DAY ONE
I started taking my own bike trips to the Alps and the Dolomites with my good friend Jay back in 1986. I’ve been coming back nearly every year. This time it’s trip number 30-something and it’s just as good as it

This past February I was invited to join MASH and drive a support vehicle for the team as they embarked, unofficially, on the Tour of California route on track bikes.

Yes: fixed-gear, no brakes on the same climbs and descents as the pro peloton.

If I wasn’t there to witness it for myself, I might not have believed it happened. These guys punished themselves every single day...sometimes ending a stage by streetlights...returning to economy hotel rooms without a massage or a catered

The MASH crew gets started each day around two or three hours ahead of the peloton. Half of the days they’ve gotten caught and move to the side of the road...the other half they’ve crossed the finish line first and watched the pros come across just after them. While there haven’t been many spectators around in the morning when we get started...on a few of the days there have been small crews of guys on track bikes hoping for an opportunity to meet the guys. It has been good to see these

Eight seconds. That’s all that separated Dave Zabriskie from stripping Levi Leipheimer of a third consecutive victory at the Solvang Time Trial. It was a true tour de force. All in all, the Garmin-Slipstream team is holding up extremely well.

Today was a well deserved day of rest for the MASH crew. They got to sleep in and take it easy. They were able to catch up with the Slipstream guys at their team bus and share tales of the Tour thus far.

Then, when the crowds were gone and

Today’s stage was a relatively flat one up until the end where there were a couple of climbs and then a bunch of rolling hills. Had a desolate feeling to it.

Got an early start and as a result the entire MASH squad made it to the finish in Paso Robles ahead of the peloton. Its always nice when things work out that way. That way the boys can all pull up on the side of the road, crack a beer (I mean, uh, rehydrate and stretch) and watch the pros finish their stage.

I attempted to