Road Bike Racing - Tour of America

What if, by some miracle, America creates a grand tour? Where would it go? I just got thinking about this and wondered what the route could look like. How bout all you people in the rockies,appalachians? Throw those in? Which climbs in particular? How about start cities, sprint finishes? Where would people put all of these? I ride in AZ and there isnt much reason to stop there, maybe if everyone wants some fast flat stages!

Great idea, but we could not cover all fifty states every year or a great circumpherence of the country without several transfers via train or plane. DC would make a nice arrival point, and would Portland OR claim its fame for the first start ?
I think it would be a great way to show a different face of america too... Let's talk to Lance about it :beer:

I know all 50 states, especially hawaii, would be hard to cover and indeed not neccessary. I would include the TTT, one flat TT, and an uphill TT (I just like it when the road turns up). I think the leaders jersey could be 3 big stripes or red/white/blue. What about climber/sprinter jersey? Best young cyclist jersey? Maybe some new competition? I think naturally we would be having as many of the US teams, however many are left after this year, competing.

The TDF doesn't cover all of France. The tour of the U.S. doesn't have to hit every state.

Well, if you wanted a climb that's anything close to stuff in the TdF, Mt Washington in New Hampshire would have to be on the tour.

-Middi-zon (Yes, I'm back...did you know I left?)

some of the hills in marin county are pretty brutal from what i hear. not that they're terribly long, or steep, it's just that there's so damn many of them one right after another...a lot of very strong riders had difficulty riding the courses in SF/marin county (the SF race was a crit, and the marin race was more of a distance/technical course with hills and such) this year in whichever big race they had in mid september. i hear lance had a triple. i could've helped out with being a neutral mechanic at both of them if i had gotten off my lazy ass.

anyway, i think they'd definitely have to hit california, and go through the rockies and into like, nebraska for flats...or utah...utah has very nice roads.

however, i think we're dreaming if anyone thinks something like this will actually happen. the U.S. relies too heavily on it's roads and highways for transportation of people and goods. also keep in mind that the US is friggen huge and it can take up to two 8 hour days of driving just to cross a state and a half...having just moved form boston to SF three months ago, and taken numerous bus trips across the country, i know how long it takes to get across. my god there is so much to see and do!!!

Didn't Donald Trump try something like this a few years back? I seem to remember a Tour de Trump but I wasn't paying much attention back then.

The Tour De Trump which became the Tour Du Pont. Some really good riders and mountain stages. Some really pointless overly long flat stages.

Well, if you wanted a climb that's anything close to stuff in the TdF, Mt Washington in New Hampshire would have to be on the tour.

-Middi-zon (Yes, I'm back...did you know I left?)

Mt. Washington is just a large hill. You want to climb some real mountains, trek on out to Colorado.

Colorado would difinatly be included, how can it not, I just want to be selfish and get them in NH so they're in my backyard ;), like it would happen though....

-Middi-zon

The Death Ride would make a nice mountain stage.

http://www.deathride.com/coursemap.html

if they want a hill, try Mt Haleakala in Hawaii. 36 miles of nothing but up. sea level to 10,038 all up.

You would need 10-15 first or *****s Category climbs, and they all would need to be over good roads.

oops I guess the filter cuts out hors

and no we cant go to the top and ride back down the same way in the middle of a stage :D

My dads hill is bigger than your dads...

Some time ago I read about an event called the RAAM(ride across America?). I don't know if people still do it, but it starts in California and finishes in New York city. It takes about nine days to cross the continent and riders average something like three hundred miles a day. Now thats a race. It has a wide spectrum of terrain from salt flats to mountains. Done up right it would make TDF look like small potato's.

Jim

Some time ago I read about an event called the RAAM(ride across America?).Done up right it would make TDF look like small potato's.

It's a totally different kind of event. Racers ride either solo or in relay teams. They ride round the clock and and there is no technical riding or any strategy besides when to grab a few hours of sleep. Average speed is much slower than the TDF.

Not to take away from what the RAAM competitors do but it isn't road racing. I can't imagine anybody getting excited watching professional road teams ride for days across the plains states.

