From the thousands of dedicated spectators, to the thousands cheering from home using tour tracker, the Exergy Tour was by far the biggest and best race I have ever been apart of. The Exergy Tour is a top notch international bike race, and did I mention it is women's only? The organization, the volunteers, the officials, the whole Exergy staff, and announcers (Dave Towle and Connie Carpender). Everything about this race is outstanding!!! Yes, 3 exclimation marks; that is how amazing this race is.
The picture above is one dedicated fan, dressed like Nacho Libre and his 8-year old side kick. I am on the far right. (idahostatesman.com)
More fans on the side of the road. This guy painted himself red and he is wearing a thong; he dressed up like a devil. Plus he also has a side kick dressed in an oreange speedo.
Thanks Lyne Lamoureux from
http://www.podiuminsight.com/ she covered all of the stages with amazing pictures, interviews, and a major supporter in women's cycling, traveling to tell the world about our racing!
Roger the massager came all the way from Dallas, TX to help Emily (our swanny) with all of the massaging! It was his first go round at being a swanny, and he did great!
The NOW clan!
Above, Robin tells the audience what my job is on the team: get bottles, and get up to change the channels on the TV, because our remote control was broken. Thanks RF :)
The characters on our team.
Thanks to the BYRDS Junior Cycling Team and Grace Alexander for cheering us on the final stage! They wrote "Go Addy" on one of the climbs.... it made me ride faster!
The tour tracker was AMAZING! Showing results instantly, live video of the race, pictures, commentary and much more. Everyone in the world was watching thatnks to the Tour Tracker!
After the final stage, we went to a Rodeo on Chicken Dinner road. It was a celebration dinner for a very successful tour! They had mechanical bull riding and you could enjoy a ride on a horse!
Beth won the most aggressive jersey on the first stage for on amazing break from the field! Which can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKNTqsoHzKs she goes so fast, if you blink, you might miss her!
That's a lot of fans! Thanks Idaho!
Another random shot of our clan!
Kids from a local school in Nampa, ID got to miss 10 minutes of class to cheer for us! I'm pretty sure it was the loudest screaming anyone has ever heard!
This is my favorite shot by Brian Black Hodes of VeloImages. The race and Idaho's famous crop: the potato.
Top 10 amazing moments of the Exergy Tour:
10- Getting a present every night after finishing a stage.
9- Racing past a shooting a range in the country and hear all the Euros scream and Ina Yoko- Teutenberg saying "God bless America!"
8- Making it to the start line on the final stage. There were 118 women started and the final stage had 69 starters.... I was 69th #proud.
7- Watching Kristin Armstrong crash, break her collar bone, and she still finished 11th place on the prologue!
6- Beth taking home the most aggressive jersey and Alison Powers was 5th overall on GC
5- Going to a Rodeo on the last day and getting massive Exergy Tour bedazzled belt buckles
4- Seeing hundreds of dedicated fans cheer for us in the freezing cold and rainy stages (stages 1 and 2)
3- The fly over of the jets to start off the final stage on Memorial day.
2- Participating in the inaugural Exergy Tour. Potentially the best stage race in the world AND it's on American soil.
1- Talking with Amber Neben, world champion, Olympian, and Christian. Over the past couple of months, I have been doing a lot of praying to find a Christian mentor in cycling. God has answered my prayers and it's a very powerful feeling! To follow her along, visit her website:
http://amberneben.com/ Check out her Dare To Be project, were she donates bikes to homeless children!
I feel so honored and blessed to have been able to participate in this race! I can't wait for more opportunities to compete in this race in the future!
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