Un-Edited PROOF PHOTOS This was my 5th year shooting Amgen CA. This year the tour had two spots on our Central Coast. Setting up at a spot, waiting an hour or two, chatting with others along the route, making new friends and the anticipation of the world class athletes riding by is so exciting. Then literally in a few seconds, woosh, it's over! I shot this morning near Orcutt, I watched with a really nice CHP officer and woosh, it was over in seconds, but yesterday afternoon I was set up in Morro Bay and wow, something you never want to see, a large pileup. It happened in an instant, a few moments of total pandemonium. Some riders missed it. Some picked up their bikes and continued on. There were others whose bikes were damaged and Amgen Pit Crew quickly provided a new bike and they were off. There were some cuts and bruises on elbows and legs, but amazingly to watch, all this took less time that in took me to type what happened. However as all the bikes cleared out, one rider was still down on the ground. I stood there and felt a knot in my stomach. He had some small cuts and scrapes, but he wasn't getting up. After about 5 minutes, they sat him up and everyone around cheered. A few minutes later he was taken away by ambulance. I don't know who it was. The Amgen Crew stayed by his side until the ambulance put him on a gurney and drove him away. I pray he wasn't hurt badly. When you look at the photos of the pileup closely you'll see Tejay van Garderen was right in the middle of it as well. He had a bad day in another crash outside Cambria, then riding into the dirt at the turn at South Bay Boulevard and then in this pileup. With blood running down his leg, he was back in the race almost immediately and he retained a yellow leader jersey! Pogacar Tadej 'Pogi' won the overall race, youngest winner every of the Tour of CA! One of his teammates also crashed seconds before the end of the race. I don't recall ever seeing so many crashes, hopefully they are all ok. Overall, the Amgen Tour is just
exciting stuff! Can't wait for next year.


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