More than bikes jockey for position on course

SAN JOSE -- Each intersection is blocked off by police cars, highway patrolmen or tape.

Every turn is well-marked, and manned by flagmen.

Guiding the Amgen Tour of California riders through the 102.7-mile journey from Modesto to San Jose was no fewer than 50 vehicles -- cars with writers, motorcycles carrying photographers, vans carrying tour sponsors and wildly painted cars and support vehicles for each of the 17 teams competing in the race.

Each vehicle is connected by radio, with an announcer keeping the entire race party up-to-date on the progress of the race, including any attempt by a rider or group to break away from the pack.

Each announcement was made first in English, then French -- the official language of international cycling.

There was one mistake caught by very few. As the entourage passed down Carpenter Road and passed between two freshly-blossoming almond orchards, the announcer dutifully came on the radio to identify the "olive fields."

THE OTHER RACE -- Driving the course is not an easy matter. Cars and motorcycles have to follow a strict protocol of following and trailing the riders, of dropping back and pulling ahead to allow media coverage while keeping a safe distance.

Driving one of the media cars with skill was Steve Higg, who won gold and silver in pursuit cycling at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Higg, 44, manages his own racing team and is looking to qualify it for future Tour of California events, but for now he said he enjoys working the races.

LOCAL SURVIVORS -- Amgen, the race's title sponsor, is honoring cancer survivors at every stop of this year's Tour as part of its "Breakaway from Cancer" program.

At the Modesto stop, breast cancer survivor Rita Grodt of Modesto had the honor of firing the starting gun, while Sam Dickerson, a colon cancer survivor, rode in one of the VIP cars from start to finish.

Dickerson, an assistant director of parks and recreation in Modesto, was a star wide receiver at USC.

Bee staff writer Brian VanderBeek can be reached at bvanderbeek@modbee.com or 578-2300.