Race officials for the Amgen Tour of California are asking that highway artists limit their endeavors to chalk this year; no paint.
That's a shame. Here's a picture of some road grafitti from last year's Tour of California on Sierra Road. When cyclists pass over it on Stage 3 this year, it might be one of the few mentions of Floyd Landis, the winner of the 2006 Tour.
(Note: Landis will sign autographs at lifestyle festivals set up at each stage. He's representing the Smith and Nephew company that developed his successful hip surgery; he wasn't contacted to participate in any official way by the AEG tour owners.)
While fans like to paint the names of their favorite cyclists on the roads, a tradition quite in evidence at the Tour de France, Medalist Sports officials told VeloNews that local governments don't like it. In fact, it's one of their major complaints when the race organizers are seeking permits to use the roads.
Medalist Sports technical director Chuck Hodge told VeloNews:
“Be creative with your signage …. But please be considerate of people in the community. They are there the next day, once the race is gone, and we're not.”
The Tour of California begins at 1 p.m. Sunday in San Francisco. The 1.9-mile time trial takes cyclists from the Ferry Building to Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill. Last year, Levi Leipheimer won the prologue; he's back again this year but at the helm of the Discovery Channel team.
Photo by naotoj at flickr.com
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