Bakersfield

Bakersfield is now the in the US top ten. Bigger than the Big Easy and the Steel City. NINE! And today we unleash Stage Five, the indi Time Trial, 18.3 miles of hot, windy, dusty and dramatic trial of truth miles. The Amgen Tour of California, now in its seventh year, is again rocking the casbah! We got an early start and did the RCV course preview, shot some set-up vid and toured the expo/caravan. Bernie, Ken, Harry and a gaggle of others were out on the course early testing their winter training programs. Today there is no hiding. No drafting, no sitting in with the big dogs. It is just YOU and the 18.3 miles. Courage my friends, we all suffer, just go! 

And off we go back out to the dusty streets of Bakersfield, the same streets walked in the boots of Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and today, tour leader Peter Sagan. He might feel a little like Billy the Kid today. Everybody is gunnin' for him and the gold (as in yellow jersey).

Pix: CompuTrainer is well represented at the Unitled Healthcare booth at the expo. The final climb to the finish.

More to come. Stay tuned.