Suffering cyclists

Wet and windy weather punished cyclists and fans alike Thursday during the Amgen Tour of California’s fourth stage, which coursed down the Big Sur coast to San Luis Obispo.

Suffering, say professional cyclists, is an essential element of their sport, and there was an abundance of that for those competing and those cheering.

Severe headwinds and rain delayed the riders more than two hours from their expected arrival in San Luis Obispo. About 120 racers left Seaside in Monterey County at 10 a.m. and traveled just more than 135 miles to reach San Luis Obispo about 5 p.m.

Along the way, they braved Highway 1’s cliffs and sharp turns on rainslickened pavement. Gusty winds blew rain into the riders’ faces and soaked them to the bone, leaving race officials concerned about hypothermia developing among riders.

Dominique Rollin of the Toyota-United Pro team mounted a breakaway to capture the stage handily. Levi Leipheimer of Team Astana kept the yellow jersey as overall race leader.

The drippy conditions didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of spectators, who huddled under umbrellas and awnings near the Monterey Street finish line and cheered as racers approached.

Fans clanged cow bells and clapped inflatable thunder sticks long before the riders neared the end.

“We’re all acting a little crazy to see what we can do to get on TV,” said Paul Reis of Palo Alto.

Dave Hunt traveled from Colorado with his family to watch the race in the rain — his first time seeing the event.

“I don’t know what I’m doing out here,” he joked as a gust of wind and rain blew across Monterey Street.

Doug Higgs of Modesto said recent drug scandals have haunted the sport of cycling, but he said he believes officials have cracked down as best they can with frequent testing.

Higgs, a former racer himself, said he will continue to follow the sport and enjoy it. A volunteer marshal last year, Higgs said he noticed a large decline in attendance in San Luis Obispo on Thursday because of the weather.

“You’re seeing a lot fewer people out this year,” he said. “Last year, it was four and five rows deep near the finish and now you see one.”

The cancellation of the downtown Farmers Market was announced in the afternoon. The general rule is if it’s raining at 3 p.m., then the event is closed.

“This is the last thing we wanted,” said Diana Cotta of the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association.

Along the route

Heide Santos, a volunteer with the Cambria Community Emergency Response Team, braved the weather to help guide traffic and answer questions at one of Cambria’s busiest intersections near Moonstone Beach. She was one of 22 Cambria volunteers helping out.

With the northbound lanes of Highway 1 closed before the racers arrived, a steady stream of drivers stopped to ask when they might pass through. Many out-of-town visitors were trying to make afternoon tours at Hearst Castle or drive up the coast to San Simeon or San Francisco.

Santos kept a smile, despite motorists’ flaring tempers.

Nearby, about two dozen locals and tourists wearing jackets, hats and scarves clustered under umbrellas on the corner of Main Street waiting for the cyclists to pass.

Robert and Letti Blanco of Thousand Oaks were among the first to gather there. They were looking for their son, Richard, who was cycling with an amateur team ahead of the Amgen Tour.

The Blancos drove ahead of their son, carrying supplies for his team.

“The weather has made this year more of challenge,” Robert Blanco said. “They’re pretty wet.”

Many of the spectators decided to watch the race because they couldn’t get to their destinations until it was finished.

Ken and Jan Fudge of Sacramento cuddled close, trying to keep warm under a black Harley-Davidson umbrella. The couple came to the Central Coast to celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary and Jan’s birthday, and they were stuck in Cambria waiting for Highway 1 to open so they could drive to San Simeon.

“The race went right by our house in Sacramento, and I didn’t even go outside,” joked Ken Fudge. “And now here I am, out in the rain waiting for it.”

CHP Sgt. Gary Hanson said the crowd was sparse compared with years past.

“Two years ago there were 1,500 people at this intersection,” Hanson said. “The rain kept them home this year.”

Supporting the cyclists

It was a similar story at popular race-watching spots in Morro Bay and Cuesta College.

In Morro Bay, about 50 people gathered atop a highway overpass to watch the racers. Most had been checking online race reports so they could stay warm at home for as long as possible.

Weather conditions worsened as the cyclists entered Morro Bay, where a strong headwind slowed racers and reduced the lead group to seven riders.

But the fans emphasized that they needed to support the cyclists, who’d endured far worse along the course.

“They deserve to be cheered on. They’ve been in the saddle for five hours now,” said Melinda Elster, who along with her husband, Bruce, watched the race alongside Highway 1 in Morro Bay.

When the peloton — or main pack of riders — finally passed, the riders looked serious and subdued. Many had plastic ponchos over their jerseys and cycling shorts in an effort to stay dry.

The flimsy jackets were similar to one worn by Bruce Bruton of Atascadero, who waited in the rain for more than three hours at Cuesta College as a course monitor volunteer.

Bruton, in his second year of volunteering, said he planned to go to Solvang and help out at today’s Stage 5 time trial.

“I’m fascinated with the Tour de France, and since they want to make this a rival to that, I figure they need all the help they can get,” Bruton said.

This year’s Tour of California concludes Saturday with a ride from Santa Clarita to Pasadena and laps around the Rose Bowl.

Tribune staff writers Leah Etling, AnnMarie Cornejo, Sona Patel and Nick Wilson contributed to this report.