Feb 18, Monday - With the short Prologue behind them, riders got on with the real business of racing as they rode out from Sausalito, which is located just north of San Francisco, and headed up the coast toward a waiting throng of fans in Santa Rosa, home of Levi Leipheimer and the late Charles Schulz. The city has developed a deserved reputation of being the most enthusiastic host city in the T of C, and on a Monday morning and afternoon they didn't disappoint. Even the cloud cover which kept conditions very cool for most of the day couldn't deter them. The city was rewarded for their continued, zealous support of the T of C with a finishing three-lap circuit instead of a more typically straight run-in. When the peloton passed, the atmosphere gave me goosebumps. A women's pro circuit race, a youth race, and other special events entertained the crowd before the big boys hit town. It was somewhat of an eye-opener for me as it provided a very strong measure of the extent of the bicycle culture in California. I confess that it made me more than a little jealous. Now it's on to the state capital of Sacramento for the finish of tomorrow's stage.

Spectators stake out vantage points amidst a twisty section, well ahead of the peloton's arrival.

Just a small portion of the 600 spectator bikes checked in by the attendants.

February in California has a distinctively different palette than that of the Midwest.

Peloton roars through the barricaded streets.

Riders were greeted with a rousing welcome accented by thousands of cowbells.