The Amgen Tour of California started with the Prologue eight days ago here in Sacramento and finished today in San Diego County with Levi Leipheimer the overall winner.  There were over 130 riders to begin the week and only about half that number was there in the end.  There was a lot of drama connected with this bike race that ran from here in the Capitol City, down the coast, and through the mountains all the way to San Diego County.  Lance Armstrong’s bike was stolen, then found and returned to him.  He rode the stolen bike again during the race, but it didn’t bring him a win.  Although Armstrong didn’t finish first his team, Astana, supported his teammate Levi Leipheimer to his third consecutive win of the Tour of California.

There were more than two million spectators that came out to cheer on the riders all along the route over the nine days of the race.  That sets a record for the most spectators at any sporting event in California history; of course it does have an extended time line and spans the entire length of the state.  Some of the spectators dressed in crazy costumes and ran along with the bike racers as far as they could.  There were lots of unique costumes and guys without shirts as well as other articles of clothing missing, but my favorite spectator was the guy with antlers on his helmet wearing a University of Montana jersey. 

Spectator Amgen Tour of California 2009