So far the Amgen Tour of California has lived up to the hype.  With it’s hardest course in the races short history, this years event is turning out to be a serious race.  The return of the LionKing Mario Cipollini has been a serious up tick for the stock of Rock Racing.  Who despite having only 5 riders in the race, and making the most noise despite it, are riding a very good tour.  They are like Visa, it seems they are everywhere they need to be.  But they are not winning.  Team Slipstream is trying very hard to live up to the levels that they have promised us they will perform at.  I think it is possibly due to the high moustachegoatee levels on the team.  Although, good old Tommy D could use some help, maybe he needs to rock the goatee as well, who knows.  The PROTour teams, well what can you say, status quo.  Those who do, are doing.  Those who don’t are donting.  Maybe he has dinned out a little to long on the whole 10 days in the Yellow Jersey thing.  I want to see Thomas Voekler get some more camera time, more animation from this guy makes the entire race better for his determination.  C’mon how about a flier on Balcom Canyan Road, anything, and I am not even French.

Levi is in trouble if he can’t get some separation from Cancellara, as Bob Roll said last night, Cancellara will “dismantle” the entire field if this race is left to be decided on the TT.  He is right, Cancellara is simply in a class by himself in the race of truth.  I see Levi, Zabriski/Millar, and Cancellara so far as the class of the field.  Gesink is an as yet to be determined quantity, barring a ride that is beyond himself in the TT, he will not win this race.  End of the week should see Cancellara in Yellow, the Solvang TT is to much of a ‘power’ riding course, Levi will probably not be able to handle the raw speed that Cancellara can summon at will.  But that does not diminish my routing for the hometown boy made good.  Oh and wait is that Reid Mumford rollin mid pack, in what my limited knowledge of his career sees as the biggest race he has ever ridden, yesterday he beat Cipollini, and Boonen…Chapeau, my friend…Keep on Rockin…