Tour of California, Stage 7: Claremont - Mt. Baldy, 121.9 km

[jobiwan]

The queen stage of the AToC!
No, it ain't Zoncolan, but it's a mighty fine climb for the 4th GT! (kidding!)
Hoping Andy goes for it, but Horner's looking like a mighty good pick right now.

Top 16 GC:
1 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack 17:17:01
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:00:38
3 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:01:38
4 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:39
5 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:44
6 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 0:01:54
7 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Leopard Trek 0:02:26
8 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:02:27
9 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:43
10 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:54
11 Andrew Talansky (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:02:56
12 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:58
13 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:03:29
14 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:03:56
15 David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:04:04
16 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:04:18

Going to be an interesting day for Big George if he starts, he's in a tough one now.
As for the race, best climb the Tour's ever had. Hope for a good race!

Map:

Profile:

 

[auscyclefan94]

Hincapie ftw,

In all seriousness, the gc will be turned upside down tommorow. it is anyones ball game as there is so much climbing that we could see massive time gaps.

 

[jaylew]

Aah, dessert! I've ridden every inch of this route many times so I'm really looking forward to watching this one. It'll be cool to see the old stomping grounds.

The last 8k is obviously the hardest stretch and the last short bit before the ski lifts is the steepest part. My computer always measured it at 18-19% but I've heard as low as 16 and as high as 22. Big time gaps tomorrow if it's really raced.

I'll be curious to see if P&P mention the Hincapie-Lance stuff.

Horner
Tommy D
Schleck
Levi

 

[blaxland]

Horner,Schleck,Sutherland and Morabito will take this stage out....

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I bet Leecheimer tries to stab Horner in the back. That is, if he can get in a good shot before Horner drops him like a bad habit.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Levi wants to win this. He'll do anything to win a 4th title. I hope Morabito and/or Moinard can do something special

 

[usedtobefast]

it is as nasty as it gets, just steep and relentless. all bets are off.

 

[Criteriums!]

Parking on Mt Baldy?

Does anyone have any advice about driving to Mt Baldy for the end of the stage? Can I park in Mt baldy Village and then walk up to the finish or is it going to be such a zoo that I can't make it to the finish?

 

[jaylew]

I really doubt you're going to want to walk the 6 miles from Baldy Village up to the finish. I think they are actually selling parking spots at the finish but I don't know if they're all sold.

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/docroot/media/2011/Stage-7-Spectator-Guide.pdf

 

[ansimi]

Schleck might actually try for this one. Last year he barely opened his eyes at ATOC but I think he has a lot more responsibility to sponsors at his new team.

Garmin can't be too happy with 4th and 5th. They'll probably have Hesjedal attack pretty early.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I believe this is a Category 1 equivalent in John Summerson's excellent book.

Here it is on ClimbbyBike, with the hardest part at the finish.

I like someone to jump ahead for the stage, and Horner to make sure Schlekette doesn't get anywhere ahead of him.

 

[rgmerk]

I believe this is a Category 1 equivalent in John Summerson's excellent book.

Here it is on ClimbbyBike, with the hardest part at the finish.

Assuming that the riders are doing the whole thing, I would think Mount Baldy is a HC climb in any race in the world.

Jeez, the Arcalis climb in Andorra was hors categorie in the Tour (admittedly, at the end of a really long stage) and it's a piece of cake compared to Baldy according to that profile.

 

[Tuarts]

Only 76km? No messing around it seems!

 

[woodie]

Only 76km? No messing around it seems!

76 miles, not kms, its 121km

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Assuming that the riders are doing the whole thing, I would think Mount Baldy is a HC climb in any race in the world.

Jeez, the Arcalis climb in Andorra was hors categorie in the Tour (admittedly, at the end of a really long stage) and it's a piece of cake compared to Baldy according to that profile.

That profile is of the climb FROM CLAREMONT. What they're doing is the first 2/3 or so of that climb, then a loop in another direction, then climbing up another road (which has a fair bit of false flat) to the same point again, then climbing the final (steepest) 1/3rd up to the summit.

I agree that from Claremont to Mount Baldy, 20,7km @ 7,0% = HC in most books (not the Giro nor Vuelta though, as they don't have "HC" as a category). But the route they're doing is not that, it's shallower and with more respite, but with the hardest part of the climb still intact, so I can see why 1st category would suffice.

 

[Astana1]

This is the one I have been waiting for. This is the stage to watch today.

 

[greenedge]

Garmin and BMC to attack. They both have 4/5 riders in top 20

 

[craig1985]

Zoncolan and then Mt Baldy, it makes me tired thinking about it.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Garmin and BMC to attack. They both have 4/5 riders in top 20

yep, I wouldn't be surprised if moinard and hesjedal go early to put pressure on radioshack.

 

[Christian]

I bet Leecheimer tries to stab Horner in the back. That is, if he can get in a good shot before Horner drops him like a bad habit.

I hope he lets Horner take the GC, from what I understand that is pretty much the only American race he has not yet won

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

LTD wooo

 

[spalco]

Does anyone know when tv coverage starts for this? Eurosport apparently starts at 23:00 CET if my tv program can be trusted, is that the earliest?

 

[jobiwan]

Does anyone know when tv coverage starts for this? Eurosport apparently starts at 23:00 CET if my tv program can be trusted, is that the earliest?

My TV says Versus isn't won't be showing it till 6:00PM local time, and that can't be live as the rest of the Tour has been live at 4:00 and finishing at 5:00.
Evidently they're showing Indy 500 QUALIFYING instead of Mt. Baldy live.
Shack tracker looks like video will be on at the same time though.

 

[spalco]

Shack tracker looks like video will be on at the same time though.

Ah, do you mean this site, do they have live pictures there? Anyway, they say 2pm PDT, which according to my calculations is 11pm CET, so it doesn't matter.

 

[jobiwan]

One question has been answered.
Not only is Big George racing, he's in the early break.

BREAK:
Hincapie
Talansky
Froome
Belloti
Niermann
Efimkin
McCarty (KOM)
Britton