71 replies to this topic

[old soldier]

Totally agreed with you... until I saw a BATTALION of CHP out there this morning. I hope Amgen paid for that. There were probably about 50 people around me, and we were ALL commenting on how much that CHP presence was costing us. It's not just the luncatic fringe.

The CHP did look like they were having a good time, so that was nice.

I saw the race and when it came by me the CHP folks were in the lead. They were older than the cycle folks but had the advantage of motors on their bikes where the young lads had to peddle

[Dave Burrell]

That was interesting to see. A lot of folks turned out for it all over town, very cool.

Here's a few photos and a video I shot.

This is the guy who was far in the front (first place) coming up Riley (at Sutter Middle School)



The first pack of riders (far ahead of the bulk of the riders)



Video of the main group of riders and then all their support cars following them

[supermom]

Does everything have to involve a cost/benefit analysis? Can't we just have something cool every once in awhile without worrying about the economic impact?

yes..it does. I have to pay to enter the public park on rennaisance days. Or jazz festivals. And I pay city taxes for services and good that pay to keep those festivals running.

Why aren't gigantic biker races paying to use public roads at the nuisance to the public useage?

Let me put it this way.

Someone told me that the AMGEN is a qualifier race for the Tour de France. A huge money pit. Lots of corporate sponsors.

Are you saying that you wouldn't be interested in a trade if it was offered? Say, use of our roads and police as security, and fire and ambulance on standby: in exchange for a portion of that road be re-tarred by one of those sponsors? To help cut back on our spending for this year?

Yes! I think in money terms when I see the ridiculous amount of money being wasted in lean times. Why not be responsible in sponsoring a little bit of fun?

[john]

http://www.youtube.com/embed/TTU2WzzvSfg

[folsom500]

yes..it does. I have to pay to enter the public park on rennaisance days. Or jazz festivals. And I pay city taxes for services and good that pay to keep those festivals running.

Why aren't gigantic biker races paying to use public roads at the nuisance to the public useage?

Let me put it this way.

Someone told me that the AMGEN is a qualifier race for the Tour de France. A huge money pit. Lots of corporate sponsors.

Are you saying that you wouldn't be interested in a trade if it was offered? Say, use of our roads and police as security, and fire and ambulance on standby: in exchange for a portion of that road be re-tarred by one of those sponsors? To help cut back on our spending for this year?

Yes! I think in money terms when I see the ridiculous amount of money being wasted in lean times. Why not be responsible in sponsoring a little bit of fun?

How much money do you think this section through Folsom is costing ? I would imagine not very much.
I am sure that the CHP escorts as well as standby Red Cross helicopters are being paid by the race organizers and most of the rest of the support groups are volunteers...

I also surmise that the local taxpayer outlay for local support is less than one day of keeping you safe from the drunks and other bad guys that our Folsom PD deal with.

I would also take issue with your comment about the riders are creating "the nuisance to the public useage?" of the roads- I have yet to hear of any negative comments here nor anywhere else that has held a portion of this race in the many years that is has been held ...

This race is NOT a qualifying race for the Tour De France but is a stand alone race on the circuit and is currently rated at #4 of all the world wide races of this type...

You might also check out the tours web page and understand their mission and other activities to help raise awareness and offer charity to cancer related research... Many of the stages even have a charity run of the bikes ... see the pages below...
You can start here and go from there... http://www.amgentour...Tour/about.html

If you do not support the cause nor the efforts of the Amgentourofcalifornia-- I feel sorry for you ...
A few dollars spent goes a long ways ...

Live video of the race starting at 1:50 today at http://shacktracker....california.com/

Cheers
F500

[cw68]

Does everything have to involve a cost/benefit analysis? Can't we just have something cool every once in awhile without worrying about the economic impact?

Nope, and you can't study something just because it's interesting and might make you smarter. It must translate into higher income or you're a loser, you wasted your time and money, and that degree from Harvard means nothing because prison guards make more money than you.

[supermom]

How much money do you think this section through Folsom is costing ? I would imagine not very much.
I am sure that the CHP escorts as well as standby Red Cross helicopters are being paid by the race organizers and most of the rest of the support groups are volunteers...

I also surmise that the local taxpayer outlay for local support is less than one day of keeping you safe from the drunks and other bad guys that our Folsom PD deal with.

I would also take issue with your comment about the riders are creating "the nuisance to the public useage?" of the roads- I have yet to hear of any negative comments here nor anywhere else that has held a portion of this race in the many years that is has been held ...

This race is NOT a qualifying race for the Tour De France but is a stand alone race on the circuit and is currently rated at #4 of all the world wide races of this type...

You might also check out the tours web page and understand their mission and other activities to help raise awareness and offer charity to cancer related research... Many of the stages even have a charity run of the bikes ... see the pages below...
You can start here and go from there... http://www.amgentour...Tour/about.html

If you do not support the cause nor the efforts of the Amgentourofcalifornia-- I feel sorry for you ...
A few dollars spent goes a long ways ...

Live video of the race starting at 1:50 today at http://shacktracker....california.com/

Cheers
F500

That--is a terrible response. You feel sorry for me because I think the event is a public nuisance for roadways? You don't hear people complaining? I guarantee you, if I am, there are a lot more who are complaining. I am hardly, intolerant, but I would garner to say there are many who have much less patience than I.

