2012 Giro U.S. Stages Possibilities

[the vagabond]

What would be good venues if the 2012 Giro runs a couple of road stages in the U.S. after the prologue and D.C. circuit? I'm thinking south to Richmond and then back north maybe out of some place like Williamsburg would be good. Going east or northeast poses traffic problems and going west or southwest has logistics problems not to mention more hills than probably wanted on early stages. Any thoughts?

 

[ak-zaaf]

According to Google Maps you can do a ±220km stage from DC to Philly while avoiding highways. Philly has a little cycling culture right?

 

[Moondance]

I admit I haven't been following the Giro d'America news very closely, but has there been any indication yet of how many stages will be in the US yet?

 

[Mstumpf77]

Some of the old Tour duPont mountain stages along the Blue Ridge are well within range of D.C. Wintergreen anyone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvnrzU-rGX0

 

[Moondance]

Some of the old Tour duPont mountain stages along the Blue Ridge are well within range of D.C. Wintergreen anyone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvnrzU-rGX0

I don't think the Giro organizers will be looking to make the US leg of the race very difficult. Financing will also be a major issue and they'll want to stick with starts and finishes in big(ish) cities that can fork out some money and bring in some local sponsorship. So small cities like Wintergreen will miss out I imagine.

 

[the vagabond]

I'd also love to see a Giro stage in the Blue Ridge with something like a Wintergreen finish. And that's only 130 miles or so from Dulles Airport, so it could conceivably be the last stage, giving another day or two for flat stages first. I'm assuming they'll do an early rest day to get the riders back to Italy.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

According to Google Maps you can do a ±220km stage from DC to Philly while avoiding highways. Philly has a little cycling culture right?

I believe they held the US national championships in Philly before moving to Greenville.

 

[Mstumpf77]

I don't think the Giro organizers will be looking to make the US leg of the race very difficult. Financing will also be a major issue and they'll want to stick with starts and finishes in big(ish) cities that can fork out some money and bring in some local sponsorship. So small cities like Wintergreen will miss out I imagine.

You're probably right. However, I would think that the best way to get American sponsors to participate would be to argue that a sponsorship now would allow them to get in on the ground floor in an effort to prove that it's possible to hold some stages of the Tour de France, the only race that the American public follows, in the United States. It follows that, to get the Tour (an extraordinary longshot at best), you have to show that U.S. stages would make for great competition. A long stage of flat followed by a bunch sprint, whether north to Philly or south to Richmond, doesn't qualify. But you're right that a D.C. circuit race or a couple such stages are what we're likely to get.

 

[Moondance]

You're probably right. However, I would think that the best way to get American sponsors to participate would be to argue that a sponsorship now would allow them to get in on the ground floor in an effort to prove that it's possible to hold some stages of the Tour de France, the only race that the American public follows, in the United States. It follows that, to get the Tour (an extraordinary longshot at best), you have to show that U.S. stages would make for great competition. A long stage of flat followed by a bunch sprint, whether north to Philly or south to Richmond, doesn't qualify. But you're right that a D.C. circuit race or a couple such stages are what we're likely to get.

But why would the Giro directors be interested in this point. They're just trying to make as much money as possible: and that means crits and big cities for starts & finishes. The Giro isn't doing this as a charitable act to help out US cycling.