The prospect of 75,000 people descending on downtown Sacramento Saturday morning is both exciting and daunting. Those of us who live and work in the central city and environs are eager for people to enjoy our beautiful hometown, but we're also wondering just how this is going to work out.

And legislators and staff who are going to be at the Capitol Saturday to conclude (we hope) the disastrous budget process, are going to find their morning commute, and parking, more difficult than usual. At least they can use the underground Capitol parking.

For the rest of us, the solution to the first question regarding the race is simple: Don't Drive: Ride! Unless you live in Roseville or further, you should be biking into town to see this major bike race. Yes, it may be raining, but if you can stand in the rain, you can ride in the rain. In fact, riding in the rain is fun. And parking is a breeze! There will be free valet parking for 1000 bikes in front of the Capitol on 10th Street.

So, you're riding in. Wear something to protect you from the weather, and be prepared to get a little wet in any case. You won't be anywhere near as wet as the 136 participating racers are going to get, and you have indoor plumbing for an eventual hot shower, so what are you complaining about? 

And bike riders get an extra activity to enjoy: Starting at 11:30 a.m., there will be a "community bike ride" for whoever wants to ride the course before the big guys take over. I ride a good portion of this route every day to work, and it is as beautiful a commute as the world can reasonably offer. Highly recommended.

The course starts between 8th and 9th Streets on Capitol Mall, just west of the State Library and Supreme Court buildings. It then shoots all the way west on the Mall, turning at 4th Street and racing back east on the south side of the Mall, turning south on 9th for a block, then east again along N Street on south side of Capitol Park. It's a straight-away all the way to 19th Street, where they turn north for two blocks, then turning west again on L Street and racing to the finish line at 11th and L, in the shadow of the Capitol dome.

The route is a short, quick 2.4 miles, with racers expected to hit speeds nearing 40 MPH on the straight-aways on N and L Streets. But this is not a race of riders competing against each other in a pack, as the rest of the stages of the race will be, starting Sunday in Davis. These are time trials, the racers going one-by-one, every minute, against the clock, starting at 1:30. So if you arrive at 2:30 or even 3:00, the "race" will still be going on. In fact, while it'll be fun (assuming the weather cooperates) to come early and enjoy the "Lifestyle Festival" set up on 10th Street in front of the Capitol, the big names in the Tour - current Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre of Spain, Tour de France tragedian Floyd Landis, 2008 Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, two-time Amgen winner Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa, and of course, all-time-great Lance Armstrong - won't even be riding until the very end of the race, sometime around 3:30 p.m. The race is expected to end by 4 p.m.

Where you choose to watch the race from depends on what's available, and we're not sure about the availability of the grassy median on Capitol Mall, which would seem to be the best place to see each rider do two straight-aways on either side. Plus the overall views of the Capitol to the east and the Tower Bridge to the west make this a great option.

If you're big on the big finish, that's at 11th and L, which means that the city parking garage at that intersection might offer some choice, if not particularly comfy, overviews of the finish line. But most likely, walking around and checking out the whole scene will be the most fun, especially if it's not raining.  

If you drive, be prepared to walk. There are garages in the area, but they will fill up early, and parking will be enforced throughout the day. Sacramento is a fantastic walking town, so I'll make one more pitch to NOT drive your car in. It'll only be a hassle. Better to ride your bike or RT, and walk. No matter how far you walk, you won't be working as hard as the 136 riders roaring through town Saturday.

Regional transit from the south area and the east goes to the 13th Street station and the 8th Street station, and from the north, to the Alkali Flats station on 12th Street, which will get you pretty close. Or you can take Amtrak to the 5th and I Street station and walk to Capitol Mall. 

However you get there, this is going to be one of the biggest events ever held in downtown Sacramento, and well worth the effort.

As I write this on Friday afternoon, it is POURING rain. A completely dry, drought-provoking January, and now this, right in time for the race. But if this water ends up on the slopes and in the reservoirs come April and May, the inconvenience to race-goers this weekend will seem small price indeed. Bring it on!