The Rose Bowl Finish

Although the riders started from Santa Clarita, we joined them in Pasadena for the finish. And, our friends joined us, which made the day more special. First things first, we hopped in the hotel shuttle which dropped us off at the edge of the Rose Bowl. Henry, our driver, was super friendly and come to find out his brother-in-law was a lieutenant with the Pasadena Police force, a useful bit of information should we need to drop names.

We wandered the festival and it was 10-year old Sarah’s lucky day. Not only was she on TV for Livestrong but she also won 10 burritos from Chipotle in the big spin! All we won was free Chips and Guac. Why do we feel cheated? In the meantime, the rest of the group went for shaved ice while I trained Sarah to hunt for free cycle swag. She’s now a pro and her favorite swag of the day? The free dog treats. Don’t ask. Potty break before heading to secure our spot along the race route, Anna got distracted with her jacket, forgetting to lock the porta-potty door. Surprise!

Perched on our secured spot, we met a bunch of cool people, including the director of Team Columbia Highroad (that’s George’s team!). Suh-weet! Anticipation and the crowd grew as the race leaders approached with the first of five circuits around the Rose Bowl. Five circuits = five Lance sightings! Check out the pic of Lance (in yellow helmet) and Levi (in yellow jersey) side by side. Also, Lance gives Luca a wave on the third circuit. Awesome! An Italian won the stage and as the riders circled around to leave the area, Big George (can you pick out the pic of my boyfriend?) came right through our group to head back to the Team RV. It was an exciting day to say the least.

After a great Mexican dinner, a walk through downtown Pasadena, and a quick glance at some ice skaters, we hit the sack. It’s exhausting being a cycle groupie!

Hope you enjoy the pics. Thanks for listening. Ciao.