Amgen Tour of California Gala
High society red carpet kick off for the Tour of California.

Friday night kicked off the Gala black tie dinner and 2007 team presentation of the Tour of California—with red carpet outside and mucho bling- a night to forget about spandex and check out the cocktail dresses. Yes, Sausalito, San Francisco’s Euro-hamlet across the bridge, pulled it off once again, shipping in a yacht full of glamour for the night.

Discovery on stage for the presentation of the team. Photo c. Andrew Rogers

The stars came out under an unusually warm cloudless night, but the stars were also inside the room: Bettini, Thor, Ivan, Z-biskit, Rasmussen—and many more--all were shiny happy people under the MC maestros, Paul Sherwin and Bob Roll.

Paolo Bettini  and team on stage.   Photo c. Andrew Rogers

The bubbly was flowing as each bar was anchored with a 50 inch plasma screen highlighting last year’s ATOC with a slick slideshow hovering behind top shelf liquor. The crowd was money, and they came to spend it; and like Paul Sherwin added, maybe sponsor Discovery team next year ?

Bob Roll with Thor Hushvod. Photo c. Andrew Rogers

The silent auction was full of the ususal suspects: wine, signed jerseys form different teams, and vintage fotos of every kind (I bid on an 8x10 black and white of Andy Wahrhol meeting Tennessee Williams—and got it!).

The Gerolsteiner lads relax after the presentation. Photo c. Andrew Rogers

The main stage was kept lively with a set of intros of the teams, then a cycling clothing fashion show, and back to introducing the top teams. What fun to see Ivan work his humble magic with a few pat English phrases to please the crowd, but how strange it was to see him flanked by George and Levi—and Eki showed up with a more subdued mullet.

Umbrella girls   Photo c. Andrew Rogers

It was a special night to see all the teams hanging out in normal clothes and jerseys, joking and smiling with the 30’s-40’s set of Marin muses who gave them a good reason to flirt. In fact, I arrived with Heidi Bergmark, who in her red satin dress, became the signal for the discovery team to stroll around the parking lot looking for the entrance.

Johnathan Vaughters of Slipstream Photo c. Andrew Rogers