Tour de Scottsdale

Jose Tellez may never be in an Aston Martin again – then again there’s always next year – but his ride in the Tour de Scottsdale was special.

Very special in as much as he was the first one who crossed the line in the 62-mile ride. He was the lead driver in the pace car.

“The ride was good, the car was good,” said Tellez, a veteran of a few El Tour rides as the pace-car driver.  “It had great throttle response, and the brakes were very good … it’s a beautiful car. It was very responsive … like I say, it was a great ride.”

Jose Tellez

The ride was provided by Tour Bronze Sponsor Penske Automotive Group, which also provided the SAG vehicles for the ride.

Tellez led the way for about 1,500 cyclists in the 62-mile event. Another 1,200 rode in the 35-mile ride.

He wasn’t able – for good reason – to get out and move fast but staying in front of the lead pack of the Tour had him going about 49 miles an hour at one point. 

“At points downhill we were clocking that,” he said.

It was his job to make sure the cyclists were safe, and that he had a good view of the course and that, it too, was safe - so looking back and looking forward were always on his mind.

“As I'm looking forward and looking back when I see the racers and the motor cops (trailing him on the route for safety) kind of encroaching, it was it was great to have that throttle response,” Tellez said. “It was smooth and quick.

“I felt very comfortable.”

He added it was like driving a motorcycle, in as much as, “it’s like you have more control of the road. It was fun.”