Andy and I headed up to Griffith Park. Got there around 6:45 am. Expecting thousands but only 500+ showed up. Most were in cycling gear and ready to roll. News crews, securities, and police were there. Everyone anxiously waited as 7:30 am arrived. No Lance but a dark tinted Escalade SUV pulled into the parking lot. It was a diversion to only have Lance himself rode his bike from around the corner and to the parking lot minutes later. Good take......Why would Lance showed up sitting in the Escalade and not on a bike to meet everyone, right?
Crowd gather around him like a swamp of bees. 5 minutes later, the parking lot emptied into the road along side the parking lot. At first, the speed was slow and we were compacted. Seconds later, the peloton started to string out like a rubberband. Andy and I tried to get to the front but had no luck as there were too many riders. As we approach the climb, it was all over. Knowing the peloton would circle back around the parking lot again in a loop ( 6 miles loop), I stopped at the top of the hill and waited for Lance.
During this time, Andy was riding next to Lance himself on the other side of the loop as they were making their way back toward the climb. The speed was about 18-20 all the way per Andy. He wished he had a camera and snap an intimate moment with Lance......his lady would have been very very mad if it happened. LOL.
I myself was more interested with taking pictures than to ride with Lance.
After 3 loops, Lance and the peloton pulled back into the parking lot. He signed more autographs for the next 5-10 minutes and then he disappeared into the Escalade and was gone....
Neither Andy or myself were able to get an autograph of Lance.
Andy and I had a good time. Even though it was short, it was all worth it to ride and meet Lance in person.
Above are pictures and below are clips of Andy trying to get to the front of the peloton and the climb. If you listen carefully, you could hear I was breathing so hard I needed an oxygen tank!
Billy
Nice job guys, chance of a lifetime!
ReplyDeletecool stuff!!
ReplyDeletebtw...this is what we should be blogging...not posting gay guy pictures. lol
ReplyDeleteright on
ReplyDeleteI would have reached to see if Lance had one ball or two!
ReplyDeleteWhere's TrekMan?
ReplyDeleteI can hear you breathing pretty hard in the video Billy.. And Lance is nowhere to found. Must be a nice climb... : D
ReplyDeleteLance is way way ahead.....wasted all of my energy trying to get to the front only to hit the climb and catching a video at the same time. Of course, my climbing is next to zero to begin with. :o)
ReplyDelete