The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah presented by Zions Bank has got to be the longest name around for a race. (I'll only be using that mouthful on first reference.) It's a terrific race that I last enjoyed in 2008 when I was with Rock Racing. (Last year, I was at the Tour of Ireland at this time.) One of the great things is the central headquarters for all stages (Salt Lake City). This means not having to pack and unpack your suitcase every day.
When I'm on-site for a race, it's a flurry of picture-taking, coordination of media interviews and opportunities, a bit of crisis management and just generally not getting in the way of the riders and staff.
Sunday night consisted of a delicious team dinner at an old firehouse. It was also the 24th birthday of Chad Beyer, so we arranged for a cake (with four candles, not 24) for dessert.
I also learned that Blackberry has a new version of its popular messenger system. Bailee Holt and Larry Warbasse alerted me to this, so I spent the next 15 minutes downloading it and getting my new profile photo loaded in, etc. This tool single-handedly makes my job easier, as I can typically "pin" a rider after a race to get comments. It also saves the team money by eliminating costly international phone calls.
Monday was a two-hour training ride for the team and a lot of work for me at the hotel. However, I did get some sunbathing in at the same time and enjoyed another nice dinner with the team at an Italian restaurant downtown. The evening was capped off with a quick stop to the race's sponsor reception, where I met all the top race staff and ran into many old friends (including Michael Aisner, Todd Gogulski, Dr. Eric Heiden, Burke Swindlehurst, Gord Fraser). My only regret was not seeing the M&M cookies until I was halfway out the door.
Finally, much has been made of how little sleep I get when I'm on-site at a race. Yes, that is certainly the case. I got five hours Sunday night and four on Monday. Four hours is about all I need. It's always fun to be up when no one else is because it gives you the sense that you're seeing and experiencing things others are missing out on (even if it is only what you're watching on cable TV). Tuesday night promises to be another late night, since the prologue doesn't begin until 6.
Jeff Louder (center) made three TV appearances in two hours.
The pre-race reception was held at an architectural firm.
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