The Exergy Tour will not be happening this year and Tenspeed Hero will not be there every step of the way. Our man in Boise, Jonathan Hero, will not attend every single stage from prologue to finish. Jonathan says, “I may or may not even be in Idaho in May. That’s three ‘mays.'” Even now, weeks before the race is not scheduled to begin, the roads are not being prepared in any way whatsoever. Gravel will remain in drifts on sharp corners. Straw bail merchants are expecting lean times until their bread and butter, the Twilight Criterium, is held in July. Eli Craven, local straw dealer, says that he relies on his Twilight Criterium money to float him to October (scarecrow season).
What to look forward to at this-year’s cancelled race: Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Kristen Armstrong, who tragically broke her collarbone during last year’s prologue, will be at home with her son watching Yo Gabba Gabba. Or fishing. Or something.
Evelyn Stevens, last year’s non-returning champion, will be a threat for the overall in just about any other race this year.
Other racers to keep an eye on via methods other than standing roadside in the greater Boise area include: German sprinter and former National Road Race Champion, Ina Yoko-Teutenberg. Look for Yoko-Teutenberg to go on a Jens Voigt style solo break and win some stages in a race probably in Europe.
Wiggle-Honda’s two- time World Champion, Giorgia Bronzini from Italy will be racing her bike in an event no doubt.
Lauren Hall, coming off a stage win in the Tour of Gila, will be doing something, perhaps on a bike, during the non event, but more importantly she will be missed because of her sense of humor. She was quick with the jokes (and as I recall there was an edge to said jokes) when we met her warming up for last year’s prologue.
All of this is to say, Tenspeed Hero will miss the Exergy Tour. We had a great time last year. And we are pretty sure the racers did too. Bring it back. Call it the Simplot Tour or the Micron Tour. How about the HP Tour? (Those are all companies with a strong Boise presence by the way).