If the Tour of California were to be moved to the previous slot in the calendar held by the Tour of Georgia and was extended to be a 2 or even 3 week Grand Tour, as Armstrong mentioned it has the potential to be, show us a stage you think should be on the route. Here’s mine:
point to point, mountain top finish - Merced, Ca (elevation 170ft) through Yosemite, detouring on the loop through the majestic Yosemite Valley to the top of Tioga Pass, the East Park Entrance (elevation 10,000ft).
I have no clue how long the Golden Gate bridge is, but it would be awesome to have a TT from the one side to the other side, epic view for sure!! I assume its probaly around 2-4 mile long bridge??
If the Tour of California were to be moved to the previous slot in the calendar held by the Tour of Georgia and was extended to be a 2 or even 3 week Grand Tour, as Armstrong mentioned it has the potential to be, show us a stage you think should be on the route. Here’s mine:
point to point, mountain top finish - Merced, Ca (elevation 170ft) through Yosemite, detouring on the loop through the majestic Yosemite Valley to the top of Tioga Pass, the East Park Entrance (elevation 10,000ft).
Map Here http://maps.google.com/...UTF8&t=p&z=9
Death Valley to Whitney Portal. Lowest to highest points in the lower 48 states 
how about some OC exposure…start in lake elsinore/perris, up Ortega Hwy to Antonio Pkwy to Live Oak Canyon past Cooks up and through Modjeska Grade out through the canyon and possibly out Jamboree towards PCH with a finish in Newport/Dana Point/Laguna/HB. Or go left after Cooks and do a few laps of the 84 olympic course in Mission Viejo. That would certainly sort the field out, that course if nasty. Lots of options.
Stage 2 goes over the GG. It isn’t as long as you think. - under 2 miles. Regardless, 4 miles for a TT?
Two words, Death ride!!!
Well what I meant to say is a prologue instead of TT…4 mile prologue would be perfect.
TT from Coronado inland to the foothills and back accorss the bridge.
Circut race on Catalina or Disney for the crowd/pulbicity.
Nationals Course in OC, or use parts of the '84 Olympic route too and connect w/ Los Alisos/Marguerite/El Toro/Santiago…
provide some maps!
check this out…start in Lake Elsinore finish in Dana Point Harbor
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/ca/rancho%20santa%20margarita/713796442805
Start in Lake Elsinore finish at the finish line of the "84 Olympic course
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/rancho-santa-margarita/311766875402
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This is the 2nd year with cold rain. Maybe moving it to the old ToGa spot would be smart, but then, any desert stages would need to start at 6am!
I do think some desert stages would rock, though. Going through Joshua Tree! or through Death Valley - did that this summer and it was brutal, not so much the heat (it was early morning) but the fact that you go from 5,500ft to -200ft back up to 5,500ft in a relatively short amount of time!
I have no clue how long the Golden Gate bridge is, but it would be awesome to have a TT from the one side to the other side, epic view for sure!! I assume its probaly around 2-4 mile long bridge??
Not long enough. It’s 1.75 miles. Plus, it took them 4 years to get just part of the bridge closed down for a very short period of time today. Totally shutting it down will probably never happen.
clm
They could go through Yellowstone National park as well as the Badlands.
jaretj
it is the same problem with the PGA tour. Our “bad weather season” is much more reliable than most other regions on season so you roll the dice. I think you would not get the fields if it was a different time. Half these guys halve zero expectation for this race. It is like a training camp…but if it rains every year and these guys super fragile immune systems you will lose out…of course I doubt the weather is much better in Flanders.
Tons of great bay area rides I’d like to see them do - climbs: Highway 9 to skyline, page mill road, Mt. Diablo. Would be cool to see a TT on Canada road.
It’s a crap shoot. This is the first bad weather we’ve had all winter. Two weeks ago, on February 1st, I was racing a crit here with short sleeved jersey and short, no arm or leg warmers.
clm
Any idea on if ToC moves it dates of the races, say closer to the Tour of Ga timeline…I ask and this may be off, but would it be a bigger event then, because now it seems like half the field is just “training” and the other half is using it as serious racing. Seems, a date later in the cycling calendar could lead to better big time results possibly??
Has there been talk of moving it or is it set for the mid Feb time table?
provide some maps!
Here you go: 118 miles, 20,000 ft. of climbing.
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/furnace-creek/337413784781
Either the Tahoe/Donner area or part of the death ride. I think that is the one thing that this tour needs, a real mountain stage.
Either the Tahoe/Donner area or part of the death ride. I think that is the one thing that this tour needs, a real mountain stage.
I’d think the only problem with that is you take it out of the population centers and your fan base, plus logistics for start/finish towns and hotels. Even with the pouring rain today, there were lots of people heading to the bridge to watch and yesterday there were big crowds in the rain at the finish.