Hezz

I know there is some planning in the works to create a grand tour of America. As in a 27 day epic stage race. At least I have heard rumors of this. I think it would be great and I hope to see it.

I would also like to see it have a few mountain bike off road stages in the mix. Does anyone else think this would be cool or would it be too diverse for road riders to deal with. Comments?

I think it would be cool to have about 1/3 of the stages off road with some big climbs and a couple of technical rides in addition to the road TT and mountain stages. I would even like to see one stage a distance cyclocross type of stage.

The winner of this race would be a true all around best rider in the world. I also think that the publicity of such a race would encourage more Americans to ride bikes to work and use bikes to commute when ever possible. Thus helping to reduce pollution and dependence of fossil fuels.

Asian Sensation

I would love to see this, but the main question is will it bring in enough spectators to make it worth while???

They should just extend the tour of california to the "le grande tour de californie"

smurfy

I agree. California is itself a huge nation-state and would be perfect for a grand tour, even replacing Le Tour
as the world's largest and most important bike race.

I really don't see much point in going 3,000mi across the whole USA. The logistics (road closures, media coverage, host towns being on the "same page", etc.) would be just too difficult and not really worth it. It would be easier to have it confined in the State of California and the participants still would have plenty of room to ride!

Hezz

I believe to confine it all in one state would be wrong. After all it is to be the Tour of America not the Tour of California. However, it does seem unnecessary to take the tour coast to coast in Race Across America style.

Perhaps a better approach would be to divide the race into three or four regions with a rest/travel day in between those larger regions. Then you could set up the races so there were no more than 2-4 hours travel time between the regular stages.

Here's also another idea: Each team is divided into two groups. When one group races the other group travels. This gives the riders a day off between each race to recover and would allow more stages to be raced. Perhaps one group is an off road racing group and the other the road racers. There are two individual GC winners, one for each group. But only one team GC winner.

Asian Sensation

Better idea... team time trial from san diego to NYC



NONSTOP!

st0ut

A relay time trial. The Tour of the Pony Express. Remmeber we used to do that on hourseback.

Roughstuff

Just as the tour de france makes some basic changes in its route from year to year, perhaps so should a tour D'Amerique. Our country is big enough that you could make the tour much more of a straight line, so starting in the rockies and ending in the appalachians would show up the hill riders while the midwest would bring endurance to the fore. A strictly california ride would give it too much of a 'Granola' stereotype.

roughstuff

Hezz

Now thats a cool idea. Some parts of the Pony express route are very remote dirt roads. At least in Utah and Nevada. How about having actual stations along the way just like the original riders had and where different riders ride different sections and they take the kind of bike that the course will require for each section.

Has anyone seen Dave Zabriskie's 29 inch dirt ride. It's a cool bike set up for fast dirt road sections with front suspension, zip wheels and drop bars. Each team could have say three riders on the course at the same time and at least one needs to make it to the next station to pass the "baton" so to speak so the next riders can be off. This would allow teams to continue the race even if a rider fell and was hurt and could not finish a section. Each section would become a stage with an individual prize.

I wonder what kind of average speeds the original pony express riders could make. Anyone know what kinds of average speeds that endurance horses can run at for the distance between Pony express stations.

Hezz

Very good point. The race could be centered around maybe three geographical areas each year and change from year to year.

st0ut

If ound a recuriting poster and a route map. St. Joseph MO to San Fransisco CA 240 Hours . Each Stage was 75 miles. thats when they would shift ponies. and riders via relay. This was day and night. an interesting twist. As to follow in the sprit of the pony express the race would continue at night when the next relay took over.

With 75 mile stint there is no reson why the local bike clubs along the route could not orginize this as a club ride either.
the Route map i found is here:
https://www.nps.gov/poex/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm

The recruiting poster is here and surpriseingly accruate for a Non-Tdf professional Road racer: In both Physique and salery.:
https://www.nps.gov/archive/poex/hrs/hrs2e.htm