Pedal Dancer®: Brad Sohner

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23 April 2016

Classification jerseys for the 2016 Tour of California

Leaders jersey, podium presentations and a guess at who will win ATOC in 2016.

The symbol of success.

Only the best in a field get to wear one of the four classification jerseys, plus the Tour of California's specific Amgen Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous jersey. Read more about the jerseys including the blue Breakaway jersey awarded to the rider on each stage who "best exemplifies the character of those engaged in the fight against cancer." The blue jersey is not a running tally of the best of classification but rather an acknowledgement given to one special rider after each of the eight Tour of California stages.

CLASSIFICATION JERSEYS

Classification Jerseys for the Amgen Tour of California 2016 are awarded for best type of rider in a field. This year the Tour of California will feature 5 classifications: Leader (fastest overall time, yellow jersey), Mountain (climber, red polka dot jersey), Sprint (faster sprinter, also called points classification, green jersey), Best Young Rider (under age 25, white jersey), Most Courageous (most combative/competitive, blue Breakaway from Cancer jersey). As the stage race progresses the overall classification winner is presented with his jersey after each stage and will wear the jersey at the start of the next day's stage. (An explanation of the jerseys at the official tour website).

The designs have changed for 2016.

Classification jerseys of the Tour of California 2016: Leader, Sprinter, Climber, Young, Courageous

You can buy these jerseys at the ATOC shop. Did you know some races call it Most Aggressive and some call it Courageous or Combative (Read a blog post on the topic: Aggressively Courageous and Combative By Pedal Dancer®).

Podium after Stage 6 of the 2015 Tour of California. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Podium presentations

For a fan, watching a podium presentation might be the best way to glimpse your favorite riders close-up and standing still. I recommend heading to the finish line area for the podium presentation, usually 15-minutes after the end of a stage.

Within those 15 minutes a lot happens: a designated team soigneur provides quick food and drink to the rider once they have crossed the finish line; congratulations are given and received; a sample is given at the drug screening tent; a quick interview or two might happen; the rider often changes clothes or shoes and replaces his helmet with a hat; and then they are led in a state of great confusion and exhaustion to the location of the podium. Where they sometimes have to climb up metal stairs to the stage in cycling shoes!

Before his heart rate has barely recovered the winner gets flowers, a bear and podium kisses. Like a celebrity at the academy awards, photographers call out his name in hopes of getting a gaze straight into the camera's lens. All of this takes practice and training to master, including avoiding blinking, smiling a lot and opening those champagne bottles.

Peter! Peter! over here Peter! Peter Sagan with Joanna and Allison in 2015. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

You would think every podium presentation would be the same, but a rider never knows that his destination is the stage until after his win or placement has sunk in, approximately 15-minutes prior to the podium presentations. The organization of the athletes, jersey presenters and the flow on stage is the job of the podium girls.

Champion Systems is the jersey sponsor for the classification jerseys at the Tour of California. Did you know they quickly iron on those team names patches to the back of a fresh classification jersey after the stage finishes. They know the riders' general jersey sizes and rush the prepared jerseys to the podium where the podium girls and a special presenter, zip the rider into their new classification jersey - backwards.

No zippers in the front - Mark Cavendish (green jersey) and Peter Sagan (yellow jersey) in 2015. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

As you can see (below) the back of the jersey, where the zipper is located, is blank. These podium ceremonial jerseys are not the ones worn the next day. Typically they are kept, or are autographed and given as a souvenir.

Backwards blank classification jersey. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

By the stage start of the next day, the 2016 jersey sponsor Champion Systems will nicely print the team logo onto the front of each classification jersey for the day's stage.

No iron-on patch. Team logo on the classification jersey, zipper in front, ready to race. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

The team logo is also printed on the back of the jersey along with the rider's name.

Mark Cavendish's jersey professionally labeled front and back with his dossard (bib number) attached, ready for the stage. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Who won in 2015?

General Classification Leader (yellow jersey): Peter Sagan (then with Tinkoff-Saxo, now with Tinkoff)
Point Classification Leader (green jersey): Mark Canvendish (then with Etixx-Quickstep, now with Dimension Data).
KOM Classification (red and white polka-dot jersey): Daniel Oss (BMC)
Best Young Classification Leader (white jersey): Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep)
Team Classification (best team): Team SKY

A young and happy (and looking like he wears a size extra-small) Julian Alaphilippe in the white jersey in 2015. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer

Who will win the Amgen Tour of California in 2016?
The start list of riders for the Tour of California should be announced within the next two weeks.

