My husband and I went to Sacramento for the Tour of California for the prologue and stage 1. We arrive early and I instantly turned into a bike groupie. Under my husbands guidance, I set out to procure as many autographs as possible. First score, I get Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin, and Greg Hummer. I can’t tell you how excited I am! We devise a strategy to intercept the riders as they leave their team car. I see a Black suv drive up with Floyd Landis in the front passenger seat. A small group of us, 4-5 people, cluster around the car. Floyd rolls down the window. I hear someone say, “Floyd do you know Patrick Dempsey?” I turn to my left, lean back, and snap a photo of McDreamy standing right next to me. What do I do next you ask? I’m torn and caught completely off guard. Do I get Floyd’s autograph or make a fool of myself in front of Patrick Dempsey? I could have professed my love for Patrick through my devoted following of Grey’s anatomy. I could have told him how I have cut out his Bicycling magazine cover and taped it on my mirror in my bathroom. You might expect this behavior from someone younger, but I am in my mid 40s with a husband and kids. I know that Patrick would probably have been gracious, smiled at me, signed an autograph, and maybe posed for a photo with me. What did I do? I went for Floyd’s autograph and snapped a photo as the car drove away. Am I an idiot or what??? I will constantly live with the disappointment with this missed opportunity. On the positive side, I also got autographs from Fabian Cancellara (he is fine!!), Frank Schleck, Jason McCartney, Bobby Jullic, and Eki. No, I did not get Lance’s autograph. I also missed snapping a photo of him as he rode past me after warming up on the course. I’m a double idiot!! Thought this would amuse you. Let me know what you think.
You mean like this?
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5940928&id=595830044&l=f8b66
All pics from the day are here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=221908&id=595830044&l=f8b66
PD was super nice to everyone, signing autographs, posing for pictures, and even talking to one guy’s wife on the phone.
And yes, Fab is FAB!!!
clm