Tour of Utah

Before I married Ryan I had no idea that there was an actual pro sport called cycling. Where there are pros and sponsors and endorsements and everything that goes along with other pro sports. I knew there was biking in the Olympics, but beyond that, I thought riding bikes was just something you did for fun or exercise. I had never heard of the Tour de France.


For Ryan there is really no other sport that holds a candle to cycling. He raced in high school, and served his mission in Paris France, where he got to see The Tour de France in person.

So 13 years later I am becoming a little better versed in cycling. I am still not very good at remembering names and who is on what team, but I can tell you how it works, who won some of the major races, and also some of the scandals around the sport.

Four years ago one of Ryan's favorites came to ride in the Tour of Utah. So Ryan, Emily and his parents went to watch a stage. Every year after that more and more of the pros have been coming to race. This year was the best yet. There were quite a few names racing that I hear all the time during the big races. So Ryan tried to go to as many stages as he could.

I joined him on Friday for the time trail out at the Larry Miller Sports Park. We got pictures of all of the pros, and a few of the domestics. Here are a couple that I can recognize on my own now.

This is George Hincapie, He has been a favorite of Ryan's for a long time now. He came last year too, but only road the first stage. This year he stayed for the entire race.

This is Dave Zabriskie. Ryan thought the kids would like his Captain America gear, but we couldn't talk the kids into coming to the race. That was okay. It was a fun date.

This is Levi Leipheimer. He rides for team Radio Shack which used to be team Us Postal Service. He came last year without his team and ended up winning the Tour of Utah. This year he came with his team.

Ryan thought it was funny that one of the biggest teams at the race rented an RV instead of bringing their big tour bus.

Levi claimed the Yellow Jersey on Friday at the time trial. and he won the Tour of Utah for the second year in a row.

Ryan went to the Saturday stage with his mom and dad, and really debated going to watch the final stage on Sunday, but he ended up skipping it. I know he was a little sad that he did, because Cadel Evans, winner of the 2011 Tour de France, was at the finish line.

I always have fun going to the race with Ryan, but the fun part is not the race. It is watching Ryan at something he loves.