La Vuelta is one of the coolest cycling events ever and I've been lucky enough to be able to see it firsthand for a couple of years now. As I make my way home, each year, I have plenty of time to sort through the thousand or so photos I've shot and relive the experience while the memories are still fresh. As an observer, I can only imagine what it must be like to actually participate in the event, but I'm pretty sure my many of the things I love about it would rank pretty highly on the riders' lists as well. So here goes:

1) The effortlessness -- I've logged enough miles on a bike to understand how hard endurance riding can be. So when you see a bunch of serious athletes making a ride this challenging look easy, it's awesome (and a tad annoying).

2) The suffering -- Part of what makes endurance cycling so compelling is the fact that it sometimes seriously sucks. Overcoming the challenges, working through the pain and pushing yourself a little beyond the limits of what you thought you could handle are are all part of the price that must be paid for the overwhelming sense of accomplishment that lies at the finish line. Bearing witness to the suffering the  road somehow allows me share the joy with the riders when I see them finish.

3) Day One -- The excitement, the anticipation, the uncertainty and the challenge of the climb.

4) Day Two -- Unspoiled beauty, two of the most scenic rest stops, and the strong rum drinks in Rincon. The riders can't really get their drink on, so I sacrifice myself and do it for them.

5) Day Three -- Suffering, tapping of the energy reserves and the raw emotion at the finish.

6) The stories -- The semi-pro racers, the Manhattan bike messenger, the cancer survivors, the folks who dropped massive amounts of weight to make the ride, the doctor who adds an extra 50 miles to Day One and Day Three so he can ride with the group the whole time and the guy who did the whole ride on a single speed are just a few of the great stories of La Vuelta. Learning about them either directly or through La Vuelta folklore is a gas.

7) The ladies  -- La Vuelta is a magnet for really, really strong female riders. This year the four-woman team that set the world record for the Race Across America (the Raw Milk Cats) was in the house and watching team member Anna Catharina Berge break away from group A on Day Two was quite a sight. Some of the guys say they could have caught her but I'm not so sure.

Every year, there are several female stand-outs in each group to help keep the gents in check and everyone's better for it -- particularly for those of us with cameras in our hands.

8) The peloton -- Individual cyclists can be fun to watch. A pace line can be funner. But a living, breathing cluster of several hundred riders working in unison is something else entirely. The view from the front shows how hard the leaders need to work to keep the train moving. The view from the rear shows how the group can literally pull the folks in the rear along. And the view from the side -- up close and personal -- shows the intense concentration and communication required to keep the whole thing rolling safely. It's electric.

9) The precision -- At times, La Vuelta can look like controlled chaos (and at times it probably is). But there's something incredible about being able to tell EXACTLY what time each group will arrive at the end of a 150 mile day. That doesn't happen by accident.

10) Puerto Rico -- There's so much to like about this island, it is absurd -- frankly it is a little unfair to all the other islands of the Caribbean. The history, architecture, culture, food, the natural beauty, the hospitality and everything else make this a place I want to visit again and again.

How could that have happened? Seems like we just left (says the guy who got to complete the course in an air-conditioned truck). The sunrise on Sunday rivaled the beauty of the sunset on Saturday, which is to say it was something pretty special. The final day is a leg-punishing mix of steep climbs, steep descents  and some long flat sections featuring some stunning coastal riding where headwinds and crosswinds are plentiful. And then, of course, comes the triumphant charge into San Juan.

The last leg of the ride is something to behold. Groups B, C-- and eventually A -- join forces to create a peloton that seems to sprout wings at about 15 miles to go. Riders who looked half dead a few hours previously are able to hammer toward San Juan along with everyone else (the draft of the giant peloton probably doesn't hurt either). The run into town is always exciting and borders on surreal.

The finish line is an extremely emotional place as everyone realizes they just accomplished something most cyclists can only dream of doing. Then music, food and another Puerto Rican sunset. It's hard to describe in detail, but it is something you need to see for yourself. Fortunately, you've got 362 days to train for 2013, which is enough time for virtually anyone with enough discipline and determination to get themselves ready. So what are you waiting for?

Day Two is one of my personal favorites. After a quick pre-dawn romp on the highway, the course plunges into some of the most remote, unpopulated and gorgeous parts of the island. Day Two is also the day we hang out with Group A -- these are the thoroughbreds of La Vuelta. There are semi-pros, RAAM racers, cycling trainers and others who have reached great heights in the sport. Their idea of a nice recreational ride looks and feels a lot like a pro stage race from an observer's perspective. And having a front-row seat to a really, really good Tour de France "cover band" is still pretty darn cool -- particularly when a hotel with a great open-air bar a few steps from the beach lies at the end of the trail.

The first half of of the second two-thirds of the course is a ribbon of pavement atop a sea of rolling hills threaded through the drier -- but hotter -- part of the island. The landscape looks more like the western half of the US than a tropical paradise, but it is stunning nonetheless. In fact, it's stunning. Then it's back to the coast via a small fishing village/vacation spot that BEGS you to stop and explore (this is the part of the island where the locals come when they want to get away). The other half of the second two thirds goes along the coast through a tunnel of trees which are great to look at and provide welcomed relief from the sun.