-s

you know we would have to have some sort of stage finish coming into vegas :) cipo would feel right at home here... 24 hour party :)

The RAAM is held annually. I don’t think you have to be a professional cyclist to participate. However you have to have a support team who rides along in a van following you. That rule was passed some years back when a Canadian who was attempting it solo was hit by a truck and paralyzed for life. He was sure the truck hit him deliberately. A California cyclist by the name of Pete Penseres (spelling?) applied science and art to the race and set a record that I believe still holds to this day. With his technique he arrive at the end of the race relatively fresh and mentally whole, which is not true of most of the riders who suffer real insanity due to sleep deprivation and exhaustion. Last year one of the team riders was killed. He got way ahead of the team van and made a U turn to go back to the van when his turn was up and was hit by a truck and killed. The OLN network covered some of the RAAM last year but not to the extent that they cover the tours.

I would definately be including WI & MN, we have lots of hills that take their toll on long rides. Race from Millwalkee to Green Bay finish at Lambou field!, Trans to WI Dells, Ride to MPLS MN (2 days?), Down the mississippi river to IA Hitting the river towns. Transfer to Fort Collins CO. Into the hills. Finish one of the passes west of Fort Collins. Next finish in Steamboat Springs downhill super fast. Up to WY and transfer to Yellowstone, youv'e got to include Yellowstone. It would be awsome. Bikers and Bison living together! Grizlies and Gears! Time trial from West Yellowstone MT to the mountain at Big Sky MT (wicked hill baby) Transfer from Bozeman MT to West coast. From there finish in CA somewhere.

Lots of transfers but it would be way cool.

I know if it ever happend it would be held on the west or east coast but I have to include my 2cents for our midwest bikers.

I think a GT in the USA would be fantastic....we could do it....dont have to cover all the states. The mount washington idea is great...they have a race there every year now.....I think its a good idea...now who do we talk to about getting this approved???

They still do the RAAM, and they don't end in NYC, at least last year's race ended in Atlantic City, NJ but I think they've gone through a couple of route changes since the inception.

Of course the RAAM is nothing like a 3 week stage race, the RAAM guys don't sleep!

Jay

I think a GT in the USA would be fantastic....we could do it....dont have to cover all the states. The mount washington idea is great...they have a race there every year now.....I think its a good idea...now who do we talk to about getting this approved???

It would have to be a week or so long stage race that became popular enough to get high enough UCI status and revenue, to become a 3 weeker

I've thought about this before. I think it should be based around a different mountain range each time. Could be the Rockies one year, Smokies the next, etc. This would give variety from year to year and also increase the regional fervor as towns and areas along the route would build excitement during the years leading up to it.

Wouldn't be that different from the TdF really, except for instead of planning routes each year that wind a different way through the same alternating clockwise/counterclockwiese scheme you'd just plan totally different areas of the country.

I like that idea Brillig. Would work better than trying to cover as much of the country as possible each race. Might even set up alternating east/west routes each year. Plenty of good racing spots in both. Whats Alaska like riding wise anyone know? Maybe even do a start up there then head south through canada, hitting the cascades and rockies then turning east for some flats.

Biggest question would be "When?"

The only way to pull this off would be to overlap an existing major tour.

Originally Posted by Brillig

Biggest question would be "When?"
The only way to pull this off would be to overlap an existing major tour.


Very good point...There is little time in between these GT's...dont know how many racers would be up to it...

I think it should be based around a different mountain range each time. Could be the Rockies one year, Smokies the next, etc.

I recently heard an interview with the guy that organized the Coors Classic (whose name eludes me) back in the day. When asked about a US grand tour, he said it's a dream of his, and regarding the course, suggested exactly what Brillig said. The problem is getting adequate sponsorship... it takes lots of money, sponsors with deep pockets, and lots of people working full time to put something like that together.

And, yes, it takes a time slot that doesn't conflict with the European schedule. Seems like the TdT/TdP ran uncomfortably close to the Giro (like in May). Getting European teams is essential to making it a world class event. There was always some difficulty getting European team participation, and the ones that did show up were generally staffed with the "second string" riders. My understanding is that, in spite of the fact that US interest in cycling was/is marginal at best, the purses were pretty huge by European standards. The TdT/TdP was also kind of unique as grand tours go in that they had professional and amateur teams competing.

Get a purse together around $5mill take into account all of the different prizes, and you would see the teams show up!