Armstrong: 'Does it always rain here?'

None other than Lance Armstrong posed the question of the day just moments after the finale of Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California in downtown Santa Rosa.

"Does it always rain here?" he wrote on the mini-blog website Twitter.

For the world's top cyclists, it's beginning to feel like it.

The nation's largest cycling race returned to Santa Rosa for the fifth-straight year Monday, but riders and revelers alike were greeted with the same pelting rain and chilly temperatures that marked last year's soggy finish in Santa Rosa.

Though the weather held down the crowd size and prompted a scaling back of downtown race events, organizers insisted it was well worth the $175,000 community investment.

"The national exposure for Santa Rosa and Sonoma County is phenomenal," said Mayor Susan Gorin.

The rains seemed to mock the major change in scheduling that moved the eight-day race from February to May in large part to take advantage of California's sunny skies and allow riders to push higher into the mountains.

"If it was dry it would be perfect," said the day's stage winner, Brett Lancaster of Cervelo TestTeam. "But that's cycling, that's just the way it is."

What it was was wet.

Temperatures didn't get out of the mid-60s and .38 inches of cold rain fell from just about the moment the 125 riders clipped into their pedals and set out from Davis Monday morning.

Despite the slickers, umbrellas and rain jackets, thousands of revelers packed Courthouse Square to gawk at display bikes, sip sample pomegranate juice and ring the ubiquitous cow bells.

"I love the ambience and small town feel. I love how cycling friendly it feels," said Kevin McIntyre of Puyallup, Washington, who grabbed a spot at the finish line at 9:30 a.m. Monday morning.

Santa Rosa resident and three-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer finished in the main group and is in 12th place overall. He is 10 seconds behind new race leader Lancaster with six days of racing remaining.

After whipping across the finish line, Leipheimer rolled back down the finishing stretch with RadioShack teammate Armstrong at his side and gave a thumbs up to the cheering crowd.

Race organizers credit local backing by Leipheimer as one of the key ingredients for Santa Rosa's success in luring the race back year after year.

"I can't think of a race without (Santa Rosa)," said Michael Roth, vice president of communication for tour organizer AEG. "The way this town supports the race and the way this town supports cycling and the way they support the three-time defending champion (Leipheimer) — it will always make it one of the very best stops every year."

Race backers raised the $175,000 required for hosting the stage — none of it city funds, said Mo McElroy, executive director of the Santa Rosa Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Leipheimer donated $60,000 from the first annual Levi's GranFondo bike ride last October to keeping the tour coming to Santa Rosa.

All 16 teams are staying in local hotels — booking approximately 600 rooms, said McElroy. Scores of local businesses set up booths promoting their wares — both cycling related and not.

"The biggest thing for us is the awareness it brings to cycling," said Phil Scheidler of NorCal Bike Sport of Santa Rosa. The tour "brings it to the front, cycling in Sonoma County, it helps all of us bike shops."

At least three teams have come to Santa Rosa to train in advance of the race, said Santa Rosa Mayor Susan Gorin.

"We are a cycling destination; we want to continue to promote that," she said.

But the exposure, for the second year in a row, was muted by the foul weather.

Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft couldn't fly Monday, preventing hours of aerial views of the colorful peloton rolling through Sonoma County and into Santa Rosa's downtown circuits from being aired on television.

Additionally, Gorin said the city has begun to field complaints about traffic in the city's core. The frustration was amplified this year, Gorin said, because it marked the first time the race rolled into Santa Rosa on a weekday that wasn't a holiday.

"Traffic was pretty much a gridlock for an hour or two," she said. "We have gotten a number of phone calls."

Santa Rosa CityBus, Sonoma County Transit and Golden Gate Transit all altered their routes and a number of stops were altered for the afternoon.

Despite the dreary weather and an after-race street party that didn't materialize as envisioned because of the rain, the mood among fans was markedly upbeat.

"People were awesome," said Katherine Castillo, owner of Checkers Bistro & Wine Bar on Fourth Street. Her restaurant suffered from low patronage Monday, but Castillo said the event has a lingering positive impact on downtown businesses.

"I think these events carry on. I think they showcase what a great place Santa Rosa is because Santa Rosa rocks," she said.