It's mid-afternoon and all three groups are in. They are bathed and walking around with serious rum drinks served in fresh coconuts. That means it's time to quit blogging and start, um, "interviewing" some of the riders for the next blog post. Cheers!

Day One of La Vuelta is one of the three most challenging days of the tour. At 155 miles, it's the longest and also has contains longest climb, which can get a little nasty in sections. "Epic" is a reasonable way to describe it. Regardless, the Puerto Rican weather gods must have thought this year's crop of riders was looking a little too fit, a little too ready, a little too clean and a little too dry at the starting line this morning, so they decided to pitch in and make the day a little epicer. They began with an evil morning deluge and some gnarly headwinds. Later they served up generous portions of heat, humidity and crosswinds.

The riders certainly noticed, but didn't seem to mind too much and devoured the course the same way they to do every year. In fact, all the Group C riders we watched climb Camino Nuevo made it look easy -- a little too easy for the likes of some of the more hard-hearted photographers who were secretly hoping for a little more drama to preserve in pictures.

At the end of the day, the pelotons arrived in Ponce. The were filthy (and possibly a bit stinky) but they were grinning from ear to ear as usual, 'cause that's how Vuelta riders roll! Time for a well-earned meal, massage, beer and a good night's sleep.

 

Day three of La Vuelta has a fair amount of climbing. While there are a few bigger hills, most of the elevation gain is dished out in the form of countless short, steep ascents and descents that are just too gnarly to be called rollers. Day three also features a lot of long stretches that hug the unspoiled coast and, of course, the triumphant return to Old San Juan.

Today we travel with Group B. Watching these riders attack the climbs (and on a few occasions, each other) it is clear that not every accomplished cyclists hangs out with Group A. We drive alongside the front of the peloton for several miles where we’re able to get in close enough to see, hear and even smell what it is like to be at the sharp end of the spear. From that vantage point it is easy to get a sense of the focus required to ride shoulder-to-shoulder and wheel-to-wheel as a single unit. The best way to describe it is intense.

All three groups come together in Dorado. The narrow downhill on the way out of town stretches the peloton as far as the eye can see. La Vuelta owns the highway on the way into the city and a moderately heavy rainstorm fails to dampen the spirits. A transformer on a power line explodes like cannon fire. The collective energy of the riders is simply more than it can handle.

The rolling roadblocks bring traffic to a halt and the peloton is free to devour the city streets unchallenged. Only the ancient walls of Old San Juan can stop the charge and once those walls are reached the outburst of emotion is overwhelming and as pure and beautiful as anything I’ve ever witnessed. These are not the same people who left San Juan on Friday. They are a family that shares an unbreakable bond. Even for hardcore endurance athletes, an event like this has the power to change lives and it usually does. In the end, that’s what La Vuelta is all about.

Everybody knows the best way to recover from a long hard ride is to follow up the next day with a nice easy spin. Day two is La Vuelta’s version of a short, leisurely trip (only 85 to 100 miles depending on the hotel).

Our day starts out with a spirited launch out of Ponce with a little time spent on the highway (complete peloton + a really professional police escort = a safe and fun early morning romp).  As the sun rises, the riders push through on the glassy smooth roads by miles of refineries. Riders are moving fast and not talkative. All you hear is the hum of the tires and the movement of the chain across the sprockets. Sounds like all sorts of sexy to me.

Breakfast is at an abandoned sugarcane factory in the middle of glorious nowhere. This is where the bunch splits. Today we shadowed the hammerheads – the elites. In a field of nearly 600 accomplished riders only 40 or so have what it takes to hang with this crew.

The road opens up, it’s show time, and I’ve got a front-row seat. The riders move into formation and suddenly I’m watching a scene I normally have to wait until July to enjoy. Speeds range from 25 to 35 mph for quite a while with a 5-minute stint at 40 (there was a bit of a tailwind and a slight downhill, but still). There’s a good reason these guys remind me of pros. A number of them used to be and a few more still are.

On and on we fly over smooth narrow roads through a rural setting that might as well be a thousand miles from frenetic San Juan. We stop to enjoy a few of the remote, pristine seaside towns that beckon to be savored. But our time is cut short and we’re on the road again and in no time we are warmly welcomed by the people of Mayaguez. 80 miles down and noon is still an hour away.

To all of my heroes in Group A, thanks for the memories and the inspiration. I’m dusting off my titanium hottie as soon as I get home. I won’t ride the same and I definitely won’t look the part, but I’m going to find a smooth patch of road and see how close I can come.

Tomorrow we hang out with Group B until the whole peloton joins together for the final push into San Juan. Magic.
 

