2015 Tour of California May 10-17 2015 (2.HC)

[Tragic]

Re:

Reminder, the greatest race (currently live) is now available live at

http://tourtracker.amgentourofcalifornia.com/

Ho-hum. Well, only 8 months until the TDU

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

my god this has to be the worst tour of california ever. terrible line-up, terrible cours and terrible racing. they better change something next year or this race will pretty much die like georgia and others

 

[barmaher]

Yeah, I mean usually I like to watch both the Giro replay and Tour of California back to back on Eurosport when I come home in the evening.

This race sucks so bad that I am really just watching the last few kilometers recorded the next day.

 

[Martin]

Re:

my god this has to be the worst tour of california ever. terrible line-up, terrible cours and terrible racing. they better change something next year or this race will pretty much die like georgia and others

Exactly, lol. So far, each day I fell asleep watching TOC, except that day when Skujins won.

 

[BigMac]

I think the bashing is out of proportion, to be honest. It's not the race per se that sucks, stage three is the example that with a good route this race can deliver. As it did in the past, one way or the other. You have to consider that US terrain, a great deal of time, does not allow for multi mountain stages. Or climbs are so long you can't really connect them and expect to finish on a non remote place. I'm not trying to excuse it entirely, mind it. I think a stage on the sharp streets of San Francisco would always be in order, riders going up Lombard, Prentiss and Filbert streets, and finishing somewhere like the Coit Tower would be memorable. Then a flat stage linking back or to the mountain ranges on the interior. Much better than a pointless stage in Los Angeles which looks more like a parade to please the passing crouds, with a circuit downtown.

As far as the lineup goes, sure It would be better for the future of the race to have some bigger names contesting it, but that's different than calling it terrible, which I think is slighlty absurd. I'd much rather have a fierce battle among riders on a similar level, than some World Tour big name to come and trash the opposition. Give Conti teams a chance in their Continental Tour races.

 

[johnymax]

Yesterday I was really disappointed with the stage. I expected more attacks on the hills some 60-50 km to go but Butler (I think) was the only one who tried. At least I expected TS to push the pace and try to drop Cav but nothing happened. It's a shame cause the weather was there to make the stage hard. I guess everybody was afraid in front of the TT and the queen stage.

 

[DBotero]

Great race or not,but that tourtracker is amazing.Will be good if more races will follow them and provide this type of coverage.

 

[De Snelle Duif]

Re:

Yesterday I was really disappointed with the stage. I expected more attacks on the hills some 60-50 km to go but Butler (I think) was the only one who tried. At least I expected TS to push the pace and try to drop Cav but nothing happened. It's a shame cause the weather was there to make the stage hard. I guess everybody was afraid in front of the TT and the queen stage.

I think Sagan doesn't really have the team for it there. No guys who lead the peloton uphill too fast for Cav. I don't even think there really is a team with good uphill helpers here.

 

[BigMac]

Great race or not,but that tourtracker is amazing.Will be good if more races will follow them and provide this type of coverage.

Not while broadcasters can make money out of race coverage. Anyway, the Tour of Utah and the USA Pro Challenge have it.

 

[johnymax]

So does anybody know how long is the new TT?

 

[Ruudz0r]

Re:

So does anybody know how long is the new TT?

10.6K

 

[johnymax]

Re: Re:

So does anybody know how long is the new TT?

10.6K

Thank you. Was hoping for little more. I guess it's completely flat.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Re: Re:

So does anybody know how long is the new TT?

10.6K

so henao will win this race with 2 hands in his nose.....

 

[BeachBum]

Re: Re:

So does anybody know how long is the new TT?

10.6K

Thank you. Was hoping for little more. I guess it's completely flat.

According to the official Amgen ToC page, the course mostly runs through the Magic Mountain (local amusement park for those not familiar with CA) parking lot.

Course:
http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage6_Map_v4.pdf

Profile: http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage6_Profile_v4.pdf

 

[slosada]

Re: race design, you can do wonders in several places, to do multiple climbs even near beautiful landscape, like, for example going in and out the Silicon Valley towards the Pacific Ocean and finishing in Saratoga Gap (instead of going east to show the dry lands on the East Valley).

Re: Tour tracker, I agree the quality and design is pretty good but it has some pending improvements:
- Bandwidth usage is huge, if you can control at least on the mobile app, it would be great (now it's HD and it takes 1GB from my data plan in minutes)
- The information about the bunch is misleading, it always include the whole field (100+ riders) even if the pack carries 20 riders.
- Time differences have 5 sec minimum resolution. And you have to wait until next refresh to get an update.

