Minnesota Bicycle Festival

I followed some of the advice, sort of. My 8:30am appointment today was to go to the Nature Valley Grand Prix bicycle race as presented by the Minnesota Bicycle Festival. This morning's event was the Saint Paul Riverfront Time Trial. It was a shortish six miles, just under 10km. But after running extremely flat for the first 5.5 miles, the course rose dramatically nearly 200 feet in the last half mile, an approximate 8 percent grade.

We parked near the finish and watched a couple of the early female finishers and then walked down to the start house. Here is a view of one of the early female finishers on one of the ramps up Ohio Street.We arrived at the start in time to watch the first several men start. We were able to move right up next to the athletes as they rolled down the ramp. As is apparent from this Campagnolo component and full carbon rear wheel equipped Pinarello, this is a professional road race with racers equipped with the full gamut of modern racing gear.We left the start and walked back up the hill hoping to see the finish. Here is a view of another stretch of Ohio Street, this time with a couple of male racers struggling against the hill.Here's winner Tom Zirbel of Bissell Pro Cycling stopping the clock with the first place time.And here's celebrity Floyd Landis shortly after he stopped the clock with a time good enough to place him only 27th overall.As for me, this ride lots thing has gotten off to an uncertain start. It rained lightly for most of the morning. It stopped for a while but made a return appearance just after noon. Still by about 3pm it was dry enough even if a bit cool so I rode my bicycle. I finished a bit after 5pm (2 hour bicycle rides are saving my life). My main impression of finishing at 5pm is that it reminds me of why I don't want to start at 5pm anymore. At about 4:30 pm the streets being to fill with really, really large vehicles, a large percentage of which are being driven by angry appearing people in an enormous hurry. 3pm is better than 5pm, more impressions as they happen.

I waited for TOPWLH to get home and then we headed out to Stage 2, the Downtown Saint Paul Criterium. We were too late for the women's race but luckily enough the star was still hanging around. This is defending race champion and 2008 Olympic Time Trial Gold Medalist Kristin Armstrong.She did not win this evening's Stage 2 but her time margin established in this morning's time trial was sufficient for her to remain the race leader after the second stage. In this photo she is wearing the race leader's yellow jersey.

This is the complete women's podium after Stage 2, Armstrong the race leader, a "hill" points leader, a sprint points leader, a most aggressive rider and best young rider.Here is the start of the men's race.A group of four got away early in the race. As so often happens, it certainly seemed as though they had built a big enough lead that as time started to wind down in the race, that they would be able to stay away. However, a crash with only a couple of laps to go trimmed the group to three and Floyd Landis did a long, hard pull at the head of the pack and the break was caught literally at the final moment, on the last short straightaway of the 45 lap race.

Note to TT, that Italian guy that we directed to the start this morning was the guy who emerged from the pack on the last lap this evening to catch the final breakaway rider to win the stage. He was interviewed after the stage and spoke in Italian with that mechanic who was talking to him this morning doing the translation.