Dauphiné Libéré

Today I took off early to go check out the end of the first stage of the Critérium de Dauphiné Libéré. My commute bike dropped it's chain multiple times on the ride back home, of course, which put me into a high wattage (for me) frenzy to get to the race site before the race. After getting all my stuff together, Ian and I rode up over col de la placette and down into St. Laurent du Pont.

and power

We arrived in town and were shocked and delighted to find very few people there. We sidled up to the FINISH LINE (amazing!) and watched the riders climb the last climb on the jumbotron-truck

while listening to the announcer

and eventually watched the sprint to the finish by HTC Columbia and Lampre



And then the pack (including Alberto Contador)


Next, we rode to the team car staging area to take in the sights

Lampre's awesome Wiliers+ Campy:


Cofidis:

Well over one hundred thousand dollars of bike on the Sky-mobile


(new Pinarello Dogmas with Dura ace electronic transmissions)
And Francaise des Jeux

Team Radio Shack!

And of course Cervélo

Nore Pinarello Dogmas for Caisse d'Epargne

And team Footon, with Fujis, but more importantly, the coolest team cars (Audi S6s)

Next came the ride back home. We got passed by all manner of team bus and car and all were respectful and gave us plenty of room. All, except for Quiskstep, which gave myself and other cyclists like 0.25 meters of room and almost ran people off the road. Amazingly, both their bus AND team car did this, which were separated by several minutes. Maybe their riders aren't the only ones that are coked up?

We drafted behind the Cervélo team cars on the descent from Placette, which was inexplicably very very cool. Who knows why -- it's not like they gave us a free R3SL!