 

[SKSemtex]

Can Sagan make it to the podium again today?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I think the bashing is out of proportion, to be honest. It's not the race per se that sucks, stage three is the example that with a good route this race can deliver. As it did in the past, one way or the other. You have to consider that US terrain, a great deal of time, does not allow for multi mountain stages. Or climbs are so long you can't really connect them and expect to finish on a non remote place. I'm not trying to excuse it entirely, mind it. I think a stage on the sharp streets of San Francisco would always be in order, riders going up Lombard, Prentiss and Filbert streets, and finishing somewhere like the Coit Tower would be memorable. Then a flat stage linking back or to the mountain ranges on the interior. Much better than a pointless stage in Los Angeles which looks more like a parade to please the passing crouds, with a circuit downtown.

As far as the lineup goes, sure It would be better for the future of the race to have some bigger names contesting it, but that's different than calling it terrible, which I think is slighlty absurd. I'd much rather have a fierce battle among riders on a similar level, than some World Tour big name to come and trash the opposition. Give Conti teams a chance in their Continental Tour races.

There used to be a one-day race in San Francisco, it was quite interesting.

The 2011 AToC had a very good route. Sierra Road is a good climb for the first few days of a race like this, it is steep enough to open gaps but not so long it demoralizes people behind from thinking they can do anything. In 2012 they fell back into the traps that they did in 2010 (which was an abysmal embarrassment of a race after all the hard selling they did on it). Still, the 2013 and 2014 routes had their moments, perhaps the TT length needed tweaking to balance it out a bit more given the chaining of the climbs.

There are enough options to make a good race, but this year's route has not done a good job in utilizing them, and this has been exacerbated by a weak field made weaker by early exits for Talansky and Barguil.

 

[jens_attacks]

Re: Re:

So does anybody know how long is the new TT?

10.6K

so henao will win this race with 2 hands in his nose.....

fast guys, bet on any other rider than henao to take this.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Kennaugh maybe if he has a super TT?

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

So does anybody know how long is the new TT?

10.6K

so henao will win this race with 2 hands in his nose.....

fast guys, bet on any other rider than henao to take this.

