2013 Tour of California: Stage 2: Murrieta - Palm Springs (199 Km)

[Ryo Hazuki]

todays climb is 6 km at 10% average. that isn't short and mende was a bad exmaple because they softpedaled until westra attacked. was sitll a big group. today there won;'t be. I know you are obsessed with trying to counter all my posts, but give it a rest. it's getting pathetic

 

[Martin]

My pick for today is Tejay van Garderen or someone from an early escape. Tim Duggan lost a lot of time yesterday, he might be allowed to escape...

 

[Jancouver]

So is this climb finishing near the valley station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway?

It is the climb to the Tram station.

BTW you can expect huge gaps as most of the guys will be still fried from yesterday and today will be even hotter. Those 20K of climbing over two days will take its toll. Funny how some guys around here were laughing at TOC. It would be hard race even without the heat. And tomorrow will be another hot one with 10K of climbing.

 

[Pulpstar]

It is the climb to the Tram station.

BTW you can expect huge gaps as most of the guys will be still fried from yesterday and today will be even hotter. Those 20K of climbing over two days will take its toll. Funny how some guys around here were laughing at TOC. It would be hard race even without the heat. And tomorrow will be another hot one with 10K of climbing.

Yesterday's stage looked pretty brutal, massive amounts of salt on the jerseys.

 

[BeachBum]

Those 20K of climbing over two days will take its toll. Funny how some guys around here were laughing at TOC.

I'm not laughing, I'm more than a little POed at the organizers. Palm Springs is fine in February, but who wants to see 2 death marches in a row? It's a race, not a spectacle. There was no need to go over Palomar on the 1st day. They could've started downtown, gone up the coast for 70km and then headed out to Escondido. Or simply done a prologue out to Pt Loma.

Why they had to cook everybody on Day 1 is beyond me--not to mention what may happen today. I'd rather see the racers control the racing, rather than the heat control the racers.

 

[Jancouver]

I'm not laughing, I'm more than a little POed at the organizers. Palm Springs is fine in February, but who wants to see 2 death marches in a row? It's a race, not a spectacle. There was no need to go over Palomar on the 1st day. They could've started downtown, gone up the coast for 70km and then headed out to Escondido. Or simply done a prologue out to Pt Loma.

Why they had to cook everybody on Day 1 is beyond me--not to mention what may happen today. I'd rather see the racers control the racing, rather than the heat control the racers.

Seems like you know San Diego so therefore you should realize that this weather is NOT common in this area! It will be the usual 75-80s starting Wednesday again. Yeah, Cali is not lucky with the weather, (Lake Tahoe stage) but again, this is just a 3 day heat wave. Unfortunately, its just a bad luck.

 

[jens_attacks]

ryo is right . it is a brutal, brutal climb, especially being so exposed to the scorching sun too. there will be big casualties from the gc guys

regarding the frisian beast, i've seen the yesterday stage and he pretty much looked fresh as a peach at the finish. i think he might hang on with the best tonight
but paco will win

 

[thirteen]

It is the climb to the Tram station.

BTW you can expect huge gaps as most of the guys will be still fried from yesterday and today will be even hotter. Those 20K of climbing over two days will take its toll. Funny how some guys around here were laughing at TOC. It would be hard race even without the heat. And tomorrow will be another hot one with 10K of climbing.

they're climbing up to the top of the Tram station???

 

[Jancouver]

they're climbing up to the top of the Tram station???

C'mon man. Think about it. That would be another 10km of climbing. It is just to the tram base station.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Today this team will destroy 95% of the peloton on the last climb:

Schleck and Mancebo to hang on for dear life. Rogers, TJVG and DZ will be gone.

 

[thirteen]

C'mon man. Think about it. That would be another 10km of climbing. It is just to the tram base station.

give me a break. i am jet-lagged beyond belief (belgium - california) and the heat has gotten to me (and i'm further north)... the tram station to me was something i took up to train for high altitude back-packing

i really do feel for all the jet-lagged non-natives. after this past winter in europe, california feels particularly brutal yesterday and today.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Damn I hate to see the riders deal with this crazy heat today!
ToC seems to be more concerned about the local chambers of commerce than the welfare of the riders....

Granted they are having continual sh!t luck...the Tahoe snow debacle and now starting into the desert in a heat wave.

It's actually inhumane and dangerous...
I wish they could at least shorten it....