The caliber of riders in 2016 will be very high. This is going to be an exciting race in all categories as well as for the overall race win. Race Organizers (AEG) and Race Director Eric Smith were challenged this year by ASO to create a stellar route and race, and I believe they have done so. (ATOC route and maps)

Who will win?

No one can foresee the future of a bike race but the fun of being a fan is equal parts anticipation of the great riders who will compete and investing yourself through picking who you think will win. It is what makes sport fun. You might notice many race previews are the same, that is because we are all guessing. All that matters as fans is that over time we learn who is a GC contender, who is a sprinter and who is a climber. And that we dare to participate by guessing.

What makes the Amgen Tour of California race so special is that it is preparation for many riders heading to the Tour de France in July, it is also a chance for Pro Continental and Conti riders to strut their stuff against the best WorldTour riders in the world (and thus hoping for a continued or improved team contract). The short eight stage format over a mixed route with sprinting, time trial and climbing also lends itself to an exciting overall winner and attracts world-renowned racers.

A new design for 2016.

Who will wear yellow in 2016?

That is the great unknown, but I am looking at Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) who won the race in 2015, Rohan Dennis (BMC), Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Andrew Talansky (Cannondale), Lawson Craddock (Cannondale), Laurens ten Dam (Giant-Alpecin), or possible past winners Robert Gesink (LottoNL-Jumbo) or Bradley Wiggins (Team Wiggins).

American Peter Stetina is leading the Trek-Segafreda team, and crowd favorite (and social media wizard) American Taylor Phinney (BMC) will be back to animate the race in 2016. I am particularly looking forward to seeing how Lawson Craddock (Cannondale) performs.

Who will wear green in 2016?

The race for the green jersey (points classification) will be very interesting this year and hotly contested. Watch out for Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), Rob Britton (Rally), John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin), Robin Carpenter (Holowesko-Citadel), Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data), Wouter Wippert (Cannondale), John Murphy (UHC) and many others once we know the true startlist.

Who will wear the King of the Mountains jersey in 2016?

Possibly Toms Skujiņ (Cannondale), Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep), Alex Braico or Lachlan Morton (Jelly Belly).

Who will be the Best Young Rider in 2016:

Keep your eye on Logan Owen (Axeon Hagens Berman) recent winner of the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep) winner of the white jersey at the 2015 ATOC, Lachlan Morton (Jelly Belly), Lawson Craddock (Cannondale), Toms Skujiņš (Cannondale), Robin Carpenter (Holowesko-Citadel), Danny van Poppel (SKY), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafreda), and Jon Dibben (Team Wiggins) who recently won the U23 Tour of Flanders.

Who will be at the Giro d' Italia and NOT in California?

We know the competition at the Tour of California will be high because the line up of 18 teams for the 2016 Tour of California is very impressive.

Every year the Giro d'Italia conflicts on the calendar with the Amgen Tour of California. The startlist for the Giro is the earliest indication of who will not be coming to California. Although Fabian Cancellara has not appeared at the ATOC in many years, I was certainly wishing he would be there in his final year of racing before retirement; he will not.

King of the Mountain classification winner in 2015 Daniel Oss (BMC) will be racing in Italy at the Giro d'Italia and thus not in the Tour of California to defend his polka-dot jersey. Joe Dombrowski and Michael Woods of Cannondale will both be racing at the Giro. Marcel Kittel (Etixx-Quickstep) will not be in California to join the strong group of sprinters racing for the green jersey. Ryder Hesjedal, Fabian Cancellara, Boy Van Poppel, and Ricardo Zoidl will be representing Trek-Segrafreda in Italy. And American Ian Boswell will be racing the Giro for Team SKY, along with teammate Elia Viviani. Procyclingstats.com has the complete startlist for the 2016 Giro d' Italia.

Brad Sohner interviewing Peter Sagan on the podium in 2015. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

Read an interview with Tour of California Stage Announcer Brad Sohner: Who is that voice on stage? By Pedal Dancer®. Read about Joanna and Allison who have been podium girls at the Tour of California for many years The Fans want Podium Girls?

To see all the team jerseys and bikes that will be at the Tour of California: Team jerseys and team bikes at the Tour of California

Pedal Dancer® race coverage 2016:

16 August 2013

Faces at the Race - USA Pro Challenge

Hey, isn't that ....?

