ToC: Big Bear stage: no uphill finish

[Angliru]

The ToC organizers have announced that there will be, instead of an actual summit finish at the end of the Big Bear stage (the queen stage), there will be 10 km of flat after the climb before the finish. What a disappointment! It was my thought that one of the reasons for the move to May was to allow for an actual summit finish. Although over 10,000 feet of climbing will be endured on the stage the 10 km of flat leading to the finish will almost nullify
the gains made on final climb.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=6

 

[Publicus]

The ToC organizers have announced that there will be, instead of an actual summit finish at the end of the Big Bear stage (the queen stage), there will be 10 km of flat after the climb before the finish. What a disappointment! It was my thought that one of the reasons for the move to May was to allow for an actual summit finish. Although over 10,000 feet of climbing will be endured on the stage the 10 km of flat leading to the finish will almost nullify
the gains made on final climb.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=6

I was disappointed by the finish as well. Unless someone completely blows up the race on the final part of the climb, there will be very few time gains. This race will come down, yet again, to the TT.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Pretty much a dud if you ask me. It looks taylor made to keep anybody from getting a gap on LL that he can't make up in the TT.

 

[BYOP88]

pretty much a dud if you ask me. It looks taylor made to keep anybody from getting a gap on ll that he can't make up in the tt.

bingo!!!!!!

 

[biokemguy]

Hope the road is open by then

http://www.sgvtribune.com/rds_search/ci_14328787?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com

ANGELES FOREST - Winter storms washed large parts of Angeles Crest Highway down steep mountain cliffs, and state workers said Wednesday the road likely won't re-open until March, if not later.

I was hoping for the route to go up Highway 39 since it's a more consistent grade rather than the undulating Highway 2. Now both roads are in various states of disrepair.

 

[tifosa]

The 2010 TOC route, considering it's running in May, is quite a disappointment.

Especially Big Bear.

Why the change from February, when you don't make use of May conditions? <rhetorical question>

 

[BroDeal]

Well, this blows.

Zabriskie's chances just went up. So did Tommy D.'s.

 

[ErmOkk]

Bah yes this sucks big time, why don't they take advantage of the race being in May :s Will there actually be a climber that wants to challenge LL there? Where the **** will he drive away and take a lot of time :s What a let down.

 

[BikeCentric]

http://www.sgvtribune.com/rds_search/ci_14328787?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com



I was hoping for the route to go up Highway 39 since it's a more consistent grade rather than the undulating Highway 2. Now both roads are in various states of disrepair.

Knowing CalTrans I highly doubt that will be fixed in time for the race.

Anyway, I am really disappointed that they'd take away the summit finish; the entire announced reason to move the race to a later date was so a summit finish in the Sierras would be possible. And they are really shooting themselves in the foot by removing what is best about bicycle stage racing: mountain-top finishes!

Oh well, I hear that there's a good race in Italy that's going on at the same time as the TOC!

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

It's lame but excellent for DZ. If the sprinters can hang throughout the stage, we'll be treated to another sprint finish and no chance to gain or lose significant time. The Stage 7 TT will decide.

 

[hfer07]

this is just another reason to maintain full interest in the Giro----they just ruined the most important stage of the entire race-Don't they want to embarrass LA either? are the organizers on crack?

 

[Publicus]

this is just another reason to maintain full interest in the Giro----they just ruined the most important stage of the entire race-Don't they want to embarrass LA either? are the organizers on crack?

Absolutely. I'm not going to even bother going to the stages near my home. What a waste.

 

[BikeCentric]

Absolutely. I'm not going to even bother going to the stages near my home. What a waste.

I'll probably head up to Santa Rosa or Sacramento this year to see one of the stages because I completely skipped the whole thing last year.

But this whole thing is truly disappointing - if they want to grow this sport in the US then promotors need to go all-out and really put on a big show; building up hype of a mountain finish and then dashing it is just dumb.

As you know there are plenty of good mountains in CA that could be used for this purpose.

 

[flicker]

yeah but what do we american fans know about cycling anyway?

 

[Publicus]

I'll probably head up to Santa Rosa or Sacramento this year to see one of the stages because I completely skipped the whole thing last year.

