOC - Podium Footwear

The Euro PRO footwear was out in full force during the ATOC.

The Oscars

Recognition by one's peers for exemplary work is perhaps one of the greatest testaments to a life’s work that one may receive. For the recognized it is a confirmation of one’s artistic vision, the ultimate feedback for insight that rarely begins as more than a hunch. To the audience, seeing a respected master receive the highest accolade afforded gives a sense that all is right with the world, that justice can, on occasion, be served.

If your experience with the movies and watching the Academy Awards is anything like mine, you typically feel a strong connection with one or two of the nominees and on the occasion that they win, such as Marion Cotillard of La Vie en Rose for best actress or Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of Once for best original song, their victories come as a triumph of the human spirit in the act of creation.

Bissell rider Tom Zirbel would have been a deserving stage winner in the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California. He persevered in a late-race breakaway in conditions awful enough no one would otherwise choose to ride a bicycle. It was a gutsy ride that would have made for a significant win for a little-known rider. It wasn’t to be.

When George Hincapie attacked on the Pasadena finishing circuit’s biggest hill, his acceleraton was an impressive display of strength, the sort of acceleration we expect of our champions, a move we only associate with a true hardman.

Hincapie is America’s most experienced pro rider. The media has repeatedly talked of how until his move to High Road this season he spent the whole of his career at US Postal/Discovery Channel. The fact is, Hincapie began his professional career with Motorola—he’s been a pro since 1994.

Hincapie is the rider whose face you see in the dictionary when you look up the phrase “long suffering.” While he has had his successes, in a career as long and distinguished as his, there don’t seem to be quite enough of them to reflect his ability, his tactical judgment or how he is regarded by the American tifosi.

That Michael Creed kept returning to the breakaway despite his refusal to take his share of pulls and his negative racing tactics had me yelling expletives at the screen. Once Zirbel had been brought back there didn’t seem any just outcome to the day other than a win from Hincapie. And sometimes we find gratification exactly when and where we want.

Levi Leipheimer may have been the rightful overall winner—anyone who witnessed Levi’s intensity in the start house for the Solvang time trial could see his determination—but his previous win in the event makes his achievement less surprising, though perhaps more satisfying than his first win given the refutation to ASO that it provides. This is a victory for pride.

In a race notable for conditions crappy enough to ruin the audience’s belief in California as paradise, it is right that Hincapie, a man who has made his name in Belgium and France, should put the terminal punctuation on the most interesting edition of the Amgen Tour of California. After all, what says PRO more than a win in the rain?

In the wake of the suspicion surrounding his previous team, Hincapie’s association with High Road is a fresh chapter to a distinguished career and a way to confirm what we have always believed: that “Big” George is capable, is hardman strong, and deserves to win.

Photo courtesy of Greg Page/Page 1 Studio.

ATOC - Stage Six

ATOC - Stage Six Roll Out

ATOC - Stage Five

ATOC - More Random Images

A special thanks goes out to RM for his photo contributions.

ATOC - Tools of the Trade

ATOC - Stage One, Image Dump Part II

ATOC - Interview with Tony Cruz

While wandering around the pits on Prologue day at the Amgen Tour of California, BKW ran into Classics specialist and all-around nice guy, Tony Cruz. Over the course of his career, Tony has raced with some of cycling's best and, like the team here at BKW, Tony is crazy about the Classics. Tony was gracious enough to answer a couple of questions for us.

BKW: What is your fondest memory of the Classics?

TC: Out of all the classics, my fondest memory is actually finishing Roubaix, I want to say I finished 47th or 48th.

BKW: What year was that?

TC: 2004

BKW: How many Roubaixs do you have under your belt?

TC: Five, and 2004 was the only one I finished. I felt like I won the race. When I came into the velodrome I wanted to just throw up my hands. Probably one of the hardest one day races ever.

BKW: So, you are a part of history?

TC: Yeah, exactly, I got to go in the showers and clean up with the rest of the guys.

BKW: That's a victory in itself.

TC: Yeah, it is, it really felt like it.

BKW: So with BMC as your team for 2008, is there anything you will miss out on?

TC: Well, we may be doing Roubaix. BMC has really stepped it up for this year. I, personally, will be doing 20-25 races in Europe. Maybe more...we will be doing Tour of Romandie and we have a wildcard status, which means more race possibilities. I have never been able to race Roubaix for myself, so maybe a different approach for this year.

ATOC - Prologue, BMC

ATOC - Prologue, Astana

ATOC - Prologue, Bouygues Telecom

ATOC - Prologue, Slipstream

ATOC - Final Preparations, Part III

ATOC - Final Preparations, Part II

ATOC - Final Preparations, Part I

Amgen Tour of California

We're on the ground as preparations wrap up for the 2008 Amgen Tour of California.

Stay tuned for photos, reports and some unique, behind the scenes PRO action.