I head out to the east hills of San Jose today for Stage 2 of the Tour of California. It is such a treat to have a real professional stage race right in my own backyard. Of course it would have been even better if they went through Santa Cruz, maybe next year. I parked at the base of Sierra Road where a big flock of turkeys greeted me. Hope there isn't a message in this coincidence.

The climb is something like 3.5 miles with 1800 feet of climbing over an average 10% grade. It's a very nice climb, though Jamison or Alba are way harder. Some cowboys and cows are the only other company at the top of this very scenic and cold mountain top.

The arrival of motorcycles and the Mavic car are a sure sign the pros aren't too far behind.

Levi is leading a small group with only a couple of kilometers to go. I'm so happy these photos turned out great. Some nice shots of Hincapie and other race greats from Discovery, CSC, T-Mobile, and more.