California & Giro both in May!
 

I just read the LA Times article here:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...0,312723.story

I didn't realize that now the Tour of California and the Giro are both in May! It sounds like the top Americans will be at California, but that means no top Americans in the Giro! I wonder how Italy feels about this....

It will definitely be nice to see a finish in the High Sierras!

Wow, does that mean the Tour of California is raising its profile against the Giro intentionally? Or is it to avoid the snow?

Way to go TOC, way to go.

Glad I went out last year to see it in person because I doubt this year will be as star studded.

Large parts of the last 2 years of the Tour of California were ruined by bad weather. The weather is much better in California in May. No rain along the coast and some of the Sierra Nevada will be clear of snow.

Fixed.

So now Levi has a good excuse for not winning the Giro.

;)

it means the ATOC peaked last year in popularity and is now in decline. lance said he would ride the ATOC next year with his new team.

i doubt the euros will come to the u.s. in these tight fiscal times while they have options nearer to home.

it was fun while it lasted :eek:.

ed rader

levi won't have to peak at the beginning of the year so that may be good for him. but he'll also be 36 years old which means to me he'll never win a GT.

ed rader

the flip side is the ATOC was popular because it was an early season race. next year it will be in the thick of the season when the big guys are seriously training for the TDF.

it was fun while it lasted!

ed rader

it will definitely attract bigger crowds in may versus february. as to a lack
of "quality" americans riding the giro, this year was an aberration. the giro
has historically been generally bereft of american riders-more so than
the tour or vuelta. the toc probably won't get the international depth &
breadth it enjoyed this year because it is not only going head to head
with the giro but indirectly with the tdf tune-up races dauphine libere
& tour of switzerland.

course-wise, it should be more exciting with some
sierra flavor at the expense of the central valley stages (likely too hot)
and possibly another coastal stage in the south (south bay, oc, san diego).
if the toc can avoid long transfers, dangerous finishing circuits, questionable
lodging and the other kind of things that occasionally pop up at other stage
races, it could gain a reputation as the best supported/planned race in early
summer. That would count for something and may eventually sway more
european riders after a couple of years. a benefit of going head to head with the
giro may be seeing more of the younger riders. they may not (in their team's eyes)
be ready for a three week tour but many will be itching to prove it.

I had a front row seat when Boonen outsprinted Cavendish, Ciolek, and Petacchi here in Sacramento two years ago. I'll take QuickStep in the rain over Jittery Joes in the sun. No disrespect to the NRC teams, but I can go down to Redlands or Sea Otter to see them.

i hear ya. the ATOC had a good run but it's over with now..... i may take in a stage around here but i certainly won't be following it like i did in past years.

ed rader

Huh??? It peaked last year???? Actually, when it was announced many riders at the Giro said they would ride the TOC next year instead. Even with the poor economy, the North American market is massive in terms of cycling. I would expect a big turnout and all the same teams.

Actually, that's a reason that moving it to May will make it *more* successful. The big guys training for the TdF don't ride the Giro simply because it's three very hard weeks. A ten day event at the same time is likely to get a bunch of proto-TdF teams.

the organizer of the ATOC sure doesn't sound as optimistic as you.......

Tour of California director Andrew Messick, who watched Saturday's Mont Ventoux finish in France, said he "expected" that top American teams would race in California with their top American riders. "Lance, Levi, George Hincapie would, I think, race here," Messick said.

but i guess we'll see :).

ed rader

ATOC applied for and received ProTour status for 2011, but I still think they'll have a hard time getting European riders over for it.

I think it is the beginning of the end for the Giro. Lots of complaints from the riders this year and it is too long for people who want to prep for the TDF. I think the TOC is just getting into its heyday in spite of what Ed says. Of course Ed is always wrong!

Ruined? The rainy days were the BEST. Crappy weather makes for memorable bike races. An ITT would probably suck in the rain though.

I think ATOC ought to lower their expectations a bit, the world doesn't need another three week GT. But there are lots of great riders who don't do the Giro and will consider a week in Ca a nice alternative, but we probably won't see Cavendish and Cancellara again.

I'm confused.

In any case, I'm going. I have already reserved friends couches in three cities...bringing my bike, back pack, maybe rent a car...

Just need to come up with a crazy get-up for Palomar.:)

angelo zomegnan is a crazy man. makes the giro interesting for the fans with his
unpredictable routes/courses but hell for the riders with the dangerous finishes and
long transfers. anyone else see that picture (don't remember the stage in this year's giro)
where the riders are coming around a curve in town and there are numerous trolley/train
track going every which way? that musta been fun. may in the mountains (especially the
dolomites) can be very...interesting. if zomegnan keeps his act up, we may get more
italian/giro riders than we ever thought we would.

A mountain top finish in the Sierra in May? Yeah, right. Tioga Pass doesn't even open until Memorial Day, at the earliest, with all the snow. And that is just a pass.

They don't have to visit the 10,000 mountains. Even the Tour de France does not go that high.
There are plenty of great climbs and great scenery below 7000 feet. Yosemite Valley is only 4000 feet.

Huh? Aren't passes the highest roads? You do know that they are on road bikes and not mountain bikes don't you?

And the TOC organizers cheer!

Is there a sarcasm emoticon misisng from this post?

The Giro's been around 100 plus years. ATOC will not kill the Giro in the next 100 years.