Commuting with legends

Was toiling up Highway 82 Friday, coming around the dump curve, and there were suddenly scattered taillights and slowing cars just ahead. Couldn’t tell what was up, but the VW van easily slowed down. A little faceless sedan suddenly zoomed up in the mirror and cranked into the left lane only to be instantly confronted by another car also darting into the left lane. Ah yes, just another little life-threatening moment on Killer 82 to start the day. More brake lights now dead ahead. What? Two cars had slowed nearly to a stop. A black one was on the shoulder. A gold one was in the right-hand-lane, crawling up the highway. What? The gold car then swerved halfway onto the shoulder, then all the way over, cutting aggressively in front of the black car. Inside the lead car, a photographer strained forward, his lens against the windshield focused on two cyclists riding steadily uphill toward Aspen, on a highway shoulder rarely used by recreational bikers. With the commotion, it has to be…Lance and Levi, out for a training ride on a beautiful June morning. Up ahead on the shoulder, two black leather figures were climbing off a sleek motorcycle. One held a large video camera and was prepping to capture the legend’s ascent. It looked like a paparazzi battle, with teams of drivers and cameramen determined to capture the scenic sideshow of Lance in Aspen. And so the Lance Effect continues to grow, sending out ripples from Aspen to the cycling world.