My experiences at the Tour De France are some of the greatest in my life. Watching it on TV is OK, the commentators are pretty entertaining. But it could never compare to finding that perfect spectating spot, watching the peleton whiz by, then finding a cafe to watch the finish on TV. Trust me, the French coverage is way better than ours!

Of course, a flight to Europe right now is around $1000, and our dollar is exchanging at a near record low. Makes taking weeks to follow the Tour a bit tough for most of us. The Tour of Utah requires a bit less expenditure on the spectator’s part.

The Tour of Utah offers many of the elements that make the bigger race in France so awesome to be a part of. Seventeen top level cycling teams represented by 120 riders make for great racing with lots of colorful kits. The racers will ride for a $75,000 purse and a new car, over 5 days, 342 miles, and a lotta climbing.

The Utah bike race is a must see for everyone. The start and finish will offer a festival like atmosphere with music, food, drink and some of the nicest bicycles you can’t even buy. Out on the race course you can find a nice spot to watch and cheer. Watch your toes, the bike mechanics in the support vehicles drive kind of fast and aren’t really looking out for you. Take some snacks, water, libations, and something to sit on and the day is sure to be a treat.

The Tour of Utah is August 13-17.

Stage 1 Sanpete to Nephi.

Stage 2 Ogden to Salt Lake City.

Stage 3 Salt Lake Downtown Criterium

Stage 4 Park City to Snowbird

Stage 5 Miller Motorsports Park Time Trial (Tooele)

Tour of Utah Website

For the second year in a row, I got to hang out with the Cannondale guys and fix bikes along the coast of California, all in the name of raising money for AIDS research, education, and awareness. The $11.6 million the AIDS Lifecycle 7 raised this year should help the cause.

I wish I could count all the flat tires I fixed during the week, I’m sure the number would be in the hundreds, as I’m positive I did over 20 a day. The miles my left arm pedaled as I shifted through bikes’ gears also took it’s toll. By the time the riders reached L.A., my arms were weak and useless.

The amount of tubes that got thrown away along the route was unfortunate. I wish I had the ability to at least get them recycled, but transporting thousands of bike tubes would require some special arrangements. Maybe next year we could make those arrangements, or maybe have a contest to find creative uses for the tubes that won’t hold air. The crowd that rides the AIDS Lifecycle is a creative bunch and I’m sure the contest would be a hit and produce some entertaining results.

Second only to flat tires, worn pedal cleats plagued many riders, some multiple times during the week. The cyclists wearing mountain bike shoes with walkable cleats were laughing at the riders with road bike shoes waiting in line for new $20 cleats. Cannondale’s technical support team had a hard time fulfilling the need for Look Delta, Look Keo, and Shimano SPD R cleats for the poor soles(pun) that didn’t have cleat covers to walk around in.

All in all, a great week playing with bicycles. The faces I recognized from last year were great to see again, and I hope to see this year’s new acquaintances next year. I hope everyone heeds my warning and brings there mountain bike shoes and pedals, but I’ll certainly be there to change your worn cleats out for you. See you then.