This pic is from the 2006 Sea Otter Classic Amateur Road Race, down in Fort Ord, CA. We had about 700 riders competing on the 10.5 mile course, in numerous categories. They started on the track in Laguna Seca, and finished near the top of Barloy Canyon ( a real tough finish), after completing anywhere from six to ten laps.

I was the Road Coordinator for the Sea Otter event this year, and I had the most outstanding volunteers down in Fort Ord. They were parents and students from La Mesa Elementary School in Monterey, and I have to say that these folks are awesome. Their volunteers all show up - they show up early and stay late, and all with the greatest attitude.

The La Mesa parents and kids who worked the Neutral Feed Zone were absolute heroes - they pitched in and got the bottles to the riders under very challenging circumstances. They were there from 7:30 am until almost 7 pm on Saturday, filling and handing out hundreds of bottles to the weary racers. They are the best... If you are in a race, at whatever level, remember to say thanks to those volunteers who make the race happen and receive very little glory for their hard work...

And yet another injured racer on the Discovery Channel Team, and you know by now that it is George Hincapie. That is the worst damn luck, and is obviously a bummer for his Tour de France training.. And, of course, we will be reading lots about the controversial Paris Roubaix DQ of Leif, Vladamir and Peter Petegem, while allowing Tom Boonen do the same thing, and stand on the podium. Even Boonen says he really got fifth place....