Yep

It seems like the only participants that give a sh*t about the GC are Astana and the domestic teams. Seems like training for too many teams involved. Maybe Lance made a great point in his twitter about scheduling. Your thoughts?

bdcheung

I think you're nuts.

cedricbosch

Agree 100%

tanhalt

My thoughts? Yeah...it's good to see that Lance agrees with something I've been saying since the first TOC. It REALLY should be held during the TOG dates...and now that TOG is "belly up"... Hopefully he has enough "pull" with Medalist to get that change DONE!

Holding it in Feb. in CA is just ASKING for it to get rained on...the first 2 years of "nice" weather just fooled everyone into thinking that was normal...

Dubbayoo

Teams go to the Giro as training for the Tour. What on earth would make you think the ToC would be a big objective for European sponsors or teams, many of whom many only have a couple of weeks of good mileage. Besides, how and why do you take control of a race that has all the major climbs 40-50 miles from the finish line? Mark Cavendish would win the Alpe D'huez stage if he had 50 miles to catch back on.

I rode Solvang Century a few years ago. It was sub 40 degree rain/hailstorm at the start and 70 degrees by the end. Perhaps a spring start would let them finish at Mammoth or Big Bear. At the very least I would think sponsors are consistently bummed about weather preventing video coverage.

I'd be bummed if I was David Kemp of Fly V Australia. He was in an early break; got some Mtn points then finished 20 minutes down probably without ever being on television...killed himself for nothing.

Lithuania

its a stage race in mid february, what did you expect?

MDcatV

whaaa?

I think the ToC has been very exciting so far. Of course the domestic teams and astana (might as well be a domestic team) are the only ones who care about it. They're the only ones who cared about ToG when it was on the calender.

the start list, IMO, it's impressive as hell, regardless as to the early season form folks are bringing to the start line.

Moving it to the GA dates would risk getting a watered down field as it conflicts with season objectives in the spring classics, keeping ToC in Feb. gets the name brand riders on this side of the pond. Keep it as is.

subframe

Moving it to April would assure absolutely nothing about the weather, by the way. At least in Northern Cali, April is generally VERY variable with regards to weather.

It's a brutal trick nature plays on us, because we all want to believe the rain is over in April, but it rarely is.

Dubbayoo

It's the Tour of California, not the Tour of Northern California. Average snowfall in Big Bear in Feb is 14" in Feb; < 1" in May...potential mountain top finish. Mammoth Lakes average 42 degrees in Feb, 62 in May. To say it would do absolutely nothing is short sighted.

Brian Ratliff

Holding the ToC in April will probably ensure that they don't get many good European riders over to race. A training race is only a training race if it doesn't require completely f-ing up your training schedule to participate.

botto 

i'm surprised that this is a surprise.

enjoi07

^^yea, i thought this was known.