But this whole thing is truly disappointing - if they want to grow this sport in the US then promotors need to go all-out and really put on a big show; building up hype of a mountain finish and then dashing it is just dumb.

As you know there are plenty of good mountains in CA that could be used for this purpose.

Plenty of good mountains and excellent roads. Perhaps their problem is since the lead sponsor is AMGEN, they are forced to artificially end the race in the LA Metro area. Perhaps if they could attract enough sponsors so that there is no lead sponsor to design the course around, the course could ultimately get better.

I don't know, for all the hype the move was supposed to have on the course, this one seems more disappointing than the others.

 

[flicker]

Once again NORCAL is where the action is. Sorry southland you can watch the dregs revolve around the Rose Bowl.

 

[*G*K*S*]

this is just another reason to maintain full interest in the Giro----they just ruined the most important stage of the entire race-Don't they want to embarrass LA either? are the organizers on crack?

Haven't the organizers been spouting off over the last couple of years how the ToC will one day rival the biggest/best stage races in the world? LOL!!! World class stage races have mountain top finishes you ****ERS!!!! Get a f'ing clue. This is soooo disappointing.

 

[usedtobefast]

all i can say from reading the posts, is, you have not ridden those roads. some very steep up and down. it will be a very hard day.

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/docroot/media/2010/Stage6-profile.pdf

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/docroot/media/2010/2010-stage6-map.pdf

fyi, the road around the lake is not flat and is very technical in places.

 

[djlovesyou]

They may as well make it a summit finish.

They can always neutralise it if anyone manages to gap Levi.

 

[Hugh Januss]

all i can say from reading the posts, is, you have not ridden those roads. some very steep up and down. it will be a very hard day.

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/docroot/media/2010/Stage6-profile.pdf

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/docroot/media/2010/2010-stage6-map.pdf

fyi, the road around the lake is not flat and is very technical in places.

No doubt it will be a hard race of attrition, but we won't see a strong climber gain enough time to maybe take the race from the strong TTers. The last 10 miles ensures that it will be a group of strongmen finishing together, imo anyway.

 

[bianchigirl]

They may as well make it a summit finish.

They can always neutralise it if anyone manages to gap Levi.

So true - I'm surprised they even make Levi ride - he could spectate with a bottle of beer and still be declared the winner, the rules have been bent so often for him.

Any short stage race that doesn't balance a TT with an MTF will always be biased in favour of the time triallers. Shame, a real opportunity missed for the race to present a challenging parcours - now people will still p*ss themselves at the thought of it being 'the Fourth Grand Tour'

 

[excelerator]

So lame! They should have taken the race behind the sierra, Mojave to Whitney Portal? Bishop to Mammoth Mountain? So many better options. Looks like the big cities took precedence over good racing. Maybe finsih at Snow Valley Ski Area 15 miles earlier but still on the grade?

 

[BikeCentric]

all i can say from reading the posts, is, you have not ridden those roads. some very steep up and down. it will be a very hard day.

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/docroot/media/2010/Stage6-profile.pdf

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/docroot/media/2010/2010-stage6-map.pdf

fyi, the road around the lake is not flat and is very technical in places.

I take it you lack reading comprehension or just don't understand bike racing? I don't see anyone complaining that it won't be a hard race; I see people disappointed that there won't be a mountain-top finish.

If you don't know why this would disappoint people then I suggest you go watch a few old GT's on video tape and figure it out.

 

[krebs303]

So lame! They should have taken the race behind the sierra, Mojave to Whitney Portal? Bishop to Mammoth Mountain? So many better options. Looks like the big cities took precedence over good racing. Maybe finsih at Snow Valley Ski Area 15 miles earlier but still on the grade?

Badwater to Mt Whitney Portal would be epic

Badwater, at 282 below sea level, is the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere and Whitney Portal (8,360) is the trailhead that leads to Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m).

Whitney Classic

 

[usedtobefast]

I take it you lack reading comprehension or just don't understand bike racing? I don't see anyone complaining that it won't be a hard race; I see people disappointed that there won't be a mountain-top finish.

If you don't know why this would disappoint people then I suggest you go watch a few old GT's on video tape and figure it out.

are you just a a douchbag or am i not getting what you are spouting? it is at the
top of the mountain. you don't know what your are talking about.
all in a loving way, of course.