2012 Tour of California May 16 stage 4: Sonora - Clovis 209.6 km

[manafana]

lads lets chat about race, have let in smaller teams anyway, and not like rodriguez has been poor for his lesser team, been in top 10 two stages.

Of course not same level as Grand Tour, the pace is bit more easy during day.

Sagan again followed home by bonnen who i think might dig in on climb.

 

[Froome19]

I think we can all settle down now, race must be starting soon in any case.

Yep it has just started this very second.

I cant look past Sagan even if we see Kittel make an overdue appearance at the business end of the stage.
The sprinting competition isnt so great here compared to the Giro and this means that there is less jostling in the peloton bringing down the risk of crashes and positioning is easier. This means that if you are the fastest as Sagan evidently is, it is much easier for you to get to the front and win the stage then it would be for the fastest at the Giro, cav.

 

[BillytheKid]

Sounds like Bavarian rider is on the cycling news editor team.

They took improvement last year and dulled it down. Instead of trying to traverse the state south. They should just work the north. Give a stage to the towns one day and give one to the terrain the next. The highlights come on at midnight and have given way to great Stanely Cup play which is much better than the mess they've made of the Cali. Amgen/California wake up! Race design fantasy time I guess.

Stage 1. Santa Rosa to Santa Rosa, postcard shot and a big party downtown. Stage 2: North from Santa Rose crossing over to Highway 1 several times loping back south to finish on the Irish Hill.

Whatever.

 

[burning]

BR theories are genius, like steeper stuff suits big riders more etc

Tony Martin will win easily a 5 km %20 mountain time trial, you dont know what you are talking about

 

[BillytheKid]

For the riders who have the courage to ride at the front, or in the breakaway, or even compete in the Tour of California, who have devoted this part of their lives, to compete in an international competition, at this level. in the race which might or might not be the pinnacle of their careers, I salute you.

I salute all the athletes in all sports, who compete with their hearts, and acknowledge and try to support their sponsors.

Dude, its about the course. The climbs make no sense. There is always the 15k regroup zone before the in-town finish. Even the climb to Big Bear ends this way? Pull that one back to the top of the hill and you would have massive attcking by the climbers and a completely differnet tatic, but instead they have no incentive to attack because of must-have, in-town finish that the Chamber types want.

Example: Sans the Sierra Hill finish this year.

 

[offbyone]

This racing is so utterly boring it is hard to believe. The lame easy course with no decisive moments sets the tone for it.

I feel bad for the contenders who have only 2 stages that will really affect the standings. Sagan is tremendous, but his wins are surely coming easy from uninspired racing.

Even if we pretend to ignore the fact that the Giro is a 3 week race compared to the 1 week ToC, comparing the ToC to the Giro is ridiculous. The volume of climbing in a stage doesn't mean much unless the climbing is positioned in the course so that it creates real decisive racing moments. The organizers should be ashamed at this sham of a race.

I can't ever imagine some kid watching this race thinking, "I want to win the Tour of Cali one day." The TV coverage might be good, but the course doesn't even give the riders the opportunity to be hero sufferers that inspire young riders tuning in.

Anyways looking forward to another day of the pro cyclist parade waving at their sponsors for 6 hours. Yeah

 

[jens_attacks]

so are we again behind the time schedule?yes we are....
what a snoozefest incredible,37 km/h and it was mostly downhill lol

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I wonder if bavarianrider actually watch this race or any kind of races...think he looks at the profile and quickly go through the result after the race is done.

 

[mastersracer]

There are lots of power files available online from the different races. Hunter Allen has posted them for at least the last 2 years for TOC. TOC is not as easy as you think if you look at the files - a better way to measure how hard a race is than its entertainment value to viewers.

 

[burning]

This racing is so utterly boring it is hard to believe. The lame easy course with no decisive moments sets the tone for it.

I feel bad for the contenders who have only 2 stages that will really affect the standings. Sagan is tremendous, but his wins are surely coming easy from uninspired racing.

Even if we pretend to ignore the fact that the Giro is a 3 week race compared to the 1 week ToC, comparing the ToC to the Giro is ridiculous. The volume of climbing in a stage doesn't mean much unless the climbing is positioned in the course so that it creates real decisive racing moments. The organizers should be ashamed at this sham of a race.

I can't ever imagine some kid watching this race thinking, "I want to win the Tour of Cali one day." The TV coverage might be good, but the course doesn't even give the riders the opportunity to be hero sufferers that inspire young riders tuning in.

Anyways looking forward to another day of the pro cyclist parade waving at their sponsors for 6 hours. Yeah

You are right this stage had over 4km of vertical climbing but was utterly boring

 

[cleverhans]

oddly enough, there was an actual shark attack reported on the Calif. Central Coast yesterday, read about it here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/15/national/a080621D91.DTL&tsp=1

Coincidence? I don't think so. Forza Squalo!

 

[offbyone]

You are right this stage had over 4km of vertical climbing but was utterly boring

I assume you are being sarcastic. So you actually think the Tour of California course is a tough race?

