For the first time, a Tour of California stage both started and finished in San Luis Obispo county. Riders started on the Pismo Beach pier and when Wednesday’s stage four ended beachside in Avila Beach, Peter Sagan held off challengers in an uphill sprint to win the stage.

The atmosphere was festive in both south county beach cities, though the attendance at both was somewhat less than either of the previous two years, when the cities hosted a stage start and finish respectively.

One spectator-friendly aspect of both Avila and Pismo was a bike valet, which I used at both locations after riding my own bicycle in.

Photos by Owen Main

Aside from the dominance of the visiting team, Cal Poly’s inaugural home sand volleyball weekend was about as good as any fan could ask for. By Owen Main

When Cal Poly announced almost two years ago they would start a sand volleyball program and play at the beach, I was excited to see what it would look like.

While they didn’t have any home matches in their inaugural season, the Mustangs hosted their first against the University of Arizona this weekend.

While the Lady Wildcats dominated most of the weekend, Pismo Beach was also a big winner. Amidst a heat wave on the Central Coast, Cal Poly achieved a real beach volleyball atmosphere. Fans set-up folding beach chairs and the smell of sunscreen wafted through the air.

While the two main courts included just Cal Poly vs. U of A matches, it’s clear there is a decent beach volleyball culture around Pismo. At least five other courts were never empty and one always had to have their head on a swivel to watch for flying balls.

Cal Poly’s release on the weekend can be found here. I also thought it was pretty awesome, and a great excuse to go to the beach for a few hours. Next time the Mustangs host a home matchup, I definitely recommend going down to check it out.

Photos by Owen Main

The SRAM neutral race support vehicle waits on the Pismo Pier on Thursday. By Owen Main

Pismo Beach is a ten mile bike ride from my front door, making for a fabulous after-work destination for a ride in the summertime. On Thursday, it marked the first time an Amgen Tour of California stage started from a pier.

On yet another blistering day, riders stayed in their air-conditioned team RV’s as long as they could before braving the 90-plus degree temperatures at the beach.

Fans milled around, admiring the bikes, riders, and day. One common refrain was, “It’s great when the bikes on top of the car cost more than the car.” The car, in this case, was a Jaguar.

“Why can’t we start every stage from here?” said one person involved with the race.

As the riders dashed out of sight on Price Canyon Road, the crowd quickly dispersed. The cars, bikes, and RVs gave chase to the peloton. On to Santa Barbara and Southern California. Young American rider Taylor Phinney was a one-man breakaway on this day, separating himself at the top of the Cachuma Pass and racing down to the finish in Santa Barbara. For the second straight day, the field was not able to catch the breakaway, making for two unusual and pretty exciting Central Coast stages.

For parts of two days, the best cyclists in the world were right here in SLO County, giving racing fans a glimpse of the top level of the sport.

Here’s a video of the start of the race from The Tribune. Also, their story here.

Jens Voigt seems to enjoy himself on the Central Coast. By Owen Main

Jens is still my favorite

Jens Voigt. The guy is a legend — one of the best ambassadors the sport of cycling has left. He is an accomplished columnist for Bicycling Magazine (writing in a language that is not his first). Somehow, in a sport where personality isn’t as easy to recognize, Voigt’s is like a beacon of fun for fans looking for something a little different.

Jens Voigt prior to Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California. By Owen Main

In last year’s Tour, he pulled ahead of the field on a solo breakaway and sprinted the final few miles to the finish in Avila to capture the only SLO County stage. Witnessing it live and seeing the pain on his face over the final few hundred yards of the stage was truly awesome.

This year, he obliged a photographer’s request to go take some photos out on the pier before Stage 5. With a smile on his face, he stood up on a bench, with his bicycle. Pointing toward the West, out over the Pacific Ocean, he said in his trademark German accent, “Japan is about 5,000 miles that way.”

Voigt grew up in East Germany. Not the Eastern part of Germany — the country of East Germany, before the Berlin Wall came down. Here’s an interesting column he wrote in Bicycling about how he just never doped.

At the age of 42, it’s hard to imagine how he’s still keeping-up. I’m also not sure that there is an equivalent in any other sport. I’ll just say this — when he retires, the sport will lose a legend. He’s a one-man reason to be a cycling fan.

Sir Bradley Wiggins maintained the overall lead through the Central Coast stages, though he didn’t contend for either individual stage. By Owen Main

Two fun Central Coast stages

As I said earlier, the Central Coast got two really exciting stages this year. It’s always fun to see riders at such a high level, but real breakaways at the finish in Cambria and the finish in Santa Barbara made this year’s tour a little more special for Central Coast cycling fans.

Future stages and segments?

If you had your way, what segments of road would make for good stages in San Luis Obispo County? If you could construct your ideal stage you’d like to see professionals ride in this county, what would it be? I think I’d incorporate highway 46 west between Paso Robles and Cambria. My ideal stage would be some kind of hilly, looping, challenging route. I think it would start maybe at Morro Rock, going up Old Creek Road in Cayucos to 46, down toward Cambria and then back up Santa Rosa Creek Road, back to Highway 46, out in the country, and finishing in Paso Robles. Or the opposite. I think that would make for a really, really fun racing day full of real climbing and strategy…

Photos by Owen Main

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