Because sponsors donated over $7500 ($8089.17 to be exact - Green jersey level, symbolic of“Best Sprinter” on the Tour de France) Mary and I were able to attend a pre-ride party. It was at a "secret location," which, happily, they told me in advance where it was…down a semi-dirt road, to a large restaurant/outdoor banquet place.
Bunches of police check credentials, big guys in suits with earpieces stand all around. In spite of the security it has a nice vibe. A stage coach goes by giving rides, an outdoor movie screen is showing
westerns, a cowboy band plays cowboy songs on stage. There's a silent auction tent, with lots of signed Lance things, a baseball jersey signed by Nolan Ryan, hockey jersey by Mario Lemiuex, basketball jersey by Yao Ming, a signed copy of Sheryl Crow’s new CD, artwork. I was the highest bidder on an arty glass bowl...until the last five minutes, when somebody outbid me.
We see Lance a lot. He's one fit dude. He says next Saturday he'll be hosting Saturday Night Live with his fiancée as the musical performer. Obviously he talks about cancer. Several people win awards for fundraising. One person wins a framed/signed jersey, and gives it to a ten year old boy in the audience, sans hair, who is battling cancer right now. Lance talks about people viewing him as an inspiration, and says "well, my inspiration is Bono, for all his work he's done with Aids and Africa." Pretty interesting: I'd seen his idol the day prior in Washington D.C.
Standing on the side of the stage is the“surprise guest,” who doesn’t stay a surprise too long. Robin Williams makes himself known pretty early, chiming in with the kind of things that have made him so famous. At one point, after a story about how badly cancer had affected one rider, Lance says "I don't know what to say. Robin can you still be funny?" It takes him a minute, but when he comes out he is, of course, a riot. He makes fun of the Supreme Court nominee, of course the Commander in Chief - "can you draw the dog? You can be the next Supreme Court justice." He makes fun of the French, Germans, Scottish, various religions, Michael Jackson (too easy Robin…). His "squeaky pants" routine, which I saw him do on HBO a couple of years ago, has people on the floor. He ends by talking about the importance of the ride, and that he will be doing the 70 mile ride on Sunday, possibly going for 100.The night ends with fireworks. Classy all around.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
To begin, a massive thank you to Travis and Veronica LaDuc of Austin. In addition to opening their house up to Mary and I, as well as his friends Scott and Lisa, they 1) rented a van to cart us around, 2) gave up their bedrooms and slept in their office, 3) gave us a tour of the course the day prior, 4) brought us/bikes to the start area at 6:30 am Sunday, and 5) cheered for us on the course. This would have been a much more difficult undertaking without them.
We get up Sunday morning to a clear sky and cool temperatures. As we drive to the Travis County Expo Center for the beginning the line of red tail lights extends in front of us for at least a mile, but it progresses slowly and steadily. After putting our bikes together“Team LaDuc” riders Mary, Scott, and I ride up the hill to the start area. There are bikes everywhere...it’s Bikestock, a Sea of Bikemanity. 6500 riders. In the distance is a huge stage, like you’d see at an outdoor rock concert, with jumbotron screens on either side. Around 7:15, with the sun rising behind, Lance appears on the screen to welcome/thank riders, and read a rider pledge. The former guitarist of the Wallflowers comes up to play a Hendrix-like version of the National Anthem - until“home of the brave...” when the sound system abruptly cuts off. When sound is restored Robin Williams does an impression of the Governor of California...”cyclists ride hand. Those of you on Viagra ride hahhah.” Da dum...
Riders are set to go off in waves. Lance and Robin lead wave 1. Yellow and polka dot jerseys ($25K and $15K riders) wave 2. We’re in wave 4, but for some reason 6 and 7 go before us. Although the ride started at 7:30, we finally get into our pedals at 8:15.
