|
Valley Living Cover 02/29/2008 |
|
Amgen Tour of
The streets are
quiet this week compared to last Friday, when an estimated 10,000 people
jammed into the valley to watch an elite group of professional cyclists give
their all in a timed race.
The Amgen Tour of
|
AFTER
THE RACE: AMGEN TOUR RECAP
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
February 29, 2008
The streets are quiet this
week compared to last Friday, when an estimated 10,000 people jammed into the
valley to watch an elite group of professional cyclists give their all in a
timed race.
The Amgen Tour of
"I enjoy it, having the
excitement of the race," said Lisa Miroballi, owner of Solvang Toyland on
Biking insider Dave Shields,
who was the guest speaker at the Solvang Local Organizing Committee gala the
evening after the race, was selling his "Tour de Life" book at the
public Lifestyle Festival throughout the day.
"There's a huge amount
of positive energy," Mr. Shields noted. "What better place to be?
It's a very, very fun race."
The spectators were
particularly jubilant when Mr. Leipheimer crossed the finish line with the
fastest time -- as he did last year. He ultimately won the entire race this
year.
Solvang Mayor Linda Jackson
introduced the winning riders, noting, "This is a unique part of our year
and a unique part of Solvang."
|
|
Lofting a winner's trophy
sculpted by Los Olivos resident John Cody, Mr. Leipheimer said he was having a
"little bit of dèjé vu."
"Bike racing isn't just
about your legs; it takes inspiration," Mr. Leipheimer said.
He noted the pressure from
the other top riders as he headed into the finish.
"I kept telling myself
to do my best, and do my best for Solvang," the
Standing on
After the presentations, Bill
Best, who said he trains with Mr. Leipheimer and is a close friend, clutched
the base of the Cody sculpture.
"He loves the Tour of
California," Mr. Best said. "It's home state. He loves the welcome
and the way the put on the race in Solvang. It's one of his highlights of the
race, here in Solvang."
In the hours after the race
finished, the riders got their own little taste of Solvang, fed by a bevy of
volunteers. Food and Beverage hospitality chairman Tim Sullivan -- a former
local restaurant owner -- coordinated the guest chefs and more than 40
volunteers to feed hundreds of cyclists and crew members.
Among the local businesses
pitching in were Bit of Denmark, Pattibakes, Mortensen's Bakery, Olsen's
Bakery, Solvang Bakery, Chef's Touch, Greenhouse Cafè, Quiche by Brian and
Solvang Restaurant. Mr. Sullivan and his team also coordinated food for the
media room of about 125 people and box lunches for Stage 5's 400 volunteers.
"It's fun, it's
exciting," said Mr. Sullivan, personnel manager of the Portola Dining
Commons at UCSB. "These people are all coming to help us. It's really fun
reconnecting with people (he worked with last year). It's amazing how much
people are willing to do. It's neat to see how excited the Amgen people are
(about the food)."
The high-energy cyclists
typically are known to eat about 10,000 calories per meal during days with such
physical output. On the night of the race, the menu was charbroiled chicken,
ahi tuna steak, tri-tip, meat balls, pasta, breads, salads and desserts. The
effort was aided by National Charity League participants and their mothers, as
well as Heather Bedford, Anna Domingos and Elizabeth Breen, among others.
Breakfast before the cyclists
departed for Stage 6 in
The grand total for ordering
was staggering. The food service people ordered 100 pounds of pasta; 1,100
fresh eggs; 65 pounds of ahi tuna; 120 pounds of chicken breasts; four cases of
oranges; 35 gallons of milk; 500 sourdough rolls; 40 pounds of breakfast bacon;
90 loaves of bread; 120 pounds of tri-tip and 20 pounds of pancake mix, among
other items.
"Our menus were a little
simpler this year than last year," Mr. Sullivan said. "We're a little
more comfortable this year. We knew what to expect."
Though the ride is now a week
in the past, there will be a residual impact. Bike team owner Michael Ball, CEO
of Rock and Republic clothing and owner of Rock Racing, handed over $10,000 to
Sheriff's Deputy Charlie Uhrig for the Sheriff's Activity League in Solvang as
part of his "Rock the Cure" endeavor.
Mr. Ball's organization gave
a once-in-a-lifetime day to 20 Solvang schoolchildren the day of the race. They
were hosted by cyclists Rashaan Bahati and Kevin Kline.
The donation will help keep
the afterschool youth program running for another year, Deputy Uhrig said.
"I like giving my money
away," Mr. Ball said, decked out in a long black coat and dark sunglasses.
"I think it's important ... I was an at-risk kid who had a second and
third and eighth chance. I'm a perfect example of what happens when you give
kids a chance."
e-mail: nwallace@newspress.com
Couple's bike camp shares cycling the valley with friends
|
||
|
||
February 29, 2008
While last week's Amgen Tour
of California attracted cycling fans from across the country, Los Olivos
residents Kathy and Cliff Runge offered up their home to a select group of
friends for a week-long "bike camp."
The couple turned their home
into a "dormitory-fraternity" house for the week leading up to the
race, offering up the abode to a group of friends who live in
Throughout the camp time --
even on the day of the Amgen race -- the guests took lengthy rides around the
"Despite the funky
spring weather this week, we rode long and hard every day," Mrs. Runge
said. "We rode Ballard, Cat, Drum, Foxen, Happy, Sisquoc and
The week had plenty of
adventure. At the top of
"All of our
Other participants were Jon
Tollefson, a 47-year-old real-estate developer from Aspen; Paul Fowler, a
40-year-old software developer from Aspen; Nigel Thompson, a 38-year-old
software developer from Denver; Amy Thompson, a 42-year-old psychotherapist
from Denver; Chris Ryan, a 45-year-old investment manager from Aspen.
Before moving to Solvang in
November 2005, the Runges were frequent visitors to the Santa Ynez Valley from
their
The first official Runge
cycling camp, Mrs. Runge recalled, was in February of 2005 when they flew to
the valley with five of their
"This is truly the best
cycling in the continental
e-mail: nwallace@newspress.com