2008 TOUR DE GEORGIA

pre-race PRESS CONFERENCE

4/20/2008  1:30pm

      It is thirty minutes before the opening press conference and we are sitting in the conference room in Savannah waiting for the kick off to the 2008 Tour de Georgia.  I will post comments and photos just as soon as this gets wrapped up.

3:30 pm

     The press conference opened up with a bunch of back slapping and congratulating by the politicians and organizers.  The Mayor of Tybee Island was genuinely pleased with the impact that the Tour was having on his little corner of the world.  The city of Savannah people seemed just as pleased.  I did hear a little scuttle before the conference started about some local business owners concerns about closed roads but it didn't seem to significant. 

   The  Lieutenant Governor, Casey Cagle, seems to have put a lot of effort into the organization of this Tour.  He has even arraigned for some funds to help Tybee with their beach erosion problems.  Tybee Island reached into their SPLOST dollars from sales tax revenue to help fund the project.  When checking out of our hotel I asked the folks running it if the Tour had been a success for them.  They were ecstatic.  Three days of being completely booked during what is normally the off season was great for them. 

   The  guys on the back row seemed a lot looser than the G.C. guys on the front row.  Ivan impressed me right off the bat when he said that if he got the call during the race that his wife was nearing labor with their soon to be born child he was going to leave the race and head for home.  I like a man that has his priorities straight.  Ivan quipped "I have already talked to him. (the soon to be born son)  He is not going to race the bicycles."  Which got a great laugh and loosened up the entire room.  'Fast' Freddie Rodrigues and Santiago Botero were also in a jovial mood.

   The  riders on the front row seemed a little more somber.  Levi made a statement that flew right in the face of the Tour de France organizers.  He said that they claim that the best teams in the world have been selected for this years Le Tour but they seemed to have missed the fact that Astana may be the strongest team in the world.  He said that his team intended to put the pressure on the French by racing hard and winning lots of races between now and Le tour.

   Tom Danielson seemed to be the most ready, of all the G.C. contenders, to talk it up and field a lot of questions.  CoolBicycling.com's "girl Friday" Carol McAboy lead in with this; "Tom, we all remember well the excitement for you and for those of us present at the top of Brasstown Bald when you took that first stage win in 2005 and how proud Lance was of you at the following press conference.  My question for you today is:  Does having taken that most difficult stage win give you more confidence going into this years race or does it put more pressure on you to do a repeat performance?"

    Tom answered with this; "I do remember going to the top of that mountain surrounded by experienced climbers like Levi Leipheimer and Floyd Landis and I felt really good.  I'm coming back this year after sustaining some injuries last year and I've really been working hard on my steep climbing.  I am confident that I'll do my very best and at the same time I do feel some pressure to show that I am back in good condition and ready to race.  I am as prepared as I can be, and have a great team, so we'll see." 

    After the end of the official press conference I got a moment to ask Tom a question myself.  Since he is now living in Boulder Kolo"rad"o , I asked him this;  "Tom, one of my favorite rides is to go over Lee Hill to Lefthand Canyon, then go on up for a few laps around Brainerd Lake.  Next I take the Peak to Peak Hwy over to Nederland and back down Canyon to Boulder for some lunch before taking another lap.  Have you been training on this route?"

     He responded by saying, "I just love that ride, its lots of fun."  Unless someone has actually grunted over Lee Hill and then been faced with the pull up Lefthand to Ward they can't really appreciate that statement.  That is one grueling hump at altitude.  If he calls that fun then he is more than ready to give Brasstown Bald a thrashing.  Look for him and Levi to have an epic fight up that climb.

TOM & CAROL IN A RELAXED MODE AFTER THE CONFERENCE

 

NOTICE HOW G.Q. GEORGE IS LOOKING! THIS WAS THE FIRST CRACK OF HIS GAME FACE 

     So the press conference is over and the opening shots have been fired.   My first impression is, there was not much of a press contingent present for this conference.  I guess after the big circus surrounding Lance's final Tour de Georgia and Floyd's comments last year following the Stone Mountain stage finish, there is not enough real controversy left to draw a big crowd.  My real belief is now that an American does not hold the Le Tour de France title, the fair weather fans that us Americans tend to be have forgotten bicycling and moved on to whatever seems to be most interesting for the moment. 

WOW, A RIDER THAT CAN ACTUALLY GET A BIKE ON THE CAR HIMSELF! 

  

OPENING PRESS CONFERENCE

STAGE 1      STAGE 4

STAGE 2      STAGE 5

STAGE 3     STAGE 6

STAGE 7

THE FANS   THIS YEARS TEAMS   THE SHOOTERS

THE OFFICIAL SITE