How It Began - Part 4 (The End)

Vuelta de California

2003 was the next big step forward. I worked the Tour of Georgia as a motor marshal. What a thrill to head down the mountains on their wonderful windy roads at full speed knowing the superb Georgia State Patrol had completely shut down the roads. Even the most experienced members of our crew had never seen such outstanding road closures, certainly not in the first year of a race.

The rest of the season was busy as every year had become. I promoted my own stage race, the Millionaires' Row Stage Race, in Williamsport for the second year. It was a critical success much loved by the riders but a financial flop.

In September I returned to San Francisco for another running of their race. I don't think any other race I'd attended had the fan support that race had. It was a good thing I always carried that striped jersey. I was an official in the women's race.

On the day after the race I had a meeting in Sacramento with a lobbying firm that my company had engaged to sign the engagement contract. I met with Darius Anderson, the founder of Platinum Advisors, one of California's most successful lobbying firms. In the course of our very short meeting Darius asked how long I'd been in California and what else I had been doing. When I told him I'd been there to officiate the San Francisco race, he exploded.

“I love bicycle racing. I got so excited watching the Tour in July, my wife and I jumped on a plane to watch the end of the Tour. Why can't we have a race like that here?”

I smiled and said “All it takes is money and political will.”

“Political will is no problem.” he said. “How much money?” I could see the wheels were turning.

“About a $1 million a day.” I answered.

“Doable.” he replied.

He was late for an appointment. We shook hands and I promised to send him a two-page overview of what a Tour of California might look like.

He got it within the week.

I heard nothing until February. Darius called me one evening in early February to discuss my overview. His main concern was would the pro racers come. He asked if my team and I could come to San Francisco to meet with him. We agreed on Presidents Day weekend. Now I needed a team.

Kirk was already interested and I called Rob Hendrick who had recently left PCT as a sponsor/host city liaison. Both were available to make the trip.

We worked intensely for the next two weeks developing a suggested race itinerary, a budget, timetable/implementation plan and target date for the first start, the last Friday in April, 2006. We also tentatively named the race the Vuelta de California in keeping with California's Spanish beginnings.

The meeting went well. Darius asked for some time to set up his timeline for raising the sponsorship money. By mid-May Kirk and I were authorized to travel to California to set up the courses, do site photography and to begin discussions with local municipal entities and stakeholders.

While Kirk and I were doing the operational side of the project, the financial side was stalled. There were three other groups trying to do the same thing with different levels of resources. That confusion stalled all sponsorship development.

By late October, Darius decided he was finished. We asked permission to work with some other people and Darius wished us well. Kirk introduced me to David Kalman of Shadetree Sports.

David had been involved in the Tour de Trump/Tour DuPont from the very beginning. Together with Greg Lemond and Darach McQuaid, he had formed Shadetree Sports to promote bicycle racing. Our first telephone call was supposed to last ten minutes. An hour later we hung up and David decided to make a last-ditch try to find a sponsor.

While he was not successful, it was the start of a great friendship. In 2005, I met Darach at the Tour of Georgia where I was a motor marshal and he was a VIP car driver. We too became friends.

Over the past few years we have worked on a number of projects. Some are on the back burner and others continue. My task has been to provide race route concepts that meet a potential sponsor's objectives while meeting the sporting requirements of a professional bicycle race.

When Darach and David developed and closed the Tour of Ireland project, many years of hard work were to be rewarded. I had no involvement other than cheerleading them and was stunned in April when David called and asked why I hadn't responded to my invitation to work the event. I said I hadn't received an invitation. He responded with obvious humor, “I don't think you understand, you haven't accepted your invitation to work the Tour of Ireland.”

Duh! “I ACCEPT!” I bellowed into the phone. He told me that he and Darach wanted me there but they weren't sure what my job would be. They were quite emphatic that I would not be on a motorcycle since about 150 Irishmen wanted that job and since I was not an International Commissaire (official) I knew that was not in the cards, but I didn't care. I was going to an international pro bicycle race as part of the inner circle.

In mid-July, David called to tell me it was official. I had an assignment. I was designated Press Pilot 2 and ranked right behind Graham Watson's driver. Watson, for those who don't recognize his name, is the premier bicycle race photographer in the world. His driver is always Press Pilot 1. Again I was stunned, not only was I going to the Tour of Ireland, but I was going to drive a press photographer on a new BMW motorcycle for the week. It is the best job in bicycle racing.

So that is the long story about why I catch a plane to Dublin tomorrow. I'm still not sure why me but I'm glad it is. Thanks to all of you taught me what I needed to know to get to this level in cycling.