It is cool - 58 degrees. The announcer calls out cities/states/countries of riders as they depart:“Simsbury, CT, Phoenix, AZ, Austin, TX...Russia!” Bikes are three and four abreast, using half of the road. We’d barely left the Expo Center before bikers begin pulling off the road to replace flat tires. As we turn onto the main road heading northeast all that can be seen in both directions is an endless line of bikes/helmets/colorful jerseys. The crowds of riders at rest area 1, as well as 2 and 3, are large. Mainly we refill bottles, eat a few pretzels/orange slices, and go. The towns along the route are few, and very small. On Saturday, while Travis was taking us on the course tour, we passed a strip mall with a store named“Mr. Liquor,” which I thought was hilarious. On Sunday we’d pedaled about ten miles when I see the Mr Liquor sign, and think to myself“I’ll bet they’re there.” Then who do I spy? - Travis, Veronica, and Lisa under the sign. At the top of my lungs I let out“MISTER LIQUOR!” and they wave back. Later they tell me we were unnoticeable in the amorphous cycling mob until my exclamation.
There are multiple distances on the Lance ride. Signs direct people to turn or go straight depending on whether one has chosen 7, 25, 40, 70, or 100 miles. I joke with Scott at stop 1“if we’d chosen 7 miles we’d already be done.” At stop 3, around 30 miles, I’m in line to get rid of all the water and Powerade I’ve taken in when a voice announces“those of you doing 100, you’ve got to leave in the next five minutes.” Ugh. I’m still a couple of minutes away in the line, so Mary and I leave the line and join Scott on the road to a century. Happily a small church five miles up the road is serving as a water station, and opens the facilities to us. Whew!
In the first 30 miles the bikes were wall to wall, but afterwards that dwindles to a few riders we keep seeing again and again. One fellow we keep passing has a bike jersey with“Brooklyn” on the back. Finally at top 6 we ask if he’s from Brooklyn, and he replies that he is.
This is, or course, a cancer ride. Scott is riding for his friend who battled pancreatic cancer for five years before succumbing. Some riders have placards on their back“In memory of...” with a name written in. Some wear multiple“in memory ofs.” Others“In honor of,” in my case I’ve written in my cousin Jon. The ones which inspire the most awe read“cancer survivor.” The most memorable was a father riding, towing a boy probably five years old behind him. The boy has“cancer survivor” on his back. As I pass him I say“how ya doin’ buddy?!” to which he replies in a small child voice“goooood.”
Immediately after the ride I sent sponsors an email with the words“the wind was a monster.” When we landed in Austin Friday night Travis said a cold front was supposed to move through on Sunday, bringing windy weather. Unfortunately the forecasters were correct. Wind can be an ally or an invisible adversary. Around mile 25 it became quite breezy, like when you’re about a mile from the beach on a sunny day. But it kept increasing, and from about 10:00 am on it was probably 25-30 mph. The course kept changing directions, occasionally allowing a tail wind, but is sure felt like a head or crosswind more often.“THIS (is quite unpleasant)!” I heard one rider exclaim. At one point in the afternoon I spent several miles leaning to the right, otherwise I was toppling over.
A small break stop was set up around mile 75, just an RV by the side of the road with some coolers of water. While refilling our bottles some riders come up,“can we stop?” they ask. Within a few minutes a support van will pick up their bikes. Mary and I reach mile 80 when we spot Travis, Veronica, and Lisa under a tree. They have cold sodas for us, which are a much welcome break from the water/sport drink routine.
Scott, his friend Suzanne, Mary and I pass through mile 95 around 3:30. We are all ready for the end. The last five turn out to be the hardest, with the final mile and a half both uphill and into the wind. The fastest speed I recorded on this ride was 33 mph, but now it’s about 8 mph. As Mary and I start the penultimate climb we see a woman in front of us call it a day, get off and walk. We battle the opposing air stream, and cross the finish line at 4:05. Mary’s bike computer says we were on the bike for 6 hours, 18 minutes.
Travis gathers us all up for the ride back to his place. Later that evening we drive into the Austin hills, west of the city, which are very striking. We have dinner at a restaurant with dolls of bats on the ceiling. Travis says it’s for some place nearby where over one million bats live. At dinner I am reunited with sponsor Rick and his wife Cheryl, who I haven’t seen in over a decade. All in all a great day.
136 sponsors donated $8089.17 for my ride. Mary's sponsors donated $2613, giving us a total of $10,702 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. You have all been so incredible. Thank you for giving us these memories. Sincerely, ABW
