Same here...I priced it out earlier, more like $600 for me (depending on how much I eat lol)....but I need to pay off my credit card someday after all the bike crap I've bought over the past 18 months.

Similar situation, my NY’s resolution was to cut the fondos, specially those far away and design my own brutal rides

Yep, me too - I signed up for the Belgian Waffle Ride, but have been sick on and off since the end of December and my training is completely f'ed at this point....prob gonna have to downgrade to the Wafer, but not happy about that as that was the only ride I had really planned on signing up for this year.

I have a friend who produces the TV coverage. He got a couple of friends and me into the beer garden at the Santa Clarita finish line last year or the year before. It was fun to do once, and we got food, but if I had to do it over again, I’d find a place to camp out on a serious climb. They’re in a full sprint at the finish, which is exciting and all, but the experience was over in seconds. Sitting on a climb would mean more time watching the suffering.

camp 9 woulda been an awesome place to watch the mtn battle before the plunge into santa clarita. i posted up there but then got antsy at the prospect of waiting around 45 mins or so...so i caught the sprint finish-mostly on the big screens-in old town sc. did get to toodle around with 20 or so riders that took off on a cool down ride immed afterwards. that was worth missing the action on the climb.

Anybody watching in Long Beach next Sunday? Where would be the best spot to watch?

I will be there. Staying at the Queen Mary on Saturday night so we have parking, then walking across the bridge in the morning to the start. Planning on being there about 10 so we can catch all the sign-in theatrics. Watch the race and then run back to Vegas.

If you check on the website, there is a route map with some suggestions. My goal is to photograph from at least 4 locations during the 12 laps, so I will be hustling a bit between laps. Belmont Brewing Company is touted as a good location, being as the peloton has to slow down there to loop back towards the start.

​​​​​​https://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/2018-stage-1-mens

I didn't read the link, but I just pedaled up Gibraltar and down painted cave, without issue last weekend.

I watched it on television yesterday. Was it because of Mother's Day? The crowds were not what I thought would be there. Being in Los Angeles County, I thought it would be full of people along the route.

Nice aerial shots from the blimp and helicopter. Makes me want to go visit Long Beach.