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Tour of California, Stage 8: Santa Clarita - Thousand Oaks, 132.4 km

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jobiwan

jobiwan

Jul 28, 2010
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Last day of a tough Tour.
Last year a break won a slightly tougher version of the same finish.
However, if it comes to a sprint, then it's shaping up to be Sagan vs. Sky.

KOM: McCarty (clinched)
Points: Sagan
Youth: Van Garderen
GC after stage 7:
1 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack 20:50:02
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:00:38
3 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:02:45
4 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:03:18
5 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 0:03:23
6 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:03:26
7 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:04:12
8 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:04:33
9 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:04:50
10 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:06:16

Map:
stage_8_map_600.jpg


Profile:
stage_8_profile_600.jpg


I'm going to go out on a limb and say that a Rabobank rider will win from a break.
They've been at it all tour. Martens or Friere FTW!
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
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Something worth keeping an eye on will be the number of DNFs - they'll want to have more people complete the race than last year to show improvement in the value of the race to the riders the same as the improvement in the visual spectacle of the race that they've already shown by having a much better parcours this year.
 
benpounder

benpounder

Mar 10, 2009
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Libertine Seguros said:
Something worth keeping an eye on will be the number of DNFs - they'll want to have more people complete the race than last year to show improvement in the value of the race to the riders the same as the improvement in the visual spectacle of the race that they've already shown by having a much better parcours this year.
Click to expand...
Why do you think the metric by which a race is judged successful is how few DNF's that race incurs?

The second week of the Giro just concluded, and they have lost 20% of the starting field, yet I doubt you would say the Giro was unsuccessful.
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
32,227
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benpounder said:
Why do you think the metric by which a race is judged successful is how few DNF's that race incurs?

The second week of the Giro just concluded, and they have lost 20% of the starting field, yet I doubt you would say the Giro was unsuccessful.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's THE metric.

It's the reasons for the DNFs as well. A lot of short stage races feature a lot of the péloton climbing off. Last year the naysayers made a big deal out of a huge amount of the péloton climbing off and not caring about completing the race. Something like 60% of the riders who started DNFed last year's Tour of California, which they'd want to improve on.

Riders will always drop out of races for a variety of reasons - illness, injury, fatigue, have achieved all they hope to from the race - but it's a useful barometer of the esteem a race is held in to see how much of the péloton want to finish the job off.

This year's Tour of California has, outwardly at least, been a vastly improved spectacle over last year, and most of the mistakes they made last year have been learnt from.

I feel rather sorry for them trying to follow today's Giro stage though. Tough act to follow.
 
Moose McKnuckles

Moose McKnuckles

Nov 7, 2009
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I think this year's ToC has really highlighted the problem of really only having one ProTour team targeting this race while the rest effectively use it to train.

This is RadioShack's signature race. If they were at the Giro, Leipheimer would be curled up in the fetal position sucking his thumb at the foot of the Zoncolan.
 
M

Mellow Velo

Mar 11, 2009
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Moose McKnuckles said:
I think this year's ToC has really highlighted the problem of really only having one ProTour team targeting this race while the rest effectively use it to train.

This is RadioShack's signature race. If they were at the Giro, Leipheimer would be curled up in the fetal position sucking his thumb at the foot of the Zoncolan.
Click to expand...

Today showed once again, that the sun requiring AToC is trying to grow in the deep shade of the Giro's shadow.

It is developing in very good ways. I approve wholeheartedly of the much improved parcours, but how can it hope to compete with what we experienced earlier today?
Certainly, having one determined and therefore dominant PT team, dulls the senses.
I will watch it tonight, but my mind will be filled with images of feats of action, endurance and skill, that Cali cannot possibly replicate.
(although, the Levi image is coming through, too but with a bottle, not a thumb!)
 
Kwibus

Kwibus

May 25, 2010
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Walkman said:
What the **** was that? Who? Did he...die? I mean :eek:
Click to expand...

No, actually there isn't much wrong with Denifl. His head isn't under that car. The car only hit his shoulder which is certainly hurting him.

There was a newspost on here or on Velonation about the accident, but I can't find it atm.
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
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roundabout said:
I would say that it's unfair to pick a stage were GC contenders lost their helpers before the summit of the 3rd last climb of the day (when was the last time that happened?) for comparison.
Click to expand...

It is indeed, but because that's what most of us have watched today, it's hard to forget about that when judging Cali as a race. This is the problem that Cali has. Not only the way it's tried to push itself and how we've had all kinds of fanciful notions of cutting other races down to make room for it, but simply the fact that the Giro is often the most exciting and gruelling race on the calendar, and because California is at the same time of year it often has to follow that.

If you are able to turn down your Giro mind and enjoy Cali for what it is, we'll probably have an entertaining stage, last year's similar finish was fun at least. But how do you turn down your Giro mind when you've just seen such an amazing spectacle of a stage?

Think of it like going to a music festival. California is a very talented up-and-coming band playing some very good, well-constructed pop songs. But the act they're following are veterans who put on a stunning show with lights, smoke, drama, pageantry and incredible music. It's hard to put that to the back of your mind and avoid unfair comparison exercises.
 
GoAndyGo

GoAndyGo

May 18, 2011
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Yeah the Giro stage today made me tired. I had to take a nap after that. Refuel with oatmeal and Gatorade and get a massage just from watching.

The only reason I am really even watching this last stage of the ATOC is to hopefully see Sagan stay in green at the sprint. All the other jerseys are locked up.
 
GoAndyGo

GoAndyGo

May 18, 2011
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The Hitch said:
Ligget says Horner is on the verge of his first big win.

Yes I know that Ligget is a derranged mentaly unstable idiot, but still.
Click to expand...

+1 about Ligget

Tour wise (stage race this is his biggest in the US). He has won the Tour of Georgia and a few classics but really he doesn't have any huge wins but I don't think you can really categorize a Pro Continental race big. ;)
 
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