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Tour de Nez: where to be, what to know |
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Written by Greyson Howard/Tahoe World
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Tuesday, 12 June 2007 |
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Cycling is a beautiful sport, but newcomers can have a hard time understanding what they are seeing as the blur of bright spandex flashes by.
With the 15th Annual Tour de Nez bicycle race coming to Truckee Friday, I figured it was time for a spectators guide to cycling to better help everybody enjoy the show. As the pack of riders circulates through downtown, burning up one mile laps two minutes at a time for about an hour in the criterium — known as American style cycling — a savvy spectator can get a lot out of one event.
Where to go
The Truckee course starts and finishes on Donner Pass road on Commercial Row, takes two quick, high-speed right-handers onto Spring and Jibboom streets, weaves an “S” right-left on Bridge and Church Streets, and takes one last hair-pin around Church back onto Donner Pass Road.
 Start-finish brings us to the undoubtedly most swanky spot to watch — the patio of the Dragonfly Restaurant.
Sitting right above the line, you can sip cocktails while watching riders bump shoulders as they jockey for position. But don’t even think about it without reservations.
Me personally, I’m a migratory cycling spectator.
I move from corner to corner, from inside to outside the loop, timing it so that I find my self at the line for the grand finale sprint finish.
Any number of corners along this course will be prime property, but stake out the boulder on the corner of Church Street and Donner Pass Road and you’ll be treated to a bird’s-eye view of the fluid peloton pouring around the sharp bend.
As the laps start to count down from 10, make your way back to the start finish, either throwing elbows for a spot on the line to look for which tire crosses first, or go to the corner of Donner Pass Road and Spring Street to watch riders barrel at up to 40 miles-per-hour straight at you.
What to know
 The guy in front the whole race isn’t going to win — his buddy will.
It’s a team sport where drafting and position are key, so watch for individual ribbons of color in the pack as a team sets up its leader for victory.
Everybody wants to be in the front-third of the group.
A touch of wheels will result in something similar to dominos meets dynamite exploding out the back of the pack.
But don’t root for crashes.
They hurt. A lot. Trust me.
The finish line isn’t just for the end.
High-speed sprints sprinkled throughout the race at the line are called primes that won’t get a rider the win, but will earn points or prizes.
More Tour de Nez information:
• Slideshow from the 2006 Tour de Nez criterium in Truckee
• History of the Tour de Nez & pro riders to watch this year
• Schedule of Tour de Nez 2007 events
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 12 June 2007 )
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