2014 ATOC: Audentes fortuna adiuvat

The 2014 Amgen Tour of California has been blessed with some terrific stage finishes this year (I guess there is nothing unusual about that), finishes in which Fortune indeed did favor the bold, or the brave, as the case may be. First came the late race charge of Rohan Dennis atop Mt. Diablo at the end of stage three. Will Routley's win at Cambria on stage four, was not quite in the same bold move category, but it is not every day the Polka Dot Jersey wearer wins a flat out sprint. As good as those were, the best thus far must be Taylor Phinney's very bold move at the end of yesterday's fifth stage into Santa Barbara. Phinney, while descending San Marcos Pass, had twenty kilometers still to race when he went on the attack,  and was able to hold off the charge from the field. What a great escape, and certainly reminiscent of some of the moves of a certain Jens Voigt.

Best of all, when it came time for the post win interview, and podium appearance, Phinney donned, not a baseball-style cap, but a cycling cap. Chapeau, indeed. How to wear a cycling cap: Taylor Phinney.

this photo, and others, from the Santa Barbara Independent

I haven't really been into the whole UCI race scene this year, but these three stage finishes at the ATOC have me looking forward to the weekend's final three stages. I hope to be at Mountain High today, or somewhere along the final climb through Big Pine Canyon, a climb which may lead to another one of those bold finishes.