Tour de Gap

The Tour de Gap is one of the few reasons I don't mind getting up at the crack of dawn. It's always a lot of fun and lets me shoot a sport that I only get to cover once maybe twice a year. Which is different from a lot of the sports I shoot. Because I can't have a "bad game" since I only get one shot, and then have to wait another year. Luckily, I get three plus hours to shoot the race which allows for plenty of shots, and multiple locations. This year's race had the same route as last year, so I was able to mentally recount some of the better (and worse) places to shoot from. So, while I got a few shots that looked a lot like last year's I was able to shoot of the others I thought I could work better again. I was happy with the results.

Tour de Gap...

There aren't many things I don't mind rolling out of bed before 10am for. The Tour de Gap is one of the few. What made it worse this year is I went out the night before and played poker with some friends (I finished fourth, the top 3 were in the money!). So, getting up is hard enough working on only 4 hours of sleep is only worse.

Well after downing some carbonated caffeine during the 20 minute drive to Buffalo Gap I was feeling a little more awake once I got there. I try to get there about 20-30 minutes before the races start in hopes of finding some riders doing some prep work. This year wasn't as fruitful as in years past, but there is always plenty to shoot during the race.

The course changes every year, this year the 70 mile course had a big loop and another smaller loop to make up the course. As usual I rode with the rides on the full course, at least during the first loop. After that I went and hung out at the finish line. I'm glad I did leave early though, that's when I found the shot of the sheriff's deputy directing traffic as the riders came into Buffalo Gap. It added something nice that I hadn't found .

Tour de Gap

Even after nine years, there are some assignments I look forward to shooting every year. The Tour de Gap bike race is one of them. While the early morning start isn't something I enjoy, the early morning light makes for some nice shots at the starting line.

But, just shooting the start just wouldn't be right, the 70-mile race which attracts not only some really top-notch locals and amateur riders from across the state - even the occasional pro riders - lasts about three hours. Fortunately I get to drive the course in a car, bobbing ahead and shooting as the riders pass by, then back in the car and bobbing ahead again, over and over. The only problem is the race is not a closed course. It can make for some interesting moments on those little two-lane back roads. Luckily, they aren't heavily travelled.

That's plenty of time to get photos of the race and have fun and trying out all the lenses in my bag. Although, I gotta say, laying in tall grass with a wide angle lens in the middle of July during prime rattlesnake season isn't the best idea I've ever had, it made for a nice photo and luckily I didn't hear anything resembling a baby rattle during the couple minutes I was there... so that was a good thing.

And, when you are shooting the whole 70 miles of the race and get lucky enough to get the eventual race winner munching on a banana... well, that's just a bonus that justifies getting up early and going the extra (70 or so) miles.