theo3000

Stage 7: Claremont to Mt Baldy

From the start in Claremont, the riders will be able to see the finish some 6,000 feet above them in the San Gabriel Mountains. The final route hasn’t been set, but it will feature the locally iconic climbs of Glendora Mountain Road and Glendora Ridge Road, before heading up to the Baldy ski area, which features 11-percent grades in the final 5km. The first true mountaintop finish in the race’s six-year history should give rise to a true Tour de France atmosphere.

Messick: “We’ll have a mass participation ride on the route of the Baldy stage, a couple of week before, to give people the taste of how hard it is to race in the pro peloton.”

https://velonews.competitor.com/2010/...or-2011_145235

Rick@OCRR

Sounds good to me! And the ski lift parking lot has room for the team trucks and other space-consuming bits of mountain top finish rigs (podium, drug testing tents, etc.).

I wanted a mountain top finish at Onyx last year, but they said they couldn't do it because the parking area at Onyx summit was too small. Brilliant; Mt. Baldy Ski area solves that problem . . . and gives them a more challenging finish.

Rick / OCRR

umd

Nice to see Solvang is back

nesdog

We were hoping for another shot at watching a few circuits on Rock Store et al. It was a great crowd up there. But Santa Clarita to TO probably means up Balcom and a few times around Amgen, like the first year of the tour. Oh well....

esammuli

I've heard on good authority that the route will go Claremont>39>Backside GMR>down frontside GMR> 39> Backside GMR> GRR> Baldy

Of course they could easily reverse that and go up the front side. either way it's an awesome route.

diphthong

stoked that they are including mt baldy/gmr/grr finally! last year's queen stage to big bear was largely neutralized with the long flattish run-in to the finish. will not have to worry about that this year.
more than a bit distraught that san diego got overlooked again with the palomar/julian/laguna/cuyamaca area more than capable of hosting a challenging mountain stage.

umd

Tell that to all the guys who didn't make the time cut.

Rumpled

It's really a Amgen Tour of NorCal this year; with only 2 of 8 sages in SoCal.
Glad to see Baldy in the mix, the crowds up there on a Saturday will be a total zoo.
Hope I can get there to see it somehow.

Solvang's in ; Santa Rosa is out.
I think they've come pretty close to playing the whole San Jose to Livermore area out. I think they've done about every possible permutation there.

umd

Solvang isn't norcal

diphthong

yes, plenty that suffered and missed out but that was expected as it is on nearly every mountain stage.
amongst the gt contenders, however, not much of a change that i recall. could be wrong about that and it wouldn't be the first time today.
too lazy to look it up and am relying on memory which is always a dangerous proposition.
this year's stage to baldy should generate larger time gaps between the gt contenders than last year's stage to big bear.

umd

I know a few pros who were cut that day, and they all said that day was the hardest race they had ever done. I know what you meant but that stage and "neutral" don't belong in the same paragraph.

diphthong

yes, neutralized was the wrong word.

diphthong

not that it's southern california but glad to see tahoe get some love. would still like to see a stage with mountaintop stage finish on east side sierra (lone pine/bishop/mammoth/yosemite).
i suspect mammoth would probably draw more crowds and has better overall facilities for a finish. with all the great ascents in the area though, it is arguably the least exciting.

diphthong

Messick: “We’ll have a mass participation ride on the route of the Baldy stage, a couple of week before, to give people the taste of how hard it is to race in the pro peloton.”

this sounds like a must-do...

umd

There is no long climb to finish on at Mammoth. It's pretty high up but it's just a gradual slog to get there. Horseshoe Meadows would be the only climb in the Eastern Sierras I would think would be able to have enough room for all the people and equipment associated with a finish.

vertical bob

Oh I would love to see that.

1200cycles

x2

theo3000

The mountain top finish will be awesome. I'm gonna be in full L'Alpe d'Huez mode!

diphthong

some of those switchbacks near the top, in a word, ouch!

WhiteCarbonDude

I think they mean "average 11 percent" because it clearly goes above 15% towards the top.

Fat Boy

If this is the route, then it's gonna be an ass-kicker. I'm trying to figure out the best place to watch.

socalrider

The switchbacks are tough and that long straight away section before you hit the ski lift parking lot should make for an interesting finish..

rooftest

There's even a street sign that says as much.

This is great news - I'm looking forward to it.

Garfield Cat

Book your motel rooms now at the Village.

Cleave

Hi,

Already making plans with old (and I do mean old) cycling/racing buds to do the Solvang-Baldy spectator double. From the village to the ski lifts will certainly separate the climbing specialists from the all-rounders. It will be interesting to see who has good climbing legs in May.