Part of the fun of going to any sporting event, besides the thrill of competition and the exciting surroundings, are the people. We have our favorite riders, our favorite teams, our favorite uniforms (team kits), and our favorite bikes. Behind, on top of, and in front of all this, are the wonderful people who make the race and set the mood - not only through organization or sponsorship, but simply by showing up.

We attend because we are fans of cycling and no matter our real job or personal life - the field of sport is a great leveler. We come together in shared passion. And what makes cycling unique is that we get to play and cheer on the playing field.

I always try to take a moment to speak to the person next to me, because every individual I meet at a bike race has a story about what motivated them to come.

I will forever remember a man I met at a race standing near the RadioShack team bus who was in the middle of telling me that he had been waiting ten years to meet Jens Voigt, and just then Jensie arrived right next to us in the passenger seat of his team car. "Well there he is right there, " I said to the fan. Well that fan pivoted with elation and I am telling you - the joy that fan felt spread through the entire crowd that day at the race.

I recently wrote a post about the Organization Behind the Race at the USA Pro Challenge, a story about the Founders, Partners, and hard working staff. A short while ago I also wrote That's my kid!, a post about the pride and support of parents for a young athlete. Today I looked back through my photographs for the people I met or saw last year at the USA Pro Challenge. Maybe I will see them again this year, maybe you will.

Look closely - you just might be able to see these faces in the crowd ...

All Photos below by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer® from the 2012 USA Pro Challenge

Eric Heiden, Olympian, author, and team doctor for BMC

Olympian and bike shop owner Ron Kiefel driving Dale Stetina (Peter's Father and himself an Olympian and former National Champion) in the back seat of the car

Davis Phinney (left), Olypian, former 7-Eleven teammate of Ron's and father to Taylor Phinney (BMC - not racing at the USA Pro Challenge this year)

Actor Patrick Dempsey, just hanging out at the race with Race Director Jim Birrell.

Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn presented the podium awards in Denver to Christian VandeVelde

George Hincapie, he will be back and leading a ride before the Breckenridge Stage this year.

Race Announcer Brad Sohner and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (more about Brad, read: Who is that voice on stage?)

Former Colorado Governor John Ritter

Uli and Lydia - organizers of the Frand Fondo New York

Scott Christopher (of Bicycle Colorado and cast member of the movie American Flyers, left), speaking with Race Announcer Dave Towle (right).

Dan Grunig, Executive Director of Bicycle Colorado enjoying some VIP tent action

Tim Johnson, cyclocross racer extraordinaire

Jim Ochowicz General Manager of BMC

Dirk Friel and Jeremey Derksen of Training Peaks

Bob Roll, NBC Commentator

Neal Rogers of VeloNews

Brian Holcombe of VeloNews, pushing Peter Stetina

Frankie Andreu of Bicycling and Kenda/5-hour Energy

Author and race analyst Joe Lindsey of Bicycling Magazine and the Boulder Report

Neil Browne of Tour Chats and Brown Eye Blog

Just some of the many photographers

Photographer Darrell Parks with Pez Cycling (right)

Photographer John Pierce of PhotoSport International

Definitely stop by the Festival (expo) to see the crews helping out at the sponsor and vendor tents

Garmin crew

Cannondale crew

BMC crew

This is the broom wagon - you definitely will recognize it, (read more: Word of the day at the TDF: voiture balai)

I heard that Mario Cipollini was in the VIP tent in Denver last year - but of course, I missed him!

I will be there again this year. I will keep you up-to-date on who I see at the race. I will be chasing and reporting from every stage except Steamboat Springs. Posting results and travel/fan stories from the road, but probably not racing as I did last weekend.

See you in Aspen, or Breck, Beaver Creek, Vail, Loveland or Denver.

11 May 2013

California Cruisin' - Traveling to the Tour of California

Beautiful California and Fast Bike Racing

I have come to California to watch Bike Racers. What a glorious way to spend a vacation. The best part of attending a race is that I never know what will happen. Sure I loosely plan, like where is the bike race and when, but what will happen once I get there, I never know. I have learned to be open and spontaneous.

Eye candy abounds at a bike race and this year I want to see bikes, bike legs, bike saddles, bike racers, and generally have a grand time with all the hard working people who make this race happen by working on it, or attending it. I also plan to enjoy the ocean and the local fresh fruits and vegetables, since I live in Colorado and our fruits and veggies taste other-than how I remember as a child growing up in plentiful California.

