SF Grand Prix 2001: Photos

Cyclofiend.com: SFGP 2001

For one amazing day, San Francisco closed a 10 mile section of roadway to host the BMC Software Grand Prix.

ABC-7 presented live footage of the race, spectators crowded every inch of the roadway and everyone got a sense of professional cycling.

It was a great day of racing!

www.sfgrandprix.com

San Francisco Grand Prix
September 9th, 2001
San Francisco, CA

Click on any photo to see it larger

San Francisco Grand Prix - 2001

We started the day near the top of the Fillmore Street Hill. We got there about 45 minutes before race start, and it was already three deep in most places. In the photo at left, you can just see the first riders cresting onto the last crossstreet before the final pitch. The sound eclipsed all other noise. Even the helicopter from overhead was secondary.

It was truly a heinous climb.18%. Before the race mere mortals burst under the pressure of trying the climb. Nothing on the televison could do it justice ... (yeah, I had to tape it as well). The amazing thing was that on the first lap, there was a break, and the first riders to climb past us included Harm Jansen (Saturn), Siddarta Camil (Corona- Mastercard), Trent Klasna (Saturn), Michael Sayers(Mercury), Oleg Grishikin (Navigators Rider), and Kenny Labbe (USPS). The speed of the pros on the hill was staggering, especially since they kept it up for another four hours.

Tucked into the main pack, the members of the US Postal Service / Trek squad were suffering through the climb as well. Here Vlatchislav Ekimov continues to show the style that has kept him at the top for years.

Tyler Hamilton riding one his last races as a member of the USPS team. Another exceptional rider.

On the turn from Broadway onto Polk Street.

	Fox among the Chickens - George Hiincapie moves up into the front group later in the race.	Chasing - Three Saturn riders try in vain to bridge back up to the leading group.

George Hincapie Since he went to all of the trouble of winning the darned thing, it seemed only fair that he have his own section of photos. Capping off a tremendous season, in which he finished fourth at an epic Paris-Roubaix where he was outnumbered, and winning Ghent-Wevelgehm, he patiently waited through early attacks, then moved up and joined the lead group.



taking a page from Lance's textbook, he took a good long look at his competition near the end. Sizing up Klasna's condition, George simply rode away on the final climb up the Taylor Street hill and won decisively. Sorry not to have the classic finish line shot, but we stayed on the western side of the race course. There are some other SF Grand Prix Photo collections here.

Vlatchislav Ekimov

An amazingly competent and smooth rider, Ekimov has Olympic victories from both ends of his career. On this day, he was the perfect teammate, hanging back with the chasers, disrupting their efforts and quite content to be pulled up to the breakaway.

Here's another look at the form of Ekimov

Lance Armstrong Tour de France Winner - 1999, 2000, 2001 Cancer Survivor
	When is the last time you heard of Lance cruising Polk? (Ok, it's a lousy joke...)
How would you like to have this guy breathing down your neck? Action from the break that pretty much shattered the field.
It only took one lap with Lance at the head of the chase group to bring them within reach of George Hincapie, as well as wreak havoc on all the other riders who thought they knew what a fast pace was like. At the end of his tremendous season, Lance retired from the race before the finish, but not until the outcome was clear - Hincapie stationed in the lead breakawa, Ekimov positioned to control the chase.

- Some links to other photos of the 2001 SF Grand Prix -
More Photos at the SFgrandprix.com site (9/02 - photos moved - link is to main site)	Photos & Story at VeloNews.com	Photos from the "East Side" of the race at Chain Reaction Bicycles site
If you know of some, or want to be linked, please email sfgp2001@cyclofiend.com

Cyclofiend Main Page

Cyclocross Nationals - 2002 - Redline Cup Finals - 2002
San Francisco Grand Prix Road Race - 2001 - San Francisco Grand Prix Road Race - 2002
Cyclocross Nationals - 1999 - Men's Elite - Women's Elite - Other Photos
Some Photos from 1998 SuperCross
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Please note: All Images ©Jim Edgar
No reuse of any kind allowed without specific permission.
For permission please email: cyclofiend@cyclofiend.com Thanks.

San Francisco Grand Prix - 2001 We started the day near the top of the Fillmore Street Hill. We got there about 45 minutes before race start, and it was already three deep in most places. In the photo at left, you can just see the first riders cresting onto the last crossstreet before the final pitch. The sound eclipsed all other noise. Even the helicopter from overhead was secondary.

It was truly a heinous climb.18%. Before the race mere mortals burst under the pressure of trying the climb. Nothing on the televison could do it justice ... (yeah, I had to tape it as well). The amazing thing was that on the first lap, there was a break, and the first riders to climb past us included Harm Jansen (Saturn), Siddarta Camil (Corona- Mastercard), Trent Klasna (Saturn), Michael Sayers(Mercury), Oleg Grishikin (Navigators Rider), and Kenny Labbe (USPS). The speed of the pros on the hill was staggering, especially since they kept it up for another four hours.
Tucked into the main pack, the members of the US Postal Service / Trek squad were suffering through the climb as well. Here Vlatchislav Ekimov continues to show the style that has kept him at the top for years.		Tyler Hamilton riding one his last races as a member of the USPS team. Another exceptional rider.

San Francisco Grand Prix - 2001

George Hincapie

Vlatchislav Ekimov

Lance Armstrong