Tour of California-Day 7, Solvang Time Trial
Orbitz Worldwide Travel named Solvang one of the Top 5 “US Domestic Destinations with International Flair” and the city has been recognized by Sunset magazine as one of the “Ten Most Beautiful Small Towns in the Western United States.”
Solvang attracts over a million visitors annually with its thriving Danish community, unique shopping, distinctive architecture, award-winning bakeries and regional wines….Did I mention the bake shops about 2 per block!
We arrive early in order to get parking. We have made several friends along the way this week and meet up with 2 friends from Santa Rosa who have a spot picked out right on the finish line. You must guard these spots as they become more valuable as it gets closer to start time (some folks even lock their beach chairs right to the race railing!).
The best thing about this stage is that all of the team buses are parked right on the main street so the opportunity to see your favorite rider in one of the local bake shops is high.
This stage is one where you basically stand in one spot, for hours, and wait for each rider to come though. Race leader Levi Leipheimer (AST) took a big step closer to his third consecutive Amgen Tour of California title by acing the stage with a winning time of 30:40, eight seconds faster than U.S. National Time Trial champion David Zabriskie (GRM). Gustav Larsson (SAX), who won silver at the Beijing Olympic Games in the time trial, had the third fastest time, 16 seconds slower than Leipheimer, who padded his advantage in the General Classification over Zabriskie.
Some pics of the highlights-
After lunch at one of our favorite cafes, we headed back to SLO, one more night away from home, and another Tour of California under our belts…till next year…..
