It seems like forever since I left California on Saturday morning – it’s been a whirlwind of stuff to do, and my blog has been shabbily neglected. Sunday was the Bell to Bell Ride: cyclists rode from the Liberty Bell in Philly to the Justice Bell in Valley Forge.

The ride celebrated Pennsylvania’s ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. The ride ended at the Justice Bell, where the chain around the clapper of the bell was cut, and four women pulled the long, white rope. The bell pealed out, so loud that little kids covered their ears. It was a Big Ben sound inside the tiny Valley Forge Chapel. It was so cool to see and hear… I photographed the bike ride and the Justice Bell ceremony.

I’m doing my food police thing – so far, the teams who have arrived are Discovery Channel (I hear cheering), Lampre, LiquiGas, and today, CSC. LiquiGas team bikes and luggage got sent to Boston by Air France – they arrived last night with nothing. We are doing heroics to get their things to them so they can race tomorrow! The other teams are arriving as I write this...

So, how about our Discovery guys? The team here is really stoked about the Giro win. All the DC guys are really tight, and that’s what makes this team so great. Creed came in today, and he looks real good. I asked him how his legs are, and he said that he’d see tomorrow… He’s not gonna know until he actually races.

I chatted with Chris Horner last night, as I was walking with several teams to a downtown, fantastic restaurant called Bliss. Yes, it is bliss to eat there. Chris said this will be his first race since he broke his leg. Said he’s been training around the Sacramento area, since it’s been too cold in Bend, Oregon to do any riding. I was really surprised that he immediately remembered that I had done the shot of him at the Oak Glen finish last year that became a poster for the Redlands race VIP area. I sent him a copy of that poster and he really appreciated it, I guess.