Sacramento Bee – by James Raia – Santa Rosa.—After riding and crashing and periodically winning bike races around the globe for a decade, Tom Danielson had had enough. He realized he’d likely do better if he could see where he was pedaling.

So about 11/2 years ago, Danielson had the lenses in his eyes replaced.

“I kept putting it off year after year, and while not really knowing how important it was,” said Danielson, the Colorado rider who will be among the overall favorites in the Amgen Tour of California that begins Sunday. “Looking back on it, it’s definitely a life-changing experience. It’s enabled me to see really well in every condition. That’s something I never really had before.”