There is something special about seeing the mass of Vuelta riders clip into their pedals as one and begin their journey in the pre-dawn hours. Nearly 600 small but blinding headlights illuminate the cobblestones in a most unusual but compelling way. The whistles of the lead riders sound and the peloton is rolling. This is no ordinary bike ride.

Even for the hammerheads at the head of Group A, the fast group that rides at speeds that come incredibly close to professional stage racers, day one is a tough day – at least I hope it is.

The breakfast stop this year was at the breathtaking El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo. In this case, when I say breathtaking, I mean exactly that because the resort sits at the top of a pretty impressive little climb. The view from the top made that little extra effort worth it. Two riders made the most of that view as they exchanged wedding vows in a ceremony that was short, sweet and a pleasure to witness.

After breakfast it was time to get serious and finish the journey to Camino Nuevo -- the surprisingly long and steep climb that starts at somewhere around mile 85. Last year I watched that group fly up this lung-buster and was amazed (and a little irritated at them for making it look so easy). This year I got to watch the folks at the back of the pack battle the beast. It was great fun to vicariously share the victory of a few individuals who struggled mightily up those brutal final pitches and conquered.

Congratulations to all!

La Vuelta Puerto Rico officially begins at O dark thirty tomorrow morning. But just try telling that to the eager beavers that showed up today for La Vuelta's prologue, the San Juan City Bike Tour. The morning was cool and a bit rainy, but no one seemed to care.

Today's journey featured city riding, cobblestones, ocean views and a few short but steep climbs that caught a few by surprise. But everyone showed up at the top grinning and ready for more. And more is what they'll get. Tomorrow is the long day -- 150 miles from San Juan to Ponce with a pretty good climb at mile 90. We'll see who's smiling at the top of that bad boy; chances are good it will be pretty much everyone.

I can't wait for tomorrow when the first person shouts "Puerto Ricooooooo!!!!" Once that happens, it's on.

The last few miles of La Vuelta were extremely exciting to watch. I can only imagine of what it must have felt like to be in the middle of the peleton as you sped through the city. Although most of you riders made this whole event look easy, I know it probably wasn’t, so congratulations on what you’ve just accomplished.

Being in one of the cars with the Vuelta staff, I heard lots of stories about people who had difficulties last year and came back this year to conquer. I love those stories.  I know that another rider, Bill Gifford from Bicycling Magazine, only found out he was coming to this event a few weeks ago. With very little time to train, Bill wasn’t expecting to finish the whole tour, but finish he did. Nice job, Bill!

Thanks to all of you for the inspiration. I can’t wait to get back to Oregon and start training for my own cycling season. If I’m going to be able to ride with you next year, I’ve got a lot of work to do.

It is sad that tensions between motorists and cyclists in the United States have been growing over the past few years.  Apparently Puerto Rican drivers haven’t gotten the memo because they showed La Vuelta riders a lot of courtesy on the road this week. And, while it might not have been obvious to the riders, some of those cars were stopped and sitting for several minutes waiting for the peloton to pass.

It was extremely satisfying to look at drivers stopped in the middle of the first day’s climb. Most of them had big smiles and genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves. Instead of getting upset at the disruption, they seemed to delight in the fact that, for a moment, they were able to be a part of this great event.

Since nearly half of the riders in this event live in Puerto Rico, it got me thinking: is the reason motorists treat cyclists with respect because there are so many strong riders here, or are there so many strong riders here because motorists treat cyclists with respect? Is it because cycling is more accepted as a spectator sport? Or does living in paradise just make it easier for people to stop and smell the roses?

Every year I watch every minute of the Tour de France. In fact, during the month of July, I let most every other commitment I have slide. Often I wonder what it might be like to ride along in a team car. Sadly, I know this will never happen. However, today, YOU made this dream close enough to being a reality that I'm truly happy. The (sort of) closed roads, the cars driving in the wrong lane, the motorcycles with photographers on the back zipping from place to place and people shouting in languages I do not understand set the backdrop.

But it was the sight of your beautiful peloton -- the way you moved, the bikes you rode and the uniforms you wore -- that made it totally convincing. And, when you hit the climb, I saw those things Bob and Phil talk about year after year. I saw you reach into your suitcases of courage. I saw you dance on the pedals. I saw you fly. It was amazing. To those who may have been struggling today, I say "congratulations" because you wouldn't have known it by looking at you. To all of you a hearty thanks for helping me live my dream -- if only in my mind.

Today more than 30 riders kicked off the 2010 festivities with an early morning breakfast at the Caficultura cafe in Old San Juan. The coffee was flowing, the breakfast delicious and the excitement palpable. At 7:05 the sun was up and the ride got underway. The peloton worked its way through the capitol city with purpose. Riders were treated to the beautiful cobblestone streets of the old city, the campus of the University of Puerto Rico, the financial district of Hato Rey and the pristine beaches of Ocean Park.

Tomorrow this group will join with the other 420 riders for the official start of La Vuelta. The 148 mile ride from Old San Juan to Ponce is the most challenging day of the tour, but, if today is any indication, the riders are more than ready.