California Teams Announced.

[Mellow Velo]

No, not the finish. Pasadena is a focal point of the race. It is the start that will be effected. I would guess some sort of a transfer, but if you look at the profile,

you can see how the stage climbs in two phases. Landslides, I would guess.

Others will know about possible alternatives and their relative "toughness".

This could dilute the stage a lot.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Ridiculous that Jamis isn't invited! Why? Because they have foreigners that kick the American riders asses in the NRC?

 

[Boeing]

Ridiculous that Jamis isn't invited!

yup.

just throwing this out there for thoughts with out considering all the data: Why not bring out the Live Strong development team for this one if indeed it is marketing campaign before it is a bike race? Odds are a kid like Ben King would win a stage and break a few pro legs along the way....

The shift to May might be corporate myopia. too much emphasis on what benefits the US bike industry rather than the International Sport itself.


Apart from team selection as this thread is intended I will suggest
the one thing the organizers are up against in California especially socal (to their credit) is bureaucratic city/county council management issues. One of the reason Orange County is not on the map every year is the permit process, cost etc. The number of cities a stage must pass through increases the political hoops one must jump through to organize a stage and all of them have their hands out... The filing for local crits in one city is enough to drive the most dedicated locals out of the sport...

 

[MacRoadie]

Apart from team selection as this thread is intended I will suggest
the one thing the organizers are up against in California especially socal (to their credit) is bureaucratic city/county council management issues. One of the reason Orange County is not on the map every year is the permit process, cost etc.

Yup

The BIGGEST headache the organizers got last year was from the San Diego CalTrans district #11 regarding the Palomar Mountain stage.

Keep in mind the race had gone accross the freakin Golden Gate Bridge in stage 2 without a hitch and had passed through six CalTrans Districts before San Diego, but because each District acts like it's own little fiefdom, the "powers that be" in San Diego decided that they were going to throw a wrench in the machinery.

Not only did they make the organizers jump through hoops to run a race in a decidedly remote and rural corner of northern San Diego County, but they also caused friction with the local Native American Tribal Councils in the area.

At the end of the day, there was a lot of finger pointing and I doubt you'll see a stage down there in the near future...

 

[BroDeal]

Ridiculous that Jamis isn't invited! Why? Because they have foreigners that kick the American riders asses in the NRC?

No one in America cares about the NRC. The attendance of the lowest ranked Pro Tour team would create more excitement than a team that won every NRC event.

 

[Polish]

Does anyone know why Kenda Geargrinder is not on the list?

Phil Gaimon had a nice showing (2nd on GC) in Southeast Asia this year.

The only silver lining I can think of for them not racing - Frankie Andreu
may be able to do the play-by-play again on the live Amgen "Tour Tracker"
online feed.

He is a VERY articulate/entertaining/knowledgeable announcer imho!


http://www.infernoracing.org

 

[Boeing]

Yup

The BIGGEST headache the organizers got last year was from the San Diego CalTrans district #11 regarding the Palomar Mountain stage.

Keep in mind the race had gone accross the freakin Golden Gate Bridge in stage 2 without a hitch and had passed through six CalTrans Districts before San Diego, but because each District acts like it's own little fiefdom, the "powers that be" in San Diego decided that they were going to throw a wrench in the machinery.

Not only did they make the organizers jump through hoops to run a race in a decidedly remote and rural corner of northern San Diego County, but they also caused friction with the local Native American Tribal Councils in the area.

At the end of the day, there was a lot of finger pointing and I doubt you'll see a stage down there in the near future...

I guess caltrans is shutting down part of stage 6 as well because of rock slides. They must have a crew of 12 there now. 1 picking up rocks and 11 others standing around watching till break

 

[webster]

Jamis Sutter Home did not get invited because they failed to show up last year. They did not get the nod in 2008, then begged and pleaded for a spot in 2009, and proceeded to show up unprepared.

As far as Floyd goes, could he even win a Cat 3 crit right now? His form is unpredictable and when it is bad, it is realllllly bad.

 

[colovelo]

Fly V is legit.

You are going off one race where the whole team was on the front the entire race. Day had the lead from the TT, and if you watched or read a race report, the whole team was on the front. If they wanted to win a stage they could have but rather wanted the overall win.

Fly V has been considered one of the stronger teams all year.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I guess caltrans is shutting down part of stage 6 as well because of rock slides. They must have a crew of 12 there now. 1 picking up rocks and 11 others standing around watching till break

While I can not disagree with your characterization of the Caltrans work crew, the reason the race can't use the lower parts of Hwy 2 up from La Canada is because in several places there is no road. The proposed opening date keeps getting pushed back as well. I think they are having a hard time coming up with the money to rebuild. There are places where the road is literally gone. Between the millions they have spent cleaning out the debris basins (there has been a constant stream of private contracter dumptrucks all day every day since the first rains months ago) and what they are looking to spend to repair the roads, I'm thinking the money they would have spent putting planes in the air the first day to knock down the damn thing doesn't seem like such a big waste now.

 

[Boeing]

While I can not disagree with your characterization of the Caltrans work crew, the reason the race can't use the lower parts of Hwy 2 up from La Canada is because in several places there is no road. The proposed opening date keeps getting pushed back as well. I think they are having a hard time coming up with the money to rebuild. There are places where the road is literally gone. Between the millions they have spent cleaning out the debris basins (there has been a constant stream of private contracter dumptrucks all day every day since the first rains months ago) and what they are looking to spend to repair the roads, I'm thinking the money they would have spent putting planes in the air the first day to knock down the damn thing doesn't seem like such a big waste now.

we are kindof of saying the same thing kindof except the planes in the air part which I have not the intelligence to process in context

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Jamis Sutter Home did not get invited because they failed to show up last year. They did not get the nod in 2008, then begged and pleaded for a spot in 2009, and proceeded to show up unprepared.

As far as Floyd goes, could he even win a Cat 3 crit right now? His form is unpredictable and when it is bad, it is realllllly bad.

they did show up last year and rode very well. amaran was doing top 20 until a crash

 

[ozerulz]

Overall in the long run the race will move out of California anyway. Too crowded and too many financial problems(state government). Armstrongs discussions about reviving the coors classic may bear some fruit in the future unless he tanks miserably at the tour.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Here's the new st 6 route:

Palmdale City Hall will serve as the backdrop for the most difficult stage in the five-year history of the Amgen Tour of California. After a five-mile neutral section heading south on Sierra Rd., the route makes a left turn onto Angeles Forest Highway. Facing the riders is the imposing San Gabriel mountain range, and within a few miles the first of seven KOMs will be crested. After a blistering descent from Mill Creek Summit, the route turns to Upper Big Tujunga and then onto Angeles Crest Highway. From there, the riders continue on a 135-mile odyssey with more than 12,000 feet of climbing. The race will climb to a high point of nearly 8,000 feet as it rolls along the Angeles Crest Highway. Then, there is a brief respite as they descend to Wrightwood and over to Highway 138. The route again ascends as it passes through Crestline and Lake Arrowhead, as the cyclists take to the “Rim of the World” highway. Entering the Big Bear area, the riders will take the northern route around Big Bear Lake and then tackle the last rise to the finish at a more than 7,000-foot elevation at the Snow Summit ski area for the Amgen Tour of California’s first-ever alpine finish.

...............