Tour of Utah - Stage 2

Argh - I am mad at myself this morning. I got to work with camera in hand to download all the beautiful pictures I took yesterday and realized I left the adapter at home. Sorry -- I'll post them tonight. Here are some from cyclingnews.com for your viewing enjoyment until then.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?.../tourofutah062

Today's stage began at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi and ended with 10 laps at the Miller Sports Park in Tooele (toowilla - yes, strange, I know). I was stationed at the airconditioned VIP suite at the Miller's Sports Park so was not privileged to the race start. However, I can say the race finish was very exciting. A good sized crowd had driven out the very remote end location - located way out by the great salt lake. Its quite the drive and is smack in the middle of nowhere. But the crowd was very enthusiastic and cheered the riders on every single lap.

As you will see in my pictures (when I get to actually post them), some of the riders were smiling and laughing, some looked to be in deep concentration - or just out of it, and others grimmaced in pain. It was hot! But they were flying. There was a 2 man breakaway until almost the very end when they were caught. Chris Wherry of Toyota United was able to sneak up to the line in a very exciting sprint to take the lead. Jeff Louder from HealthNet was 2nd - much to the delight of the Utah crowd as the anouncer said he was from Salt Lake. The tiny Uzbecki took third and retained his overall leaders jersey as well as the sprinters and best young riders jersey. The KOM jersey also remain unchanged.

Now for the really fun bit. Obviously when the riders came in I not so dutifully abandoned my post to watch the race. Oh well, there wasn't anyone in that suite anyway- everyone was out watching the race. So after the winners were announced and the jerseys presented I hightailed it back to the suite - perfect time because that is when the VIPs started coming in.
Anyhooo- a few very hot and sweaty guys started coming in and I asked if they had been course marshals. Nope- they were actually riders!! The company catering the VIP room had invited all the riders into the VIP suite for dinner. So within 5 minutes the suite was packed with most of the riders and support team members. I didn't want to be tacky so I resisted the temptation to snap a few pics. But I'll tell you they were all very nice and very gracious (thier mother's taught them well - said thier please and thank yous). They are all very skinny and very short.

I know this is long but I'll share one final tidbit of info that I think the ladies of this boared will find fun. The lady whom I was working with, upon first meeting a few of the riders coming into the VIP room said to a few of them "You look hot." Their reply "Yeah its really hot out there." She said, no I mean "you look hot." Thier reply "Yeah, but we look hotter on our bikes!" ;) He he he. Sorry don't know said riders names or teams but its obvious to say, I like them. ha ha ha

I'll post pictures later...

Oh how fun!

V.

Thank you for the link and the updated information. You sound as though you are having fun. :)

What fun Sulis! I wish I could have helped out yesterday. I am still laughing about the "you look hot" comments.

Auntie K, The Spinster (who isn't on the TE board) and I are heading up to Heber to help at the Time Trial. Fat chance the riders will come in the VIP tent today, though. . . :(

Oh, I hope they do come in the tent--we could use some "heat" too. Sulis can't have all the fun! :D