La Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay

160 professional cyclists came flying into Montevideo yesterday in the final stage of the 10 day Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay. It was the 66th Vuelta and was won for the first time by an American*. That American was Scott Zwizanski of the Minnesota based Kelly Benefits Strategies team.

A Uruguayan team won the team award.

Cesar and I drove to Montevideo to see the finish. We claimed an early handhold on the roadside barrier so we could see the racers on their final sprint to the finish. Then we watched the crowd fill in around us. People watching was almost as much fun as watching the race. Most people were drinking mate. Pretty girls representing large companies, like Claro, were handing out balloons and other advertising freebies. Hawkers sold trinkets, flags and peanuts to the spectators. Spectator does not seem an apt word to describe those waiting to see the race though. When the peloton whizzes past at 35mph, there really isn’t much to see besides a quick blur of color. Then it’s over. The fun was the building anticipation of when the peloton would make its appearance.

So there we stood, taking pictures of the crowd, admiring the architecture, and watching the race officials try to keep the course clear of people. The crowd grew and grew. Then a buzz seemed to swell among the waiting crowd - they were coming. First a long stream of support and marketing vehicles came plowing through, honking their horns and waving to the crowd. Then came the motorcycle escorts and finally the mad crush of riders. At this point in a stage race, the race is pretty much already won, baring any accidents.

Coming into the final stage, Zwizanski had a 59 second lead. This may not sound like a lot, but it is an insurmountable lead to overcome in a single stage. His job on this day was to maintain his lead while staying away from any accidents. His teammates were there to make sure that happened and to help catapult him into the lead group of riders nearing the end of the race. When a group of riders comes across the finish line in a big bunch as they did in this race, they are all given the same time - the 59 seconds held.

The awards ceremony was a bit jumbled and done in no particular order. When they finally got to Zwizanski, he looked a little confused. You would be too if you had to stand exhausted and completely spent on a stage where everyone was talking in a different language. I imagined him thinking, “just get me back to the hotel for an ice bath and massage, damnit”! He was especially confused when they gave him not one but two huge trophies.

Kelly’s other squad won in the Tour of Thailand.

* The term American technically could be applied to any person from North, Central or South America. However, people from the United States also use it to describe themselves as being from the United States of America. It is in this sense that I use it here.