1996 Olympics: Women's Road Cycling....on the streets of Buckhead

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The site below was placed online in July & August, 1996, and has largely been left in its original form

Women's Road Cycling....on the streets of Buckhead

This was one of four events on "public" courses, meaning they were too big to secure well enough to make folks pay to get in. It occurred the first Sunday morning of the Olympics, 7/21, on the streets of Buckhead. Out of towner's are allowed to wonder, "what's a Buckhead?" It's a vaguely defined *neighborhood* centered on Peachtree Street, filled with bars, restaurants, and general Hotlanta Nightlife. But it's not just an entertainment district, as it also includes upscale shopping, the Governor's Mansion, and many of the oldest most expensive homes in town.

There were dozens of great vantage points to shoot this event, but for perhaps subconcious reasons, I chose Peachtree Battle Avenue, a tree-lined old South $$$ kinda neighborhood. As I waited patiently (a vital Olympic skill), I realized it was one day shy of the 132nd anniversary of the Battle of Atlanta, and there I stood near the banks of Peachtree Creek, where some of the bloodiest fighting of the campaign occurred. An odd juxtaposition....

Oh, yeah, the road cycling. Sorry, I was having an *Olympic Moment(tm)*. The event consisted of eight laps around a 8.1 mile course, approximately 65 miles total, at an average speed of 35 to 40 miles per hour. As they passed my vantage point, they were traveling at least that fast, 50 yards from a 90 degree turn. They hit top speeds of 60 to 70, but not on my stretch. They were moving plenty fast for this ol' photographer....but perfect for the *panning/blur* technique I've utilized a lot on these sports.

The question I've been asked most about this event reflects that American NASCAR attitude about sports..."did you see any good crashes?" Well, no. These folks didn't need training wheels, and I wasn't aimin' to shoot bikes and athletes lying on the asphalt.