Rain.... cold... grumble... frown... harumph... that pretty much sums up the start today in Sausalito. 44 degrees and raining. 8:30 AM. Yep. Ass conditions...

But, I did get to see a few riders as they rolled out to the start and managed to grab a few photos and one video of the start. None of the riders looked happy in the slightest. They cancelled the normal parade laps around Sausalito and just got to it...

Before the race I asked Jens! if he was going to attack today. "Today is a Jens! day!", yelled I. But sadly, Jens just grumbled something gutteral and angry sounding. So I backed away... Then I asked Big Schleck to smile for his fans, but Frank said "not much to smile about today, grumble, grumble, I want to cry..." Kirk O'Bee was cool to me "good luck Kirk" says I... Kirk says "thanks man!"... and Pieter Weening signed autographs in the rain. Classy.... Then I retired to my waterproof and sound proof suite above the posh Poggio Trattoria to drink wine, eat bacon, and talk cycling with my cycling club buddies. Good times... And it turns out one of them had a VIP pass, which he gave to me. Now I have a VIP pass. Working photog one day, bacon eating VIP the next... imagine what could happen tomorrow?