California - palm trees, best Mexican food ever, avocados under $2, delicious wine, and bike cruising ride. Oh and my family is there!

Amgen Tour of California begins on Sunday in Escondido

I will be at the southern and central California stages:

Sunday 5/12/13 Stage 1 Escondido

Monday 5/13/13 Stage 2 Murietta

Tuesday 5/14/13 Stage 3 Santa Clarita

Wednesday 5/15/13 Stage 4 Santa Barbara

Thursday 5/16/13 Stage 5 Santa Barbara

Route and Maps: 2013 Tour of California Route Maps & Stage Info
Riders racing: Riders at the 2013 Tour of California
Full Details: TOUR OF CALIFORNIA

Previous interest posts for the day:
Who is that voice on stage?: About Brad Sohner the race announcer on stage
The fans want Podium Girls?: About Allison and Joanna - the Podium Girls

Photos and Stories

I arrived into John Wayne Airport in orange County, within the hour I was having a Mother's Day breakfast of sorts with my Mother, Father, two brothers and sister-in-law in Newport Beach. I watched the press conference live streaming online on the Amgen Tour of California website, where Tejay van Garderen listed his top contender threats as Michael Rogers, Francisco Mancebo and David Zabriskie. There were plenty of questions about the route and heat, but these men are professionals and as we have all seen they will race through practically any conditions for a personal or team win.

We hoped on our cruiser bikes and rode down the Newport Beach Boardwalk.

Me happy to be riding a beach cruiser in Newport Beach.

Our destination was the American Legion, where $9 will get your three glasses of wine and this view....

The next morning my brother and I visited the Lyon Air Museum, a war aviation collection of planes, cars, mortor cycles and bikes. A P51, B17, B25 were giving "bucket list" rides for $2200, $400, and $400 for 30 minutes flights. The B17 and B25 are headed up the coast to Santa Barbara to thrill more customers. Maybe we sill see the old planes flying overhead next Wednesday and Thursday during stage 4 & 5 in Santa Barbara.

Willie, my fellow Pedal Dancer Photographer and I headed down to Carlsbad where we are staying with family/friend Jeannie, a welcoming stay and locations to attend the first two stages of the race. We drove over to pick up press passes and check out the layout in Escondido.

Escondido town hall

Saw some old familiar faces.

Michelob Light Ambassador (podium girl) Allison Steinkamp and race Announcer Brad Sohner. Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

And then we stopped by the wonderful Stone Brewing Company, a brewery in a park setting. And good beer.

Gardens of the Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, CA. Sit sip and relax.

Tomorrows Stage 1

Stage 1 : Route Map | Route Profile | timetable | Escondido spectator guide

Stage 1, Presented by Nissan: Sunday, May 12 – Escondido
2013 ATOC Stage 1: route map, profile, and stage information
Start/Finish Location: Broadway and Grand Ave.
Start Time: 11:15 a.m.
Stage Length: 104.3 miles
CITY HIGHLIGHT: Route & City information about Escondido
KEY FEATURES: Climbing begins on day 1 at mile 12, climb of Mt Palomar (from the eastern slope) summits by mile 50, followed by a fast descent and a final sprint in town. Start and finish are from the same city of Escondido.

Stage 1 ATOC 2013, (zoom in on route map and profile)

24 May 2012

Who is that voice on stage?

An interview with Brad Sohner

Chances are if you have been to a regional or national road race, or to a UCI stage race in the United States, you have heard the voice of Brad Sohner. Brad was the announcer on the main stage at the recent Amgen Tour of California, the voice calling the race and introducing podium presenters and riders at stage starts and finishes. Brad Sohner sets the tone, maintains the pace, informs, educates, and builds excitement. I remember the first time I caught site of the man projecting that big voice, that is him, I thought, he is so young. How did he end up on that stage? How did he get so good so fast?

Brad Sohner has an interesting story. At age 23 (today is his Birthday!), I am impressed at how much he has already accomplished and how he came to step upon that stage. It was on Mother's Day, when Brad was 9 or 10-years old, that his Father, Mother, and two brothers happened upon a local mountain bike race, in a nearby park, on their way to brunch. Brad said with fond memory, "Having 3 boys in the car, we were quite excited about the prospect of riding bikes and getting money from it. My Mom, bless her heart, stopped the car and let us out of the van and we got to check out this mountain bike race, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world, and then started racing. Through those races I got my summer jobs working with an event company as part of the behind the scenes set-up crew at local bike races."

