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Amgen Tour of California 2019, May 12-18

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Yes and no. I think a race that had started in the Lance years would run the risk of being overly associated with the Lance years, and would probably be running into the same troubles (increased cost of operations, less governmental assistance than European races receive, calendar clashes with more traditionally popular races) the ToC is this year, but with the addition of a bunch of photos from the race’s early years of America’s most-talked-about-cyclist, possibly in a leader jersey, possibly even on a final podium (in Atlanta, Sacramento, Austin, wherever).

What America needs is a face that becomes as recognized as Lance’s, but squeaky clean and without the baggage. And plaster that face all over the rebooted ToC, or whatever WT event they come up with to replace it.
 
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The ship has long ago sailed for any race on par with or more significant than TOC in the US. The cost simply can't be justified without VERY significant financial contributions from an individual or entity that sees promoting a bike race as a philanthropic endeavor.
 
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The ship has long ago sailed for any race on par with or more significant than TOC in the US. The cost simply can't be justified without VERY significant financial contributions from an individual or entity that sees promoting a bike race as a philanthropic endeavor.
This is not a finite timeline game, there’s always a future, and there’s always a space to be found. Look at Strade Bianche or the Tour de Yorkshire; they didn’t exist not so long ago, but now they’re inked into the calendar and Strade is rivaling some of the biggest classics.

I guess what America needs to have a WT race is to find a pocket of fans who will line the road rain or shine, like Yorkshire, or find a defining characteristic that sets it apart from other races, like Strade Bianche. And that’s not necessarily to have a gravel race, but there is something to be said for building off the success of existing, highly successful American events like Dirty Kanza, Leadville, etc, or even RAGBRAI.

It’s a more natural way of creating such an event than to just plonk a major race into somewhere that such a thing has never existed before and expect it to thrive.
 
This is not a finite timeline game, there’s always a future, and there’s always a space to be found. Look at Strade Bianche or the Tour de Yorkshire; they didn’t exist not so long ago, but now they’re inked into the calendar and Strade is rivaling some of the biggest classics.

I guess what America needs to have a WT race is to find a pocket of fans who will line the road rain or shine, like Yorkshire, or find a defining characteristic that sets it apart from other races, like Strade Bianche. And that’s not necessarily to have a gravel race, but there is something to be said for building off the success of existing, highly successful American events like Dirty Kanza, Leadville, etc, or even RAGBRAI.

It’s a more natural way of creating such an event than to just plonk a major race into somewhere that such a thing has never existed before and expect it to thrive.
It looks like there's truth in what you, GFVTA and Koronin have said. It will take a strong and marketable US face(s), perhaps a serious 1 day race aligned with the Canadian events and some good luck. Then an angel cycling lover to bankroll the logistics for something else.

Assuming those possibilities; where would the 1 day event and then the Unicorn/weeklong Tour be held?
 
It looks like there's truth in what you, GFVTA and Koronin have said. It will take a strong and marketable US face(s), perhaps a serious 1 day race aligned with the Canadian events and some good luck. Then an angel cycling lover to bankroll the logistics for something else.

Assuming those possibilities; where would the 1 day event and then the Unicorn/weeklong Tour be held?
I’m gonna be biased and say that California has the population base and economic strength to support the race, and variety of terrain (high mountains, windswept plains and valleys, twisting ocean roads) to provide an all-round test of the riders’ abilities. The only problem is that CA sports fans are so fair weather.

A Fall classic in New England could be amazing picture-postcard stuff. East coast has the advantage of being closer to Europe.

Florida/Texas if you want to compete with the Middle Eastern early-season stage races with bright sunshine and pan-flat routes for the sprinters.
 

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