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?