"I was a roadie slinging fence"

Jamie Smith, of Medalist Sports, saw potential in Brad's strong voice one day at a race in Ohio and encouraged Brad to get on stage in front of a mic. Brad was 16 years old. The very next weekend Brad had a gig announcing in Detroit. Working at races kept Brad busy through his high school years. By 2007, Brad's senior year in high school, Jamie Smith offered him another position at the Tour de Georgia as his vocal public announcement assistant in the mobile PA car (the white car proceeding the caravan used to inform fans of the status of the race). The following year Brad joined Jamie Smith in the mobile PA car at the Tour of California.

Medalist Sports organizes the Amgen Tour of California, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and the now defunct Tour de Georgia. Expanding roles in the other races was a natural progression. Studying at Ohio University, Brad completed his Bachelor's degree in Journalism in 2011, the same year he finally stepped onto the stage as Race Announcer at the Amgen Tour of California. The first ATOC Stage Brad announced was in Lake Tahoe, yes that stage - the one canceled shortly after it began due to snow conditions. "It was not how I pictured my first day on the big stage," Brad said. He went on to call the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado under sunny skies.

Announcers are more than a big voice

I watched Brad in 2011 at the Amgen Tour of California mesmerized at his concentration, rhythm and energy. He is a true talent. A talent that is being nurtured and developed, as important to this sport as any up and coming racer. Brad has the ability to create new long-term cycling fans, he influences those fans who come to watch races live for the first time. Those spectators we hope will return again next year because they enjoyed their day at the race and learned more about the sport of cycling.

Ten years after working his way up the ladder, Brad Sohner will head to London this July to assist NBC in covering the 2012 Olympic Games. His role will be as a Spotter, assisting the NBC staff announcers in identifying riders in the road race. NBC will be using his knowledge rather than his voice this year, but at Brad's current pace, it might not be long before we see him announcing on NBC Sports.

An announcer needs to know a lot to say a lot

Working along with Dave Towle, an established voice of American cycling and an announcer at the Amgen Tour of California since it's inception, Brad and Dave often travel together working long hours. Brad Sohner now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his girlfriend, a reporter. Dave Towle lives in Oregon, but the two pro announcers reunite at various jobs around the country on weekends. You can think of Brad and Dave as the onstage versions of Phil and Paul, their voices booming to fill the atmosphere for many surrounding blocks.

I might like cycling, but I doubt I could come up with audible interesting content (in complete sentences) for 4-6 hours a day. Many of us realize our own commentary might not be air-worthy, the only words I seem to utter while watching a sprint are "Go go go!" I carelessly butcher riders names such as Tjallingii, Farrar, Irizar Aranburu, Devenyns, and Stamsnijder. It has taken me years to be able to identify riders on and off the bike.

The Fans ask Brad questions

After meeting Brad Sohner recently at the Amgen Tour of California, I asked some fans what questions they would like to ask Brad:

Fan: Is announcing your full-time job?
Brad: Yes, pretty much year round, I will do cyclocross through the fall and winter, it is steady through January, then things tapper off and pick back up again in April.

Fan: Do you announce other sports or events?
Brad: I do a few things, I do maybe10 running races a year, 10Ks, marathons, and triathlons. Bike racing is definitely my bread and butter.

Fan: Why did you pick cycling?
Brad: Well, cycling picked me. It all started one day, driving in the car. (read story above). I fell in love with road racing watching the races where we would set-up the mountain bike races. Road racing was much faster and more technical than mountain biking and the athletes, both guys are girls, were more fit athletes ... so I took a liking to road racing after that. It became a long love affair with cycling.

Fan: Do you ride yourself?
Brad: Yes, I ride as much as I can. It is hard being on the road to get a whole lot of miles in, so I try not to take myself too seriously. I will always love a good bike ride. I am not much of a racer or endurance athlete, I just enjoy the thrill of being on a bike and enjoy the experience.

Fan: Do you do other sports?
Brad: Not really, I did some sports in grade school and high school but cycling is pretty much it. Bike racing was full-time for me by the time I was a junior or senior is high school. I was traveling quite a bit at that time.

Fan: Do you listen to your own announcements and critique your work?
Brad: Yes, I try to listen back as much as I can, for things that get repetitive or jokes that maybe don't work. I always try new stuff and new ways to explain things. The biggest thing I listen back for is clarity of information, because I think it is important to teach people about bike racing. So I go back to refine my explanation so I can explain it quickly and clearly. I am always trying to improve.