Hell yeah, it's a public nuisance. the roadways are for public use. And when these exhibition events happen it takes away from the rights of people who have paid their taxes to use those roads any day of the week that they choode to use them. They have a right to drive on those roads because they have paid their gosh darned registration, tags, and license fees. Huh, maybe I should sue Folsom for a loss...

Further...We all know cancer sucks. Hell the cancer society even has tried to trademark the phrase. (oh, and I have lost several people in my family to cancer, one just very-very recently...But that doesn't mean it doesn't piss me off to think that gathering "awareness" should include butting people off public roads for several hours, spending public resources we can't afford...and think I am going to be happy about that..while the county and several cities in the local area are laying people off...in droves.. because of budget issues.)

But the fact is, we are in a depression. and it is not just CHP being used in these events. Lots of public stuff being used. I wasn't even counting the helicopters and vehicles that are sponsor driven and owned or operated. I was talking purely about city, county, state.

Its a shame your response to my comment about trying to recuperate financial loss from this, is to try to make me look like an unfeeling or shamed person by saying you feel sorry for me or I don't know about cancer.

Check your facts. I just lost a family member a few months ago.

I still think our city has taken on a financial loss.
How many cops were pulled off duty, days in advance, to put out those electronic road signs, how many hours were used to move barriers out there?
How many homes will have been burglarized, cars stolen, DUI's, heroin deals and other crap will have happened while our finest are scraping barriers across intersections?

What would happen if a family was to be burglarized and a family member killed in folsom during one of these televised racing events that folsom loves so much? And then the family sues because all the law enforcement are purportedly tied up in crowd control or intersection traffic duty? I say purportedly, because we all know that the law enforcement community can not know in advance who will committ a crime. The point is...The perspective. And the precedence. Like a door mat that says Welcome, Come all ye criminals.
I actually feel bad for the cops on days like this. Making them work overtime (which we pay for).

Whatever, go ahead. make me look like a money grubber. We just don't have enough resources out there for this crap, anymore. we have laid off all our extra coppers. and fire. and public works (s--- we can't even get someone to cut the weeds down in the center divider on blue ravine...our City never had weeds growing like that, before!) Face it, Folsom 500. We are broke.
Yeah, I think we should be charging for them using our roads.

[ducky]

So should we cancel all the parades we have in town, too?
Are they a public nuisance?
I know my answer would be no.

Supermom, we have had weeds growing on medians and sides of the road before. In the past, I remember seeing prison work crews cleaning them up. I don't know why they don't do that still instead of spraying expensive chemicals on them which get washed into the gutters and then into the streams & river.

[chris v]

Seriously, just stop. The rhetoric is tired. Do you not know how to have fun? $hit.

[Ahnold]

I heard on the news the other day that the cities that host these stages (either start or end) see some pretty nice economic boosts. For example, last year Sacramento estimated a $10 million economic boost just by having a stage end there. Similarly, I heard South Lake Tahoe estimated they lost $3 million by having Stage 1 cancelled this year. So for those of you on this board that seem fixated on the cost of the event, perhaps we need to look into what economic boost we enjoyed by having it come through town, and see what we can do to make ourselves a host city in the future.

Personally, I thought it was an incredible spectacle to come through town and well worth a little bit of waiting until they were past.

[WolfMom]

Okay folks! We have Amgen in Folsom covered! We have a blog and pictures posted here! (We even snuck up a pic of our own Steve Heard. Muwhahahaaa!!!!) http://grovetribe.bl...kes-splash.html

Even the rain couldn't dampen our spirits! It was a lot of fun!

[old soldier]

maybe old supermom has a point. old soldier drove home real slow and waited long at stoplights cause he knew all the police and motorcycle police were on the race and not hiding out to capture violators. the motorcyle cops from folsom looked antcy because they couldn't go to their favorite hiding places

if supermom or anybody who was upset aout the race and closing of the streets they could have driven on the course and been arrested, lort of like what those peace demonstrators did in the old days.

[john]

Wolfmom, can I publish this? I am putting together some pics throughout the day.
Anyone else that has pix (or video), please send them to me at webmaster (at) myfolsom dot com

[Ray]

Third Amgen I've been to in three years, I love watching these guys. I even went home and watched the full stage on Versus as well, they had some shots of Folsom when they covered the Sprints of the day.

Here are some of my shots from the day:

Andy Schleck and Team Leopard:


Ben Swift - Young strong rider, and leader after previous Stage 2:


Levi Leipheimer:


Jan Barta leading the Breakaway:


Matt Goss - HTC:


Heading out Riley:

[WolfMom]

Wolfmom, can I publish this? I am putting together some pics throughout the day.
Anyone else that has pix (or video), please send them to me at webmaster (at) myfolsom dot com

Sure, that would be fine. (Maybe you could sneak in a mention or link of the blog?)

Third Amgen I've been to in three years, I love watching these guys. I even went home and watched the full stage on Versus as well, they had some shots of Folsom when they covered the Sprints of the day.

Here are some of my shots from the day:

Andy Schleck and Team Leopard:


Ben Swift - Young strong rider, and leader after previous Stage 2:


Levi Leipheimer:


Jan Barta leading the Breakaway:


Matt Goss - HTC:


Heading out Riley:

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome shots! We have a rinky dink point-n-shoot so we can't get the beautiful quality like these! I can smell the sweat, hear the grunts of effort and feel the strain of maxed out muscles! Thanks for posting these!