The logistics of moving from city to city, navigating the rural roads of the North Georgia Mountains, and finding a spot where you could see the riders for more than a few seconds (all while battling 750,000 other spectators looking to do the same thing) were definitely challening.

If you do not like the weather in Georgia, drive a few miles! Seriously, we endured a hail storm and brutal rain at Woody Gap on Friday, weathered light snow and sleet on Hogpen Gap on Saturday, and received a sun and wind burns on Sunday in Alpharetta.

The Good News: I set a personal high-speed record of 42.7 mph!

The Bad News: I set a personal low-speed record by averaging 5 mph for over an hour.

It is absolutely amazing how fast these guys are and how close they ride together! Seriously, you just have to witness it!

The impact is even more striking when you have ridden the same section of road a few hours earlier.

After spending an hour or two to navigate the rural mountain roads and arriving several hours early to claim a good spot, the cyclists all pass by within 10 minutes. Afterwards, the roads remain closed until the course is cleared. In the interim, you hang out! (Sounds bad, but I had a blast hanging out with my Dad & watching the bike race).

After the race, the professional cyclists are just like any other rider. They relax, take in some fluids, grab a bite to eat, joke around with their teammates, and talk about the ride. I could not believe how accessible they were and enjoyed talking to several of the riders.