Todd's Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions

In a small sauce pan on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Once hot, quickly add the crushed tomatoes (if you are slow, you will be sad with splattering). Add all ingredients. Simmer on a gentle boil for 30 minutes, stirring every 10. It is a good idea to cover the pot with a screen to prevent splattering. As shown below, you should end up with a very vibrant red, fairly thick, and great tasting pizza sauce!

USA Pro Cycling Challenge 2011 - Stage 6 Finish in Denver, CO

Overall winner Levi Leipheimer leads the celebration after crossing the finish line in downtown Denver. Race officials estimated the crowds lining the roads from Golden to the state Capitol at more than 250,000. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

Dad and I went to downtown Denver to view the end of stage 6, the final stage, to this year's inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge. We found a nice shaded area on the west side of northbound Speer Boulevard just a hundred feet or so south of Colfax. Here, the cyclists had to take a sharp left hand turn. They would swing out wide on the turn and end up just a few feet from our curbside position. You could feel the breeze they created as they flew by. The race would go by us 6 times as the riders had to go around the 5-mile circuit in downtown 6 times. Thus, it was a good spot to watch and take photos. So, here are some of them (click an image to see the full size).

Our location on the route indicated by the blue dot.

View of the corner the cyclists had to negotiate

The breakaway group arrives with about a 2 1/2 minute lead

Race leader Levi Leipheimer and his chase group arrive.



Back of Leipheimer's group

Part of the small peleton arrive. These guys got smoked on Lookout Mountain and are frantically chasing down Leipheimer's group.

These Team Skil guys are way off the back.

The four stage leaders pass by on lap #2 with about a 2 minute lead.

One of the two helicopters covering the race passes directly over us.

Levi Leipheimer, with some of his Team Radioshack teammates are still in pursuit of the leaders on lap #2. Lead is less than 2 minutes

More of the peloton. Note Tejay Van Garderen in the best young rider's Blue Jersey.

Back end of the peloton. Note Andy Schleck in the Most Aggresive Rider (for Stage 5) orange jersey.

Team cars following the peloton

Radio Shack and Garmin-Cervelo team cars.

Blurry back end of Garmin-Cervelo's team car. They are going fast!

Team United Health Care's team car.

George Hicapie and Cadel Evan's BMC Racing team car.

Two USA Pro Cycling event cars indicating the riders are close again

Denver's finest keeping people from crossing the course

Trying to show that these guys are going fast!

The four leaders on Lap #4. Their lead is now under one minute.

Levi Leipheimer is cruising behind his Radio Shack teammates.

Toward the back of the peloton.

The back of the peloton.

Suffering stragglers.

Suffering stragglers.

Suffering stragglers.

One rider in the breakaway attacked and gained a lead on lap 5.

Another rider from the original breakaway is between the leader and the peloton.

I chose to watch (and not take pictures) of the peloton on lap #5. These guys are off the back of the peloton.

The breakaway was caught by the peloton by Lap #6. Here's the lead support car.

The infamous yellow motorcycle that tells the lead rider the time difference is now just ahead of the peloton.

Levi Leipheimer is at the front of the peloton on the final lap and is going to win the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Check out Rabobank's Laurens Tan Dam on Levi's wheel. He was the Tour de France rider that flipped over his handlebars and hit his face on a rock. He is looking much better now.

A Liquigas rider is getting ready for the group sprint at the finish line.

Cadel Evans, winner of the 2011 Tour de France, rides hard to catch up to the peloton after suffering a flat rear tire.

Jonathan Vaughters (dude with massive sideburns and geek glasses) - Manager of Team Garmin-Cervelo

Tommy Danielson (left) and Tejay Van Garderen.

Tommy Danielson (left) and Tejay Van Garderen.

Winner of stages 4 and 5 as well as the final Green Jersey Elia Viviani. He got smooched.

Elia Viviani acknowledges the cheering crowd. Check out the beak on that dude!

Team Exergy's "Fast" Freddie Rodriquez came in third place on the stage.

Garmin-Cervelo's Danny Summerhill placed 4th on the stage.

Team Liquigas's Timmy Duggan won the orange jersey for the most aggresive rider of the stage.

Levi Leipheimer walks off as the winner of the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Some weird cross-dressing cycling enthusiast. Nice tiara bro.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge race banner featuring George Hincapie who won stage two that went from Crested Butte to Aspen

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Here are some more pictures taken by others at the race.

Levi Leipheimer rolling along in yellow. - courtesy Gary Williams

Tour de France podium finishers - Andy Schleck in the orange jersey followed by Cadel Evans and Frank Schleck. - courtesy Gary Williams