I have a long history of covering Mountain Bike events… but I have not had a lot of opportunity to photograph road racing. So when I was offered the chance to cover The Tour L’Etape in Escondido this year I was thrilled. The route took the riders up Mt Palomar from Escondido so it was a formidable climb, but it was a beautiful day and the roads were surprisingly quiet.
I decided that since I was not offered an official support vehicle (motorcycle) this year – I really needed to maximize my opportunity to get some photos when I had the chance. I was able to set up in 2 locations during the race (I beat the racers to the top of the mountain after shooting my first location) so I decided to use 2 cameras simultaneously in both locations so I could get 4 completely unique set of images. At both locations I used a telephoto lens to catch the riders at a distance, and then I had a remotely triggered camera to catch a wide-angle shot as they came past me.
If you are looking to purchase photos of yourself from this race – please visit Scott Christopher Stolarz Photography

Location 1

Location 2