Tour of California



Walrus

New Member
Apr 4, 2004
850
2
0
What a field for the Tour of California, supposedly the strongest field to have raced in the USA. A scroll through the startlist reads more like a Grand Tour than a stage race in it's second year. http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10420

Points of interest:
- Trinity Grade climb on stage 2 which is 3ml (4.8km) @ 9%!
- Sierrra Road Cat 1 climb in stage 3
- Solvang ITT in stage 5, this is where Discovery have been training lately
- Stage 6 to Santa Clarita should see some attacking, being the last chance for GC progression

Any nominations for the overall? I reckon there are about 15 who could win it.
 
Walrus said:
Any nominations for the overall? I reckon there are about 15 who could win it.
Nope. Now that Disco is losing their major sponsor, they need to shine. I would bet on Leipheimer.
 
Bro Deal said:
Nope. Now that Disco is losing their major sponsor, they need to shine. I would bet on Leipheimer.
Disco have 4 of their top 5 riders with Basso, Hincapie, Leipheimer and Danielson. CSC have Dave Z, Cancellara, Julich, O'Grady and Voigt. It should be a nice battle.
 
Walrus said:
What a field for the Tour of California, supposedly the strongest field to have raced in the USA. A scroll through the startlist reads more like a Grand Tour than a stage race in it's second year. http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10420

Points of interest:
- Trinity Grade climb on stage 2 which is 3ml (4.8km) @ 9%!
- Sierrra Road Cat 1 climb in stage 3
- Solvang ITT in stage 5, this is where Discovery have been training lately
- Stage 6 to Santa Clarita should see some attacking, being the last chance for GC progression

Any nominations for the overall? I reckon there are about 15 who could win it.
Impressive list. Looks like good weather as well.



I am volunteering for the Santa Rosa to Sacramento stage



lw
 
What a great field. Bettini will be there as well. Levi was close last year so I'm picking him.

I'll be on Sierra Rd. for Stage 3. It's one nasty climb!
 
jsull14 said:
What a great field. Bettini will be there as well. Levi was close last year so I'm picking him.

I'll be on Sierra Rd. for Stage 3. It's one nasty climb!
Il Grillo Bettini is my pick, it should be a cracker
 
Bro Deal said:
Nope. Now that Disco is losing their major sponsor, they need to shine. I would bet on Leipheimer.
I agree with Disco's need to win but I somehow can't see Basso (if he has the blood, I mean form) being able to him have it. It's his first race since the Giro and he owes his dog a win.
 
Rolfrae said:
I agree with Disco's need to win but I somehow can't see Basso (if he has the blood, I mean form) being able to him have it. It's his first race since the Giro and he owes his dog a win.
It might go either way. Basso might want to win so he can show immediate results to his team and his new sponsors and so he gains the respect of his teammates. Or he might want to allow the riders who will support him at the Giro and the Tour--assuming he is invited, which I am betting he won't be--to have their day in the sun, sort of a prepayment for their future support.

I am still betting that Leipheimer is the man.
 
My pick is Cancellara. We all know he's a superb against the clock, and, looking at the route profile, I think he'll be able to get over the mountains well enough and limit his losses before the finish line.
 
Tim Lamkin said:
The weather...I hope is good too. Get the fans out and support the race.
Looks like the Prolog might be a little dicey weather wise, but it looks like most of the race will be in good weather.

This race looks suitiable for Cancellara and Leipheimer with **shrugs shoulders** Bettini winning a stage or two.

lw
 
lwedge said:
Looks like the Prolog might be a little dicey weather wise, but it looks like most of the race will be in good weather.

This race looks suitiable for Cancellara and Leipheimer with **shrugs shoulders** Bettini winning a stage or two.

lw

Forcast says "chance of rain" on every single day. That probably means one day max.

Z for P, TT, and GC.
 
DiabloScott said:
Forcast says "chance of rain" on every single day. That probably means one day max.

Z for P, TT, and GC.
Will you and friends make it to some of the stages this year ?
 
Bro Deal said:
It might go either way. Basso might want to win so he can show immediate results to his team and his new sponsors and so he gains the respect of his teammates. Or he might want to allow the riders who will support him at the Giro and the Tour--assuming he is invited, which I am betting he won't be--to have their day in the sun, sort of a prepayment for their future support.

I am still betting that Leipheimer is the man.
Basso will definitely be riding for Danielson or Leipheimer. He'll be building his strength and aiming for a humble start to the Discovery team. ie. work hard for the Disco leadership group...cause they're sure gonna have to work for him later...!
 
I'm going to go out on a limbo dimbo and pick Tommy D.

Crazy, eh?

I don't know why. Just a hunch.

Bettini, i think, will win at least one stage. It's going to come down to who has the TT form and I think TD has the edge over LL in that department.

I bet O'Neil will score a podium, at least top five.

No stage wins for Hincapie.
 
Looks like dry and sunny Cali, may get a little wet. Go firgure, aside from last weekend, it has been extremely dry out here, but the patterns changing a bit.....
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USCA0987?from=search_10day

Also, Versus, formerly OLN is showing the stages w/same day coverage - not quite live but better time slots than last year's ESPN 2 coverage....

http://www.versus.com/nw/article/view/28927/?UserDef=true&catID=76

Planning on showing support at the final circuit stage in Long Beach and maybe the Saturday stage to Valencia.

Picking Tommy D - showed some really good form in a recent TT in AZ.
 
lwedge said:
Will you and friends make it to some of the stages this year ?

Prologue and Stage 3, same places as last year. Though if it rains on Wednesday I might opt for some place where I can park my truck and watch rather than hang out on top of Sierra for 3 hours.

It is BEAUTIFUL today though, sunny warm and calm.
 
Maybe we will have a doping scandal in San Francisco to help celebrate the Balco victory for Major League baseball, NFL and Olympic track & swimming.

Only former track sprinter Tammy Thomas (LIFETIME BANNED since 2003) was busted for perjury and she WAS EVEN NOT A BALCO client.

She is a steroid goat! http://www.sfgate.com/balco

Anyway the Balco Chronicle reportors (authors of Game of Shadows) do not need to go to jail either so I thought a police hotel raid prior to the proloque for CSC, Discovery, BMC might put blood doping and testosterone injections back into the news.

I mean--it is not as if you can win a prologue time trial up Telegraph Hill without blood boosting, topped off hormones and a stiff stimlant.

It is pretty easy to bust dopers if you want to. But Amgen may prefer not to showcase vital racing medicine AraNesp in this manner.

One can only hope. Bring on the EPO tour!
 
Flyer's.Finale! said:
Bring on the EPO tour!
EPO Tour :D . Genius. I see what you did, you took the name for the Pro Tour, but you changed the first 3 letters to EPO, in reference to the doping problems in cycling, hence EPO Tour. That is seriously clever stuff.
 
Walrus said:
EPO Tour :D . Genius. I see what you did, you took the name for the Pro Tour, but you changed the first 3 letters to EPO, in reference to the doping problems in cycling, hence EPO Tour. That is seriously clever stuff.
I copied what they did for Lance in Europe. OLN edits it out for American TV audiences--because--well they must be kept in deep denial.

The Giant Supersized syringe men run beside the Blue Train as it tempoed up the steep climbs---at 25-30 kph.

The road signs read;

Epostal
Tous Dope
EPO Lance

The EPO California Tour could use a woman in a syringe suit rather than a Specialized winged Angel.
 

Similar threads