I was there, it was excellent, although the pace was so fast that I'd estimate 25% of the starting riders remained after the first ten miles and perhaps 10% remained at the end. Eddy cautioned riders that it was not a race, however he also went to the front to stay safe and set pace himself several times, and the "rolling honor guard" kept the pace relatively high as well. There were some squirrelly riders and we were keen to make sure Eddy stayed upright! By midpoint the front group was down to experienced riders who knew how to ride safely in a group, and we rolled uneventfully for the rest of the ride. The section along China Camp on North San Pedro Road was... blissful.
My pics and story:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
What a wonderful day it was!
Dave Martinez, was that you standing near me on the Cinelli, eighth photo? I hope I wasn't so rude as to snap a pic of your bike and not recognize you and say hello. If so, I apologize. I was overcome by the moment.
Morgan "a fan of Eddy Merckx" Fletcher Oakland, CA