Tour of California 2014 **Spoilers**

RonB
RonB Posts: 3,984
edited May 2014 in Pro race
11.05.2014 to 18.05.2014
Two mountain top finishes and a flat individual TT, I hope there are some opportunities for breaks and splits along the way. Eight Brits across five teams are due to ride on Sunday at the moment. Here is the provisional Startlist.

Stage1, Sun 11th May, Sacramento to Sacramento 193km
Amgen-Tour-of-California-Stage-1-1392928827.png

Stage2 (ITT), Mon 12th, Folsom to Folsom 20km
Amgen-Tour-of-California-Stage-2-ITT-1392928869.png

Stage3, Tue 13th, San Jose to Mount Diablo 174km
Amgen-Tour-of-California-Stage-3-1392928940.png

Stage4, Wed 14th, Monterey to Cambria 165km
Amgen-Tour-of-California-Stage-4-1392928980.png

Stage5, Thu 15th, Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara 174km
Amgen-Tour-of-California-Stage-5-1392929089.png

Stage6, Fri 16th, Santa Clarita to Mountain High 152km
Amgen-Tour-of-California-Stage-6-1392929146.png

Stage7, Sat 17th, Santa Clarita to Pasadena 142km
Amgen-Tour-of-California-Stage-7-1392929196.png

Stage8, Sun 18th, Thousand Oaks to Thousand Oaks 134km
Amgen-Tour-of-California-Stage-8-1392929246.png

TV Schedule - Live on ES. First stage from 2300, weekday stages 2200 then stage 7 from 2130 and stage 8 from 1800. All times BST. I wish I could find better profiles :?
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Comments

  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,160
    Lot of music/song references in those placenames.

    I would advise against googling Folsom images :roll:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Are both Yates brothers riding?
  • DL1987
    DL1987 Posts: 204
    Looking forward to watching Thursday's stage, Santa Barbara is my favourite holiday destination.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    sjmclean wrote:
    Are both Yates brothers riding?

    Aye.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • shazzz
    shazzz Posts: 1,077
    That's quite an interesting start list. From Tao Geoghegan Hart to "Fast" Freddie Rodriguez!
    Pretty strong team from Sky.....


    Mad_Malx wrote:
    I would advise against googling Folsom images :roll:

    WTF???
    Having fallen in to this trap I would endorse the original advise.
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    Macaloon wrote:
    sjmclean wrote:
    Are both Yates brothers riding?

    Aye.

    Doesn't one have a broken collar bone?
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,710
    I would say, aside from Sky, the weakest field ever for this race.
    Has been in decline since the disappearance of key US riders.
    Sat where it is, isn't helping.
    Opposite the Giro, the Ardennes boys are at rest
    and too soon for the Tour GC men to use as a warm up.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    jam1e wrote:
    Macaloon wrote:
    sjmclean wrote:
    Are both Yates brothers riding?

    Aye.

    Doesn't one have a broken collar bone?

    Thought that too :?

    Should suit Wiggins, fairly steady climbs and a TT.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    I would say, aside from Sky, the weakest field ever for this race.
    Has been in decline since the disappearance of key US riders.
    Sat where it is, isn't helping.
    Opposite the Giro, the Ardennes boys are at rest
    and too soon for the Tour GC men to use as a warm up.
    I'm surprised at how lightweight Garmin and Trek seem. Not much star quality in either.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    jam1e wrote:
    Macaloon wrote:
    sjmclean wrote:
    Are both Yates brothers riding?

    Aye.

    Doesn't one have a broken collar bone?

    I'm blaming Kirby, a dodgy startlist and bone-idleness.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Mountain High, now there's a highly original name for a mountain.

    Anyway have some tunes:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG0fS4DoGUc

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN_Aq2W2Yi0
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Just arrived in Sacramento. Will see st 1 and 2.

    Wiggins should do well, but unless Joe Dombro is able to be with him on the summit finish climbs on st 3 and 6, Wiggins is going to be isolated. The Sky team is mainly made up of guys who are strong on the flat and a couple who'll be useful on the medium climbs - otherwise better hope Dombro's able to help him. Especially as there's a strong chance Brad will have the jersey after st 2,

    I'd rate Rohan Dennis as a threat. Peter Stetina could do some damage on the climbs. The Bissell guys will be lively as usual / very excited to see Tap Geoghegan Hart racing! And Adam Yates should be full of confidence.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Just arrived in Sacramento. Will see st 1 and 2.

    Roger that. Good hunting soldier. #FillingtheVoid
    2012_tour_of_california_10.jpeg
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    & those "Bears" in Folsom look pretty friendly to me. Share and enjoy!
  • mechanism
    mechanism Posts: 891
    RichN95 wrote:
    I'm surprised at how lightweight Garmin and Trek seem. Not much star quality in either.

