Rund um Köln Part II

I arrived at the feedzone well ahead of the ETA. I checked the TV
stations available in that area to find out that the live coverage of
the race was not there. I checked out the area to decide where to
stand when the race passed.

I got a bidon from Wiesenhof-Felt. I did not get any good pictures as
usual. I do not concentrate on taking pictures but try to see what is
before me. I displayed the national flags of all Team CSC riders 
participating in the race. Did they notice my efforts?

While I waited for the race to arrive, some people (many people)
passed by me and some of them commented on my decoration.
One particular comment is worth mentioning. A boy, 5 or 6? years
old on a bike passed with his father walking ahead of him. They
were on the other side of the road, where the sidewalk for
bicycles and pedestrians was. The boy said, "Neuseeland, Ukraine,
Norwegen, ...". He missed the Australian flag for New Zealand flag but
he correctly identified the Ukrainian flag, just in passing. Impressive. 

I drove to Köln and arrived about an hour before the ETA. There
were a lot of activities going on around the Finish area. People were
visiting the Zoo, enjoying the walk along the Rhine and coming to see
the bicycle race. I did not find a parking lot and I was much too impatient 
to look for one any further. So, in the end, I parked on a grassy lot 
under the overpass leading to the bride over the Rhine "among
many other cars".

I took out my bike and went to a point about 200 - 300 meters after
the Goal and watched the race. I thought that if and when one of Team
CSC riders won the race, they would gather here and congratulate 
the winner.

They did. Juan Jose Haedo won the race. And I was right, too.

I came home and later watched the race that I recorded.
Marcel Wüst, ARD (Germany's biggest TV station?) bicycle race
commentator, said that among other German sprinters, JJ Haedo
was the one who had to be kept a close eye on if the race was to 
be decided with a mass sprint since he (JJ) had shown his ability
during the Tour of California.

After the race, I went to see the Team CSC riders. I waited until
JJ came back. By the time he came, almost all teams had been gone
and most of his teammates were gone. They had the next races, like
Tour of Georgia and so on. I was one of the last fans to leave Köln.

I saw JJ and DS Gallopin drive off. I thought it was a perfect day.

Well, up to this point, everything looked rosy. I returned to my car 
to find a piece of paper conspicuously placed between the windshield 
and the wiper blade. It was a calling card from the city of Köln with
a friendly greeting complete with an indirect suggestion that I would 
have to pay unspecified fine for the parking violation unless I intended 
to contend against their condemnation.  I also found the same pieces
of paper on the ground and also on the same place of many
cars around me. I am sorry but I unknowingly and unintendedly
commited a parking violation, for which I paid (15 Euro) to fulfill
my obligations as a leagal alien in Germany.

I drove home rather hurriedly to attend to a Team CSC fan club
event. Karsten Kroon was to join us in a chat.