 

[mewmewmew13]

My pick for today is Tejay van Garderen or someone from an early escape. Tim Duggan lost a lot of time yesterday, he might be allowed to escape...

Tejay is going to fry today...
I'm not sure how he handles heat...but I saw him cruising into town here just a few days ago...when he has been training in our cold snowy wet spring in the mountains.

It must be brutal for him and others like the Euros who have been spending the last few months freezing their butts off

I guess whoever can survive the scorching sun and dry intense heat and still climb well will do the best today...have no idea who it will be then

especially after yesterday's killer.

 

[jens_attacks]

it is inhumane and not healthy but that's pro cycling
volta portugal and vuelta a espana always have these situations so maybe we shouldn't worry so much
organizers did a good job until now gotta say

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I have always liked the Tour of California. There's something special watching it late in the evening. Yesterday was no exception, entertaining finish. Hoping for some good racing tonight

 

[Zam_Olyas]

When will the live broadcast start and is it on tourtracker again?

 

[element]

Watch out for Phillip Deignan today.

 

[BeachBum]

...therefore you should realize that this weather is NOT common in this area!

Escondido is hotter than usual, but the mean high for Palm Springs in May is 95 (35C). They certainly knew that ahead of time. Palm Springs in Feb=good, now=bad. It is 94F in Palm Springs right now, with a high today expected of 108 (42C). It'll be cooler (a little) at the tram station but not much.

Winds from SE @ 5mph (8kph)-- race is going south to north in Palm Springs, so they'll have a slight tailwind.

 

[ElChingon]

When will the live broadcast start and is it on tourtracker again?

2PM PST and TourTracker will be on again, or so they say, should be its pretty consistent.

 

[Jancouver]

it is inhumane and not healthy but that's pro cycling
volta portugal and vuelta a espana always have these situations so maybe we shouldn't worry so much
organizers did a good job until now gotta say

Exactly, the weather around San Diego is usually 75-80F this time of the year. Like they could control the snow during the MSR this year ... its just crazy weather.

Escondido is hotter than usual, but the mean high for Palm Springs in May is 95 (35C). They certainly knew that ahead of time. Palm Springs in Feb=good, now=bad. It is 94F in Palm Springs right now, with a high today expected of 108 (42C). It'll be cooler (a little) at the tram station but not much.

Winds from SE @ 5mph (8kph)-- race is going south to north in Palm Springs, so they'll have a slight tailwind.

Yes, I agree. If I was designing the race, I would not pick Palm Springs either. Same for Palmdale on Tuesday, what a craphole in the middle of nowhere that place is.

 

[Jancouver]

Chavanel in breakaway, that's awesome

... and Ben Jacques-Maynes, the current holder of the Strava KOM on the final climb http://app.strava.com/segments/616496

 

[SKSemtex]

LOL Sylvain. I love it.

 

[Unkown]

Last 2km of the Tram are 12%, gaps are going to be massive.

 

[ElDepo]

I've ridden on these roads for over 15 years. I think the heat will be managable, but tough. Once, the climb starts form Hemet to Mountain Center (only a 5-6% grade), the temp will drop. I see a reasonable temp from about 55 miles to 90 miles (a time to recover and prepare for the hell to come). From 85 miles to about 100 miles you are descending so it won't be that bad. Once a left hand turn is made onto Hwy 111 you are in a furnance for about 20 miles until the TramWay climb. TramWay climb will destroy this field in these conditions. 99% of the field would struggle on TramWay climb in good conditions. It will be epic after 120 miles in the heat.

 

[Scott SoCal]

I've ridden on these roads for over 15 years. I think the heat will be managable, but tough. Once, the climb starts form Hemet to Mountain Center (only a 5-6% grade), the temp will drop. I see a reasonable temp from about 55 miles to 90 miles (a time to recover and prepare for the hell to come). From 85 miles to about 100 miles you are descending so it won't be that bad. Once a left hand turn is made onto Hwy 111 you are in a furnance for about 20 miles until the TramWay climb. TramWay climb will destroy this field in these conditions. 99% of the field would struggle on TramWay climb in good conditions. It will be epic after 120 miles in the heat.

+1

While it will be a little cooler at the top of the Tram climb it will only be a small difference.

It's going to be very hot once they get off the descent. It's flat, but if they are racing it will still be tough.

The Tram climb just sucks. No shade, no nothing. All they are going to get going up is radiating heat and soft asphalt.

Carnage.