    There are probably a few Garmin riders who wish they'd gone to California.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Just arrived in Sacramento.

    Commiserations, such a fun city... :roll:
    Correlation is not causation.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Dombrowski has done 2 days racing this year. Theoretically he should get dropped on every climb if it is ridden at proper speed.

    --

    "I started Coppi e Bartali, but it was somewhat due to the fact that we were short on guys," Dombroswki told Cyclingnews in advance of the California start on Sunday.

    "It was like, 'We know your knee is injured, but we just don't have the guys, so you at least need to just go and start,'" he said of the Italian race in late March. "I ended up doing a couple of days and then pulling out."
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    I'll turn this into the spoiler thread later today. Unless there is great resistance we could probably manage with just the one, rather than separates for each stage, given the number of races going on at the moment (esp today). Not that I'm complaining!
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Id definitely have it all in one. The timings means not many people watch it live and so just make a few comments after (see previous years). Either way competing with the Giro for people's times it is going to lose every time!
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Hmm I quite like the look of this start list. Hopefully the guys on the front will be Chaves, Yates, Acevedo, Tao and Machado. I wonder if Lloyd will try and show some of his climbing prowess of the past...

    If it is super hot like it has been then cant see past Acevedo on the climbs who is supposedly especially good in extreme heat.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Just arrived in Sacramento.

    Commiserations, such a fun city... :roll:


    Finding it quite a mellow place, actually. Very friendly people, GREAT Mexican food, lots of Napa wines to sample my way through, some decent late Victorian architecture dotted around. Lots of people on bikes which is always a GOOD THING. Great 30 mile biking path from Sacramento to Folsom too.

    Not too bad temp-wise yday - around 80F, but hotter today and then into the 90s tomorrow and Tue. The big thing is there's a shootload of pollen from cottonwood trees or summat, blowing all around. I don't suffer from hayfever usually, but it affected me yday. Some riders with allergies are bound to be affected.

    Things kick off in a few hours - womens bike race, then the mens.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Cheers for the insights RR ... Please keep them coming ...

    I get the impression this race will be where the action is given the start list ... I'm even hoping BW does a ride so as not to have this end up a 2 horse race as usual ...
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    It's not that bad a GC field. It's not the Giro, but it should be wide open.

    Lots of super talented youngsters like Chaves and the Yates twins (all Orica), Dennis and Morton (Garmin), Lawson Craddock (Giant), Edmondson and Dombrowski at Sky (though latter unlikely to do much). Then Bissell always have a youngster perform too - maybe Tao, maybe Tanner Putt.

    Then there's Wiggins, Stetina, Acevedo, Danielson, Busche, Zubeldia, Machado,
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    As expected Leigh Howard now confirmed as part of the OGE team. I am assuming that the ProCyclingStats site within the OP will stay updated throughout.

    Other than the gold rush and earthquakes I can't really comment on the geology of the State which will be covered this week. I am however, happy to mention that the route takes in some superb wine growing regions, not least straight from the off with the first stage and the Sacremento Valley area.

    california.png

    My pick to get things started is from the adjacent Lodi Region, famous for Zinfandel. Brazin Old Vine Zin gets my vote. Failing that but harder to find is Amador County Sobon Estate Syrah. After that, anything but the infamous Eldorado fortified stuff!
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Most interestingly, it's Matt Stephens and Brian Smith doing commentary for Eurosport. I wonder how that's going to work.
  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    Turfle wrote:
    Most interestingly, it's Matt Stephens and Brian Smith doing commentary for Eurosport. I wonder how that's going to work.

    Matt is the lead commentator for it. Though BS did lead for a cycling.tv classic earlier in the season alongside Maggie.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,710
    Here's our old friend:
    http://tourtracker.amgentourofcalifornia.com/

    Race under way.
    Live pictures promised at 9-45 BST.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Women's crit being shown now.


    argyllflyer wrote:
    Turfle wrote:
    Most interestingly, it's Matt Stephens and Brian Smith doing commentary for Eurosport. I wonder how that's going to work.

    Matt is the lead commentator for it. Though BS did lead for a cycling.tv classic earlier in the season alongside Maggie.

    Looking forward to hearing him call a sprint. I think both are capable of doing most of a lead commentator's duties.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    As a former resident of the great state, may I humbly commend the lifechanging botanicals of Humboldt County. And offer that the best thing about Sacramento is Squaw Valley, less than an hour away.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • DL1987
    DL1987 Posts: 204
    TGH in an early 6 man break that has 4:50 on the peleton.

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