Good link - I'm actually surprised they didn't agree this before finalizing the route, the fact that the organizers are unaware that this problem has been stalled for years doesn't bode well. Riding the Challenge for the last 3years it amazes me that somehow we get everyone up and through that section, but I just can't imagine it working out for ATOC. I think we'd need a wheel guy on standby for the motorcycles too.
Some of the worst potholes are on short descents as that part of the road is both up and down.
On a downward section during the DMD last April I hit one of those pot holes so hard it shook a bottle right out of my cage. The bottle went rolling down the hill, and I was lucky it did not go under anyone's wheels and send them to the ground.
Now multiply the DMD speeds and rider congestion to TOC proportions and you have a bottle caused crash for sure.
If they don't fix the road I have to hope they change the route.
I love Mt. Diablo but I love pro cycling more. For many pros this is an important tune up for their Tour de France. I would feel sick if one of my TDF favorites missed out in July because of a broken collar bone, broken wrist, or worse, suffered in May on that "road"
Last edited by Lanceoldstrong; 02-12-12 at 11:50 AM.
In Escendo Est Verum
Diablo-Morgan-Patterson-Mines-Hamilton-Sierra-Palomares-Norris
This is not necessarily bad news for us. From the link it can be concluded that an agreement has already been made than the road will be repaired and who will pay for it.
The private owner are probably in a dream position, having their road repaired and paid by somebody else. What they are now looking for is to have the state or the race organizer take full responsibility for covering them in case somebody claims damage because of the road. They are basically in a very favorable position and try to take full advantage of it.
The way I read that article, the details have not been worked out yet.
I know that Save Mt Diablo have been trying to get at this for a while coming perilously close in the last year but to no avail, there was clearly quite a bit of frustration from the way the organizers of the Mt D Challenge described this situation last fall.
Looking over the route map and times - I'm suggesting you get where you want to be on Diablo before 1 o'clock... when I'm predicting the race will hit the freshly patched section of pavement below South Gate Road.
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http://diabloscott.blogspot.com/
Sounds perfectly guessed!Originally Posted by DiabloScott
Now it's time to do some planning; do I have enough time to be on Calaveras and then be on Diablo? I know I will have plenty of time to reach the finish line in Livermore after Diablo.
http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com...tage-3-Log.pdf
If I was designing a ToC stage it would be something like this: http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=384598
Livermore -> Mt. Diablo
2/3 of a DMD (137 miles)
Mines, Hamilton, Sierra, Calaveras, Palomares and a mountain top finish on Diablo (imagine them finishing with "the wall")!!
It would be like an Alpine TdF stage... break them down with earlier hills, a few climbers will try to go early, and then the GC contenders will attack on the last climb (Mt Diablo == Alpe d'Huez)
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