 

[Don Johnson]

Dude, its about the course. The climbs make no sense. There is always the 15k regroup zone before the in-town finish. Even the climb to Big Bear ends this way? Pull that one back to the top of the hill and you would have massive attcking by the climbers and a completely differnet tatic, but instead they have no incentive to attack because of must-have, in-town finish that the Chamber types want.

Example: Sans the Sierra Hill finish this year.

The ToC is a prep race for the tour, showcase of California, a chance for the US Pros to race against the"Big Boys."

It makes me sad to hear it demoted here like an unwanted stepchild.

There are epic mountaintop finish potential here such as Kings Grade,at Tahoe, Onion Valley Road, Whitney Portal, etc.Eastarn Sierra.

Even to doze out Tioga Pass, riders riding through 12 foot snow banks would be epic.

Maybe someday.....

 

[Hugo Koblet]

So who's gonna finish third today? Going with Boonen is boring so I'm calling Fast Freddie.

 

[offbyone]

The ToC is a prep race for the tour, showcase of California, a chance for the US Pros to race against the"Big Boys."

It makes me sad to hear it demoted here like an unwanted stepchild.

There are epic mountaintop finish potential here such as Kings Grade,at Tahoe, Onion Valley Road, Whitney Portal, etc.Eastarn Sierra.

Even to doze out Tioga Pass, riders riding through 12 foot snow banks would be epic.

Maybe someday.....

After last year I had hope, but as BillTheKid pointed out, it actually got easier this year with the removal of the Sierra Hill finish which was a real good day of racing last year.

Maybe someday...

 

[Zam_Olyas]

The ToC is a prep race for the tour, showcase of California, a chance for the US Pros to race against the"Big Boys."

It makes me sad to hear it demoted here like an unwanted stepchild.

There are epic mountaintop finish potential here such as Kings Grade,at Tahoe, Onion Valley Road, Whitney Portal, etc.Eastarn Sierra.

Even to doze out Tioga Pass, riders riding through 12 foot snow banks would be epic.

Maybe someday.....

The places/hils the peloton has ridden on looks likes good places to go for a ride. Cali is really a beautiful state.

 

[burning]

I assume you are being sarcastic. So you actually think the Tour of California course is a tough race?

No way man, I mean Sagan might win overall

 

[Parrulo]

oddly enough, there was an actual shark attack reported on the Calif. Central Coast yesterday, read about it here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/15/national/a080621D91.DTL&tsp=1

Coincidence? I don't think so. Forza Squalo!

that's a good sign for the next couple of days

when are the 2 GC relevant stages of this race anyway?

 

[jens_attacks]

The break includes Markel Irizar Aranburu (RadioShack-Nissan), Benjamin King (RadioShack-Nissan), Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Yannick Eijssen (BMC Racing Team), Wilco Kelderman (Rabobank Cycling Team), Alex Howes (Garmin-Barracuda), Timothy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale), Wesley Sulzberger (Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team), Mikael Cherel (AG2R La Mondiale), Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Colombia-Coldeportes) and Carlos Julian Quintero (Colombia-Coldeportes)


well this might be interesting...lots of teams have guys there...atapuma can't stay calm until mt baldy it seems

 

[offbyone]

No way man, I mean Sagan might win overall

It wouldn't surprise me. He only has to worry about getting shelled on Baldy and if I recall he won the Big Bear stage last time it was there with that pathetically neutralized finish.

 

[classicomano]

Edit: too late. Go Kelderman!

 

[Froome19]

that's a good sign for the next couple of days

when are the 2 GC relevant stages of this race anyway?

3: Tomorow's TT, Big bear lake day after and MT Baldy the day after that. After those 3 people's opinion (even after these boring stages) may be altered a tad

After last year I had hope, but as BillTheKid pointed out, it actually got easier this year with the removal of the Sierra Hill finish which was a real good day of racing last year.

Maybe someday...

Well we will see what Big bear Lake has to offer, it disappointed in 2010, but it has the potential to be defining if someone is really, really strong or has done really, really bad in the TT.

 

[Gloin22]

I am quite sure break will win this already at this point Who would want to chase in the peleton anyway ? Kelderman to gain 10mins here and win GC

 

[Parrulo]

3 possible,notice the word possible, good stages won't make up for the absolute bore fest this race has been so far.

ty for the info tho

 

[Froome19]

3 possible,notice the word possible, good stages won't make up for the absolute bore fest this race has been so far.

ty for the info tho

They will change opinions concerning the quality of the race though

I am quite sure break will win this already at this point Who would want to chase in the peleton anyway ? Kelderman to gain 10mins here and win GC

Tim Duggan domestique for Sagan:
"When you have some like Peter Sagan whom you know that you can deliver, you can go above and beyond what you can normally do. Today is a really hot hard and long day. Since the team won three stages already, we're not going to be doing all the work today. We'll see who else wants to work today and win a stage. We might try to put someone into the breakaway."

He is effectively condemning this stage to a break and possibly Kelderman/Atapuma to the overall