TdG - High Road Express

 

Race leader Kanstantsin Siutsou (#28 in the yellow) is escorted by members of his High Road team starting into the 9th of 10 laps. They are at the front of the pelaton and about 40 seconds back from the breakaway at this point.

A group of us rode from Aurora Coffee over the the race course and got to 5th and W Peachtree just as the second lap came by. There was already a breakaway group of about 8-10 riders at this point of the race.

The rain wasn't falling when we got there, but the weather was certainly a factor. Numbers of spectators were down, the speed was down, but the excitement was still there. It's impressive what these athletes can do day after day of hard riding. The only riders I saw with a smile were the ones crossing the finish line ahead of the pack.

The race was fun even though the crowds were thin. Corners were where we found most people and they were enthusiastic. I would have been more enthusiastic if we weren't forced to ride on the sidewalks. Still, riding a bike was a good way to see different parts of the course. I recommend this again next year.