December 18th, 2003 | The lowdown by Marion Wise

Racing the Clock.

Two police officers speed down the street, blue lights flashing on the front of their motorcycles. Not far behind is a cyclist, donning sunglasses as he races against the clock. In an instant, he?s gone.

Right now, he is at an altitude of about 600 meters, approximately 35.5 kilometers into his time trial. Is he relieved that he has less than six kilometers remaining until this time-trial is complete? Is he hurting from the over 3000 km he has covered in this three-week hell he has put himself through? Or is he merely trying to remain focused to finish this final stage of the Vuelta a España?

I am at the Plaza Emperador Carlos V, in the front of the fountain, facing Paseo de Castellana. As far as I can tell, this is the best place to watch the race; from here, I can see each rider approach from 100 meters away. But, more than that, I am right at the center of the fountain. Each rider approaches the fountain from the center of the street, then pulls to the inside to curve around the fountain; I am at that exact point where the riders hit the inside. Many riders are less than an arm?s length away, riding at insane speeds. (Supposedly, the winner will average 50 km/h.)

I am close enough to see it all, to read it all on each rider?s face. One rider?s mouth is distorted as though he?s gasping for air, and his face shows signs of dehydration. Another seems to look up at the crowd for a word of encouragement. Most riders wear their pain on their face. I see the real race here ? the pride, the pain, the thirst for victory even when one does not have a chance to win, the insanity of putting one?s body through such torture. It?s both intimidating and humbling.

The 132 riders who will finish this race are released at 1-minute intervals in backward order, culminating with the time trial of the current leader. The top 20 riders, however, are released at 2-minute intervals. Each rider is led by two police officers and followed by at least one team car, which has spare bikes, water, and coaches shouting instructions or encouragement.

It is almost an hour into the race and the leaders, the big names, have not even left Warner Bros. Park, where they start from today. But that does not stop the crowd from cheering on the teams they know, and those they don?t. They?re standing out in the hot September sun (it?s 32 Celsius, according to the sign nearby) to catch a glimpse of this amazing athletic feat.

?Botero! Botero! Arriba!? the man next to me cheers. Santiago Botero is great in time-trials and, though he is currently placed 70, he will go on to place fourth in the time-trial and finish to 66 overall.

Now we are starting to get to the rider?s that everyone knows. The crowd is beginning to cheer louder and things are starting to get more interesting. Nonetheless, we still have about an hour till we?ll see signs of the real race. Roberto Heras of the US Postal Service wears the yellow jersey as the race leader. Heras, a Spaniard, is a killer climber, though admittedly not as strong in the time-trials. He was a key part of Lance Armstrong?s win at the Tour de France this year.

In order to win the race, Heras will have to have an amazing race against Aitor González of a local favorite team, Kelme-Costa Blanca. González?s strength is in the time trials, and though he has not won any individual stages in this tour, he is a favorite to win overall.

Eventually the streets become far more crowded to cheer on the top riders in the race. At number four, Joseba Beloki gets a warm reception. Beloki placed second in the prestigious Tour de France this year, with some gutsy attacks on Lance Armstrong. He led the first four stages of the Vuelta, but has not worn the yellow jersey since.

The young Oscar Sevilla, ranked number three, also receives much applause. He wore the yellow jersey for seven stages before ceding it to Heras at stage 15. González comes screaming after Sevilla, maybe 15 seconds behind him and looking strong. It seems like ages before Heras approaches, gaining the loudest support. He is three minutes behind González now, which cannot be good for his overall standings.

And, in a flash, it is over ? at least for me. I hope Heras wins, though I fear the worst. The only problem with watching the race from the streets is that I will have to wait to find out who has won.

But, I would not have traded my spot on the street for anything, because it is here that I was a true participant in the race. Instead of viewing the split times and immediate results as a member of a large, informal audience in a huge stadium, I was close enough to touch the riders, see their emotion, and have them hear my cheers. I saw it live. I saw what the race, the competition, the pain, the pride was all about.

*Note: Aitor González proved to be too strong for Roberto Heras, winning both the stage and the overall race. Heras placed second, and Beloki pulled out over Sevilla for third.