Fan: What is your favorite type of stage to announce a sprint finish, ITT, or climb?
Brad: I think the mountain finishes are the best. I always like the stories of the one-in-a-million guys who makes in into a break and it sticks. I think that is a magical aspect of the sport of cycling. Sprints are always fun too. I would say the out of the ordinary incredible performance days are some of my favorites.

Fan: How do you prepare? where do you get your information from?
Brad: A lot of the information is provided by the teams: ht, wt, age, is all submitted by the teams. It is all database, when we get start lists we also get bios. I also keep my own database going. A lot of it is just knowing the riders and being around the riders. I have learned the most from hanging out with the riders in hotel lobbies or on shuttle buses. I think the biggest preparation for me is just being around bike racing as much as I can.

Fan: After each stage do you read news reports, which sources to you use?
Brad: This year I have noticed we are using a lot of Twitter, we can see what riders are talking about in a day's stage and we can ask them about it on the start stage the next day. The Jens Voigt story is a great story, where a bee landed on his lip and he swallowed the bee - that made for a great story on the start stage the next day. We try to read up as much as we can ... we try to stay as connected as we can on the road.

Fan: How do you learn the correct pronunciation of the riders' names?
Brad: I ask the riders, certainly at sign-in each day, and if it really gets down to it, right before the podium I will ask. A lot of them we obviously know, most of the names are familiar on the list, but you always get a first year rider .... a lot of research goes into it, we work really hard to make sure we get the names right in their native tongue.

Fan: Is it Bow-nun or Boo-nen?
Brad: Tom says "Bow-nun."" "If you ask Tom in his native language he will say it is "Tohm Bow-nun". But I think "Boo-nen" is equally acceptable. Jens Voigt is a great example, in German it is "Vokedt", but he is resigned to being "Voyt" in the States.

Karen: I notice when you are on stage, you are watching the TV. How do you learn to quickly identify the riders?
Brad: Yes, we have trained ourselves to do commentary from the stage. Trying to get the whole team down, all 8 riders, trying to hone in and pick out the quirks of the riders, weird things on their bikes, or sock heights, tall socks or short socks, things like that. You always look for little clues, little giveaways on certain riders.

Fan: You were wearing matching shirts with other Key Staff members, do you have an apparel sponsor?
Brad: Rapha provided all the staff clothing this year. Rapha is awesome performance inspired cycling wear. All the gear that we wore is cycling inspired - longer back and longer sleeves, perfect tweaks that make it awesome for riding but also looks good off the bike. The AEG Key Staff members, Phil and Paul, everyone was in Rapha. I love that stuff.

Karen: If you could announce any event, what would you like to announce?
Brad: I think to be at Paris-Roubaix would be one of the coolest experiences, to call in a rider on that velodrome after they had just accomplished a great feat of winning Paris-Roubaix. They get a couple celebration laps on the velodrome - to be able to share that moment with the rider would be awesome.

Karen: Do you get feedback from the fans?
Brad: All the time. Good and bad. I am always happy when people come up and tell me what they think. It is great to hear when a spectator has never been to a bike race before, and they say "I didn't think I would like it, but this is awesome." Even if you just get one person into bike racing.

Karen: Will you be announcing again at the 2013 Amgen Tour of California?
Brad: If something else came along, Tour of California would be the last thing to go on my calendar. I would be taking vacation days to come, I think I will be around ATOC for a long time to come.

Karen: Where can we see you next?
Brad: Greenville, NC - US Pro Road Championships this weekend. Then to Washington, DC for the Airforce Cycling Classic, then Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minnesota, then London Olympics in July. I will go right into the USA Pro Cycling Challenge after that, I am home for maybe 3 or 4 days in between.

Behind the scenes with Brad

As soon as the bell rang at the start line, Brad was in the van, traveling the shortest distance to the finish line with Dave Towle and one assistant. Brad said the operations behind the Tour of California were amazing and seamless. All arrangements were handled by Medalist Sports. All hotel reservations, rental car, gas card, GPS with all start lines, finish lines, and hotels were pre-programmed into the unit ahead of time. "It was an amazing week," Brad happily summarized.

Go up and meet Brad the next time you see him at a bike race, he is very approachable and enjoys meeting other fans who love bike racing as much as he does. Or follow Brad Sohner on Twitter: @bradsohner

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