Fifty Plus (50+) - Went to see the TOC

I rode from home with couple friends to the King of the Mountains summit at Mill Creek. My LBS guy had a BBQ up there and fed us sandwiches, salads, cookies, and drinks, free.
The scene was chaotic when the race came through and it was noisey. The break;
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/S20100042.jpg
The peloton;
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/S20100072.jpg
Some of the caravan;
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/S2010009-3.jpg

A small dam on the way back home.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/S2010001-2.jpg

These guys were hurting a little bit on the way home. I was kind.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/S2010012-1.jpg
They didn't race this part, but this road is pretty nasty.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/S2010013.jpg

You folks made a really, really nice large group of spectators on the climb-it was very impressive on the tube. Very TdF like.

I followed on the computer with VeloNews and Yahoo News.

Glad Lance is hanging in there.

This sounds like a day well spent. Sometimes I think the caravan that follows is almost as impressive as the riders themselves. In a big stage race it seems everything is big.

Thanks for the pictures John. You must have some pretty good knees from all that climbing.

Thanks for the photos big john,

I was riding the Camno Real double century on Sat., so I had to pass on the ToC spectating bit! Good to see you were out there on some of my favorite roads while I was slogging through Fallbrook.

Rick / OCRR

Great pictures -- the NorCal forum has quite a few as well. Although we recorded and watched every stage I really enjoy the pictures and personal stories shared by BFers.

The entourage is indeed impressive.

And the crowds in Rancho Bernardo and Escondido were amazing. I'm happy to see so much support for our favorite sport.

Nice pictures. Some of the fans were pretty crazy. I was waiting for one of them to take down a cyclist. Saw one rider hit a guy in the head to get him out of the way.

great pics. love the first one. later.

Thanks for the pictures John. You must have some pretty good knees from all that climbing.

Been pretty lucky with the knees all things considered. Here are some shots taken by a friend who was downhill from where I was. The pack.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/PEL2.jpg
Obligatory Lance shot.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/LANCE.jpg
Working hard.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/LOV.jpg

One of my club members wrote "SFVBC rules" on the road. I don't think the racers care.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/sfv.jpg

Great pix. I thought TOC stood for table of contents. I need to get out more.

I was watching the race on Versus yesterday and I'm pretty sure that I saw Deege's pool boy. It was from the back and I didn't get a very long look, but it was still more of him than I wanted to see.

Great pics. It was a great race and event. Now, what am I going to watch on TV?

I was watching the race on Versus yesterday and I'm pretty sure that I saw Deege's pool boy. It was from the back and I didn't get a very long look, but it was still more of him than I wanted to see.
You must be talking about the guy in the Borat thong. I had to stop watching and wash my eyes!
Some of the fans were out of control. The guy on Palomar shaking the baby while running had to be the dumbest. Saw at least one fall down and the other fans pulled him away from the road.
Then there was this guy.
http://www.faniq.com/blog/Lance-Armstrong-Pushes-Syringe-Toting-Man-To-The-Ground-During-Amgen-Tour-Of-California-Blog-19655

Bike Forums member Event Services was the announcer in this car. He came up before the leaders and gave us the scoop. It was the first news we had, no phone service up there.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/S2010003-4.jpg
I need to get one of these for my cycling trips.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/astanabus.jpg

Big John
How did you get up there? Big Tujunga?
I thought of taking my motorcycle up there, but then thought I would get stuck in there. Plus, it was way too crowded up there. Too many 'fans' (idiots) get in the way, so I'm happy to see them knock one of them out of the way. That is so stupid to run and get in the way. I saw another one push one of them too, and the baby. Saw all that on tv. Idiocy.
I went on mc to Rose Bowl. Not bad. Some of the areas were wide open, like the golf course, nobody on the golf course.
I almost went to Escondido (again mc, from here, Los Angeles, south bay) but possible rain, so, next year.
dc

Also, I heard a camera went down, with the theory that the motorcycle went down with it, on the way up to Mill Creek summit. Any word about that?
dc

Big John
How did you get up there? Big Tujunga?
I thought of taking my motorcycle up there, but then thought I would get stuck in there. Plus, it was way too crowded up there. Too many 'fans' (idiots) get in the way, so I'm happy to see them knock one of them out of the way. That is so stupid to run and get in the way. I saw another one push one of them too, and the baby. Saw all that on tv. Idiocy.
I went on mc to Rose Bowl. Not bad. Some of the areas were wide open, like the golf course, nobody on the golf course.
I almost went to Escondido (again mc, from here, Los Angeles, south bay) but possible rain, so, next year.
dc

Yes, I rode up Big T to Angeles Forest. The roads were open to traffic until 30min or so before the racers.
After the last CHP car in the caravan they opened it back up. If you had been there on a mc, you could have escaped quickly enough.
None of that madness happened on Mill Creek, I think it was all on Palomar.

I was watching on Vs. The fans who feel the need to run along side the bikers are so irritating. Almost couldn't watch after a while. Why somebody didn't just reach in and take them out is beyond me.

I was watching on Vs. The fans who feel the need to run along side the bikers are so irritating. Almost couldn't watch after a while. Why somebody didn't just reach in and take them out is beyond me.

I seen a cop take one out 2 years ago at the TDF. I mean he closed lined him. I told the guys at the LBS and we all got a good laugh out of it. To bad they couldn't taser them or something.

You didn't run alongside in a speedo?

*kidding* Nice pix.