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Off the Back ( 9 that there is no more news. The perpetrator has not been identiďŹ ed, let alone brought to justice. In fact, the crime under investigation is only a hit-andrun, intent not being sufficiently established to warrant a charge of assault. But numerous reports suggest little doubt: the vehicle, described as an early ’90s, maroon Ford Explorer, had intimidated cyclists for miles along the route that day before swerving sharply toward Zebarjadian. So why is this case so cold? The answers are complex, but it’s not for lack of diligent effort by the cycling community and law enforcement. “It happened when everyone was going on a pretty good downhill,â€? explains Fisher. “As a cyclist, your eyes are trained on the road. It’s hard to shift your awareness.â€? Given the fast pace of events, nobody could get a license plate number or identify the driver. Sandra Lupien, outreach director for the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition (SCBC), says that two representatives from the sheriff’s department and the California Highway Patrol she works with are cyclists themselves, and affirms those departments’ active cooperation. To date, donors have contributed more than $6,700 for information leading to an arrest. The CHP reviewed photographs and hours of video footage, says Sgt. Robert Mota. People called in tips, and the CHP checked them out. After receiving a report of a vehicle parked on a remote ranch, officers drove a four-wheel drive through two riverbeds and hiked in for half a hour. It wasn’t a match. After all that, “We didn’t get much at all,â€? says Sgt. Mota. “We’re kind of at a wall with this one.â€? Fortunately, such extreme incidents are rare, but the SCBC offers an online form where cyclists can report aggressive motorists. “If it’s a particularly egregious incident,â€? says Lupien, “the police might send a letter, saying that someone who drove this car registered in your name did this, and it’s not OK.â€? Lupien affirms that, given a license plate number,
they will follow up. “Sometimes one warning is all it takes, but as it is with speeding or DUIs, it might take a few warnings to sink in: you can’t harass folks on bikes.â€? Reading through the reports, one might get the impression that it’s absolutely harrowing out there, although they’re distilled from a seven-year time frame. “I was hit in the back with a can of soda,â€? complains an early entry. More recently, a stocky Caucasian male drove a truck through Alexander Valley, “screaming, ‘all people on bikes should die.’â€? White males driving trucks hold no monopoly. A middle-aged blonde female driving a Ford Excursion chased cyclists down Fountaingrove Parkway, honking and ipping them off, stopping to “yell at us and tell us to get off the road.â€? Sgt. Mota says that the law is perfectly clear on that point, citing Section 21202(a) of the California Vehicle Code: “Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.â€? The roadway, Sgt. Mota emphasizes, means the mosttraveled part of the road—between the center line and the white line. Meanwhile, this year’s GranFondo has grown to include 7,500 riders. For their part, the CHP plans to enhance its presence—at a cost of $45,000, paid for by the GranFondo. “The goal is for people to see us out there, and to be able to respond in a timely manner—not that I think there will be a reason,â€? says Sgt. Mota. With Zebarjadian back on the road, and the GranFondo going stronger than ever, there may be only one person who has not yet demonstrated their inner strength in the past year. As Lupien says, “I feel sad for the person who knows, but is not coming forward.â€? Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo begins on Saturday, Oct.1, leaving from Finley Park in Santa Rosa at 8am. Anyone with information regarding last year’s hit-and-run incident can contact the CHP at 707.588.1400.