I'm betting on Craddock actually. He can limit his losses on a TT very well. He was 13th last year, 1:33 seconds behind Wiggo, on a 20km course, but then again, Rohan Dennis and Taylor Phiney, very able riders against the clock, 2nd and 3rd that day, did 44 and 52 seconds worse than Sir Brad. And this year there aren't any notably faster time trialists. We will see, I had doubts about his form coming into the race but he as shown to be quite well.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Start times for the ITT (CET):
1 22:05 147 MILLER Carson JHB USA
2 22:06 92 CLARKE William DPC AUS
3 22:07 106 RATTO Daniele UHC ITA
4 22:08 148 WILLIAMS David JHB USA
5 22:09 107 REIJNEN Kiel UHC USA
6 22:10 44 BRESCHEL Matti TCS DEN
7 22:11 132 FRETER Johnathan JBC USA
8 22:12 91 BROWN Graeme DPC AUS
9 22:13 122 ANTHONY Jesse OPM USA
10 22:14 113 DE MESMAEKER Kevin TNN BEL
11 22:15 176 LIVERMON Travis SSC USA
12 22:16 84 CIOLEK Gerald MTN GER
13 22:17 17 VANDENBERGH Stijn EQS BEL
14 22:18 8 EARLE Nathan SKY AUS
15 22:19 134 FISHER Steve JBC USA
16 22:20 18 VELITS Martin EQS SVK
17 22:21 125 ROUTLEY Will OPM CAN
18 22:22 146 LEECE Stephen JHB USA
19 22:23 137 RATHE Jacob JBC USA
20 22:24 95 LAPTHORNE Darren DPC AUS
21 22:25 111 MEGIAS LEAL Javier TNN ESP
22 22:26 138 RODRIGUEZ Fred JBC USA
23 22:27 128 SOLADAY Thomas OPM USA
24 22:28 115 LOZANO RIBA David TNN ESP
25 22:29 121 YOUNG Eric OPM USA
26 22:30 63 VAN EMDEN Jos TLJ NED
27 22:31 98 WIPPERT Wouter DPC NED
28 22:32 158 SCHMALZ Joseph HSD USA
29 22:33 88 VAN ZYL Johann MTN RSA
30 22:34 93 KERBY Jordan DPC AUS
31 22:35 127 ZIRBEL Tom OPM USA
32 22:36 66 VAN ASBROECK Tom TLJ BEL
33 22:37 73 HANSEN Lasse Norman TCG DEN
34 22:38 23 FLAKEMORE Campbell BMC AUS
35 22:39 87 TEKLEHAIMANOT Daniel MTN ERI
36 22:40 171 MARCOTTE Eric SSC USA
37 22:41 83 BRAMMEIER Matt MTN IRL
38 22:42 154 LEWIS Joseph HSD AUS
39 22:43 14 VAN KEIRSBULCK Guillaume EQS BEL
40 22:44 103 CLARKE Jonathan UHC AUS
41 22:45 16 TRENTIN Matteo EQS ITA
42 22:46 131 MORTON Lachlan David JBC AUS
43 22:47 13 LAMPAERT Yves EQS BEL
44 22:48 68 WYNANTS Maarten TLJ BEL
45 22:49 94 KOHLER Martin DPC SUI
46 22:50 118 VERSCHOOR Martijn TNN NED
47 22:51 48 MORKOV Michael TCS DEN
48 22:52 96 MEYER Travis DPC AUS
49 22:53 152 CLARK Oscar HSD USA
50 22:54 105 PUTT Tanner UHC USA
51 22:55 4 ZANDIO ECHAIDE Xabier SKY ESP
52 22:56 175 KOCJAN Jure SSC SLO
53 22:57 62 VAN WINDEN Dennis TLJ NED
54 22:58 35 HUPOND Thierry TGA FRA
55 22:59 67 VANMARCKE Sep TLJ BEL
56 23:00 15 RENSHAW Mark EQS AUS
57 23:01 142 ROMERO AMARAN Luis JHB CUB
58 23:02 34 DE KORT Koen TGA NED
59 23:03 81 FARRAR Tyler MTN USA
60 23:04 77 SKJERPING Kristoffer TCG NOR
61 23:05 52 DEVOLDER Stijn TFR BEL
62 23:06 76 KING Edward TCG USA
63 23:07 117 PLANET Charles TNN FRA
64 23:08 166 OIEN Justin BDT USA
65 23:09 114 HENTTALA Joonas TNN FIN
66 23:10 65 TEUNISSEN Mike TLJ NED
67 23:11 56 VAN POPPEL Danny TFR NED
68 23:12 116 PERON Andrea TNN ITA
69 23:13 123 BOIVIN Guillaume OPM CAN
70 23:14 22 DRUCKER Jean-Pierre BMC LUX
71 23:15 37 WAEYTENS Zico TGA BEL
72 23:16 11 CAVENDISH Mark EQS GBR
73 23:17 174 HUFFMAN Evan SSC USA
74 23:18 153 FLAKSIS Andzs HSD LAT
75 23:19 136 TANOVITCHII Nicolae JBC MDA
76 23:20 161 CURRAN Geoffrey BDT USA
77 23:21 108 SUMMERHILL Daniel UHC USA
78 23:22 42 BENNATI Daniele TCS ITA
79 23:23 33 CURVERS Roy TGA NED
80 23:24 85 GOSS Matthew Harley MTN AUS
81 23:25 54 IRIZAR ARANBURU Markel TFR ESP
82 23:26 151 CARPENTER Robin HSD USA
83 23:27 163 EATON Daniel BDT USA
84 23:28 135 MANNION Gavin JBC USA
85 23:29 168 OWEN Logan BDT USA
86 23:30 144 HAEDO Lucas Sebastian JHB ARG
87 23:31 104 MURPHY John UHC USA
88 23:32 45 HERNANDEZ BLAZQUEZ Jesus TCS ESP
89 23:33 172 BUTLER Chris SSC USA
90 23:34 133 BRAICO Alexander JBC MDA
91 23:35 7 PATE Danny SKY USA
92 23:36 162 DANIEL Gregory BDT USA
93 23:37 78 ZEPUNTKE Ruben TCG GER
94 23:38 177 MCCABE Travis SSC USA
95 23:39 143 OBANDO BRENES Gregory JHB CRC
96 23:40 24 OSS Daniel BMC ITA
97 23:41 86 JANSE VAN RENSBURG Jacques MTN RSA
98 23:42 64 TEN DAM Laurens TLJ NED
99 23:43 74 HOWES Alex TCG USA
100 23:44 55 STUYVEN Jasper TFR BEL
101 23:45 21 SCHÄR Michael BMC SUI
102 23:46 165 GUERREIRO Ruben BDT POR
103 23:47 53 DIDIER Laurent TFR LUX
104 23:48 3 DEIGNAN Philip SKY IRL
105 23:49 167 ORAM James BDT NZL
106 23:50 6 KNEES Christian SKY GER
107 23:51 145 JARAMILLO DIEZ Daniel Alexander JHB COL
108 23:52 2 BOSWELL Ian SKY USA
109 23:53 36 JONES Carter TGA USA
110 23:54 57 ZOIDL Riccardo TFR AUT
111 23:55 97 NORRIS Lachlan DPC AUS
112 23:56 28 WYSS Danilo BMC SUI
113 23:57 173 BRITTON Rob SSC CAN
114 23:58 51 BUSCHE Matthew TFR USA
115 23:59 75 KING Benjamin TCG USA
116 00:00 164 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao BDT GBR
117 00:01 27 SENNI Manuel BMC ITA
118 00:02 124 GAIMON Phillip OPM USA
119 00:03 5 HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis SKY COL
120 00:04 126 WOODS Michael OPM CAN
121 00:05 58 ZUBELDIA AGIRRE Haimar TFR ESP
122 00:06 72 DOMBROWSKI Joseph Lloyd TCG USA
123 00:07 26 ROSSKOPF Joseph BMC USA
124 00:09 101 BRAJKOVIC Janez UHC SLO
125 00:11 1 KENNAUGH Peter SKY GBR
126 00:13 47 MCCARTHY Jay TCS AUS
127 00:15 32 CRADDOCK Lawson TGA USA
128 00:17 25 HERMANS Ben BMC BEL
129 00:19 157 SMITH Dion HSD NZL
130 00:21 61 GESINK Robert TLJ NED
131 00:23 12 ALAPHILIPPE Julian EQS FRA
132 00:25 41 SAGAN Peter TCS SVK
133 00:27 156 SKUJINS Toms HSD LAT

