In a mad dash to the finish line – just south of Town Center Drive on McBean- 26 year old Argentinean JJ Haedo finished first in a group of about 10 riders, throwing his arms in the air and delighting spectators. Haedo took three hours and 56 minutes to complete the 105 mile scenic course, which ran over Highway 126 and through the Valencia Industrial Center. Each time the colorful peloton (group of riders) rode through the crowd, the cheering fans grew more excited, clanging their small cowbells and shouting for their favorite riders as the professional cyclists whizzed by at nearly 30 miles per hour. “I thought it was really awesome!” Nichole Kittel, 12, of Lancaster said. Nichole’s father, John, said he’s been a cycling fan for a long time, but this was the first time he’d been able to see such professional racing up close in Southern California. Bari Waalk also took his family to see the race. The Valencia cycling fan noted that several of the Tour’s competitors would ride in the world famous Tour de France this summer. His 13 year old daughter Kendahl said that the event “was a lot of fun.” City officials were equally thrilled with the turnout and the excitement of the race. Amelia Rietzel, a special projects coordinator for the City of Santa Clarita said, “The city has never had such a big, international event. It’s great for building the city’s reputation.” Rietzel said that the city has always encouraged bicycling as a healthy form of exercise, and that the Tour’s Stage 6 finish was an “awesome way to show how cool cycling is.” Rick Gould, City Park’s manager agreed, “It was great!” After Haedo’s victory, tour and city officials took the stage to present awards. Mayor Marsha McLean and the rest of the City Council appeared on stage with Assemblyman Cameron Smyth and Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon. McLean was all smiles as she presented the Stage Six trophy to JJ Haedo. Haedo then threw his bouquet of flowers into the energetic crowd. Crowd favorite Levi Leipheimer, who still maintains his overall lead going into the final Stage 7 circuit tomorrow in Long Beach, was also on stage. Leipheimer said “it was a huge battle out there,” as members of his Team Discovery battled against crashes and aggressive opponents. The Tour, comprised of 144 cyclists on 18 cycling teams, started on February 19th in Sausulito California. Stage 6 of the tour featured four King of the Mountain climbs, and was preceded by several events in Santa Clarita. About two hours before the cyclists stormed through Santa Clarita, BMX bikers entertained the crowd by performing gravity-defying jumps and spins on their tiny bikes at the intersection of Town Center Drive and McBean Parkway. Several live bands also performed for the crowd. Perhaps the most notable pre-race event was the one-mile ride blue-shirted cancer survivors made around the area.
Race spectators crowd the intersection at McBean and Town Center Drive
Men and women ride in support of cancer research
Long live the Tour of California! the sign says.
The lead group of riders who entered central Santa Clarita first. JJ Haedo is among them, riding for Team CSC.
The peloton (main group of riders) powers through the second lap of the circuit.
Mayor Marsh McLean presents a trophy to Argentine winner JJ Haedo
Tour leader Levi Leipheimer celebrates on stage
The three winners of stage six
Comments (2)