choinumni04

Hello all just wanted to get some feedback on the 2011 route selection. I made to stage 5 up on Old Creek rd which was not too bad just thought the organizers would take to tour up into Sierra's a bit higher. I know some places hold snow especially this yr but maybe a hillclimb time trial or reverse the route to start in the south and go north maybe up to the north coast into the redwoods. I live in the central sierra's and was thrilled when they came by last yr. Maybe YNP will reconsider letting the tour go through the park I am sure the visitors from Europe would like it. Oh well we shall see how where the funding and sponsorship takes it.

diphthong

i think we would love all love to see the riders cross over tioga pass 9941 ft (going either west or east) but it traditionally isn't open till memorial day weekend so that eliminates it from consideration for the toc. they could enter yosemite np but it would possibly just skirt the edge via the western entrance/exit and the southern entrance/exit. i think a more likely-and better-stage would be to climb up into sequoia np via the 180 & 198 hwys. approaches are kinda boring but once into the sequoia np boundaries-it's on! the traffic is lighter than with yosemite as well. a mountaintop finish in mammoth would be cool too.

some of the eastern side sierra trailhead parking lots (onion valley, rock creek, 168, horseshoe meadows, whitney portal, et al.) are fantastic and would be incredible mountaintop finishes. some of them have lots of room to host-others not so much. don't think the race organizers will bite on those though because of their (lack of) proximity to major population centers and a 3-4 hr transfer for the next stage.

DXchulo

I don't think you'll ever see the route go through Yosemite. I love cycling, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing, honestly.

If they want a summit finish, why not Mt. Rose Highway from the Lake Tahoe side? It's not super hard and it's in Nevada, but the road would be in fine condition by May and there's a parking lot at the summit. They could do the LeMond Loop and give Greg some much-needed good publicity. That could easily be a 10,000+ feet of climbing day.

choinumni04

start in Visalia go up Hwy 198 up around Moro Rock would be a nice climb and then come down 180 and finish in Clovis again. Next stage Clovis to Oakdale via Hwy 49 with a climb up Old Priest grade out of Moccosin on hwy 120. I did that climb during the Gold Nugget stage race when I was a Jr , there is a good climb out of Bagby up to Coulterville and over to Moccasin to hurt some legs before the Priest.

Racer Ex 

Follow the money. The route will. That will preclude all the big Sierra climbs unless the Reno Chamber/Visitors board will fork over (yes, I know, but the TDF started in London...it's about the Euros/Dollars)

choinumni04

I agree it needs alot of fans and money to go with it. Funny thing is the climbs are the only place to see more than a fleeting glimpse of the riders as they go by, at least a minutes worth vs a seconds worth.