Go Zoidl........

 

[Christian]

Lol you gotta love the irony in this, California is full of gorgeous landscapes and great roads and the only place they can find to hold a TT is the parking lot of an amusement park. Still though, kudos to the organizers for finding an alternate route, surely it's all but impossible to get the necessary permits and what not to close up actual roads on such short notice, so the parking lot may have been the only solution, and a rather creative one at that.

Too bad though I think with this distance and the profile this stage will have little effect on the GC, whereas the original parcours looked very interesting.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Re: Re:

So does anybody know how long is the new TT?

10.6K

so henao will win this race with 2 hands in his nose.....

fast guys, bet on any other rider than henao to take this.

I'm betting on Craddock actually. He can limit his looses on a TT very well. He was 13th lasy tear, 1:33 seconds behind Wiggo, on a 20km course, but then again, Rohan Dennis and Taylor Phiney, very able riders against the clock, 2nd and 3rd that day, did 44 and 52 seconds worse than Sir Brad. And this year there aren't any notably faster time trialists. We will see, I had doubts about his form coming into the race but he as shown to be quite well.

craddock can do a good itt but he has no chance in gc at all.

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

I'm betting on Craddock actually. He can limit his losses on a TT very well. He was 13th last year, 1:33 seconds behind Wiggo, on a 20km course, but then again, Rohan Dennis and Taylor Phiney, very able riders against the clock, 2nd and 3rd that day, did 44 and 52 seconds worse than Sir Brad. And this year there aren't any notably faster time trialists. We will see, I had doubts about his form coming into the race but he as shown to be quite well.

craddock can do a good itt but he has no chance in gc at all.

''At all'' seems forced, why do you say that?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

Lol you gotta love the irony in this, California is full of gorgeous landscapes and great roads and the only place they can find to hold a TT is the parking lot of an amusement park. Still though, kudos to the organizers for finding an alternate route, surely it's all but impossible to get the necessary permits and what not to close up actual roads on such short notice, so the parking lot may have been the only solution, and a rather creative one at that.

Too bad though I think with this distance and the profile this stage will have little effect on the GC, whereas the original parcours looked very interesting.

Due to some enormous parking lots in the US there's been a few solutions like this in various sports. For example, Champ Car World Series used to race in the parking lots of the Pepsi Center in Denver and also Reliant Stadium or whatever the one in Houston is actually called. And of course amusement parks do have a bit of a history with cycling - Futuroscope of course has a rich Tour de France history (and sponsors a women's team), Parque Warner hosted the Vuelta in 2002, PortAventura hosted the Vuelta a few years ago and the Volta a Catalunya this year... and of course there's the famous Disneyland ITT from Le Tour.

It would have been nice if they could have done two laps of the course though like with the Mendrisio Worlds course, although that may have been a bit harder to sort logistically.