Waitresses are what’s happening at Waffle House. They’re quick-witted, know every angle and mostly call everyone “sugar” or “darlin’.” I know a reporter for a cycling magazine who has stolen a coffee mug from every Waffle House he’s visited. He could likely serve an NFL team coffee with Waffle House mugs to spare. But Waffle House is still a new phenomenon for me. I first visited Waffle House last year at the Tour de Georgia. The waitress at the counter who served me was the manager. At one point during my meal she left the restaurant and helped a customer

Five days into the Tour de Georgia, I’ve finally driven the roads that remind me why I appreciate bicycle racing. The route for stage 5 took the field from Suwanee to Dahlonega, and at 133 miles, it was the longest day of the weeklong race. The alternate route from Lake Lanier Island (where the entourage stayed after stage 4) to the finish was much shorter — only a 90-minute drive. I took the roads less traveled. The freeway ended after 35 miles with a sudden left-hand turn onto Duncan Bridge Rd. Farmlands with twisting single-lane roads featured ideal scenery —