Long day. Long stage. Long transfer from Tybee Island to the start in Statesboro. The big excitement at the start was Trek / Marco Polo’s RV clogging up the start line. They tried to follow the team cars on opening neutral laps around the small south Georgia town when they found themselves stuck under the start line truss. Banner too low, RV too tall. The front end of the race caravan (about 25 police, media, judges) cars and motorcycles can to a halt while the cyclist started to catch up from behind. Doh! Marco Polo was fined 200 Swiss Franc for “failing to respect instructions of the race organization” as it said in the results communique this evening. A little consolation for them though, as their rider Rhys Pollock was award the Most Agressive Rider of the Day award for being in the break all day. The race did come back together by the end and CSC’s JJ Haedo took the bunch sprint. The final drama of the day was waiting for the officials to determine who would receive the Best Young Rider Jersey for the day. It’s a competition for riders under a certain age. Tyler Farrar, Team Slipstream, and Nicholas Sanderson, Jelly Belly, were in a virtual tie with the tie breaker being the sum of their GC placing for the last two days. Farrar flatted close to the end yesterday and finished 119th, so he lost. However, we were told by the judges that Farrar had won. He was qued up and ready to go on the award stage when I got the word that he was not the winner. I had to pull him back at the last moment and give him the news. Let’s just say he was less that professional and acted younger than his young rider category. More like some grade-schoolers I’ve scene on the playground.

We are working on a new podcast… really. The other John is supposed to come to the race tomorrow and we may even do a little podcasting tonight. In the meantime, a few pics from yesterday and today.

Hot off the presses. Steve Baker, Hincapie Sportswear, produces the daily leader jerseys for us. Here’s Dominguez’s ready to go for stage 2.

SRM SRAM. Very nice. Belongs to the Marco Polo team.

It’s not all hard work. Here I am departing for a little Tour de Tybee Island with Race Dircector, Jim Birrell, Mari Holden, and Kevin Livingston. Check out the sweet Missing Saddle kit.

We followed the break for a bit today. Here is Toyota United’s Justin England going it alone.