Back From The Tour of California

The biggest professional cycling race in the U.S., the Amgen Tour of California, has concluded this week with Dutch rider Robert Gesink of Team Rabobank on top of the podium. The 26-year-old athlete came back, amazingly, from a broken leg just eight months ago to out-climb his competition in the late stages of tour.

Unlike many state-side pro cycling races, the ATOC draws some of the pro peleton’s biggest names. Jens Voigt, Tom Boonen, Robbie McEwen, Levi Leipheimer and more were there duking it out in the Golden State. The race course winds through some of the most spectacular scenery California has to offer and fans were out in force to cheer on the riders as they swooshed past.

GearJunkie contributing editor T.C. Worley attended the tour last week and rode in team SpiderTech’s car to report from the belly of the race. Squawking radios, honking horns, choppers in the air, and cyclists whizzing between the support vehicles were just a few of the sights and sounds he experienced. Look for his report and an in-depth article on the race coming soon.

—Photos by T.C. Worley.