Jump to content

2010 Tour of California: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Participating teams: it now seems that Nibali will ride the Giro after all, after Pellizotti has been nabbed for likely doping. Makes an interesting situation, but beyond the scope of *this* article
Stage 4: no such road in San Jose
Line 189: Line 189:
'''May 19, 2010 — [[San José, California|San José]] to [[Modesto, California|Modesto]], {{convert|121.5|mi}}'''
'''May 19, 2010 — [[San José, California|San José]] to [[Modesto, California|Modesto]], {{convert|121.5|mi}}'''


This is a flat stage, and uses the same course as Stage 3 from 2009. At the {{convert|6|mi}} mark, the peloton faces a difficult, technical climb up Sierra Grande Road, but after descending it there are no further difficulties in the route. A mass sprint finish is expected, with the potential for high winds, common in the [[San Joaquin Valley]], to make it so general classification contenders will have to work hard to stay with the leading group.<ref>
This is a flat stage, and uses the same course as Stage 3 from 2009. At the {{convert|6|mi}} mark, the peloton faces a difficult, technical climb up Sierra Road, but after descending it there are no further difficulties in the route. A mass sprint finish is expected, with the potential for high winds, common in the [[San Joaquin Valley]], to make it so general classification contenders will have to work hard to stay with the leading group.<ref>
{{cite news
{{cite news
|author=Cycling News
|author=Cycling News

Revision as of 01:17, 16 May 2010

2010 Tour of California
UCI America Tour
Race details
DatesMay 16–23, 2010
Stages8
Distance810 mi (1,304 km)

The 2010 Tour of California will be the fifth running of the Tour of California cycling stage race. It will be held from May 16–23, and will the first edition of the race held in the month of May, after the first four occurred in February. It has been rated as a 2.HC event on the UCI America Tour. It will begin in Nevada City and conclude in the Agoura Hills.

The event's move to later in the year has made it so the route is different from previous editions of the race, and may also provide for a different makeup of ridership, as it will conflict with the 2010 Giro d'Italia.

Participating teams

Sixteen teams will participate in the Tour of California. These include seven UCI ProTour teams, two UCI Professional Continental teams, and seven UCI Continental teams. They are:[1]

You have called {{Contentious topics}}. You probably meant to call one of these templates instead:

Alerting users

  • {{alert/first}} ({{Contentious topics/alert/first}}) is used, on a user's talk page, to "alert", or draw a user's attention, to the contentious topics system if they have never received such an alert before. In this case, this template must be used for the notification.
  • {{alert}} ({{Contentious topics/alert}}) is used, on a user's talk page, to "alert", or draw a user's attention, to the fact that a specific topic is a contentious topic. It may only be used if the user has previously received any contentious topic alert, and it can be replaced by a custom message that conveys the contentious topic designation.
  • {{alert/DS}} ({{Contentious topics/alert/DS}}) is used to inform editors that the old "discretionary sanctions" system has been replaced by the contentious topics system, and that a specific topic is a contentious topic.
  • {{Contentious topics/aware}} is used to register oneself as already aware that a specific topic is a contentious topic.

Editnotices

Talk page notices

Miscellaneous

Alerting users

  • {{alert/first}} ({{Contentious topics/alert/first}}) is used, on a user's talk page, to "alert", or draw a user's attention, to the contentious topics system if they have never received such an alert before. In this case, this template must be used for the notification.
  • {{alert}} ({{Contentious topics/alert}}) is used, on a user's talk page, to "alert", or draw a user's attention, to the fact that a specific topic is a contentious topic. It may only be used if the user has previously received any contentious topic alert, and it can be replaced by a custom message that conveys the contentious topic designation.
  • {{alert/DS}} ({{Contentious topics/alert/DS}}) is used to inform editors that the old "discretionary sanctions" system has been replaced by the contentious topics system, and that a specific topic is a contentious topic.
  • {{Contentious topics/aware}} is used to register oneself as already aware that a specific topic is a contentious topic.

Editnotices

Talk page notices

Miscellaneous

Alerting users

  • {{alert/first}} ({{Contentious topics/alert/first}}) is used, on a user's talk page, to "alert", or draw a user's attention, to the contentious topics system if they have never received such an alert before. In this case, this template must be used for the notification.
  • {{alert}} ({{Contentious topics/alert}}) is used, on a user's talk page, to "alert", or draw a user's attention, to the fact that a specific topic is a contentious topic. It may only be used if the user has previously received any contentious topic alert, and it can be replaced by a custom message that conveys the contentious topic designation.
  • {{alert/DS}} ({{Contentious topics/alert/DS}}) is used to inform editors that the old "discretionary sanctions" system has been replaced by the contentious topics system, and that a specific topic is a contentious topic.
  • {{Contentious topics/aware}} is used to register oneself as already aware that a specific topic is a contentious topic.

Editnotices

Talk page notices

Miscellaneous

Changes from 2009

The 2010 Tour will be the first to take place in May rather than February.[4] This has allowed race organizers to move the race inland from the coastal route it used in its four editions. This eliminated Solvang, which had hosted an individual time trial in each of the last three editions of the race, from the route, along with other past cities.[5] Moving to May allows the race to visit some taller, more difficult climbs further inland, which are too cold to visit in February. Andrew Messick, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group (the organizers of the race), has said that the route for the 2010 Tour will be more difficult than it was in 2009, and that the May time position also moves them from cycling's "pre-season" and gives a better chance to showcase the race, as it now takes place at a time when more riders should be at or near peak form.[6] Race officials also hope to make the event a preparatory one for the Tour de France.[7]

The race will now be held at the same time of year as the Giro d'Italia. Messick has admitted that this will probably result in fewer Italians starting this race, and fewer Americans in the Giro.[5] However, the consensus among race organizers is that few riders who seek a high position in the Tour de France also ride the Giro d'Italia,[4] so the possible loss of riders such as Carlos Sastre and Mark Cavendish (who rode the Tour of California, the Giro d'Italia, and the Tour de France in 2009) is not seen as a major risk.

Tour stages

The 2010 Tour will be held over eight days, down from nine in 2009. This change is due to the current economic state after the recession of the last several years.[5] The prologue has been eliminated.

Stage 1

May 16, 2010 — Nevada City to Sacramento, 104.3 miles (167.9 km)

While past editions of the Tour of California have begun with a prologue time trial, the first stage in 2010 will be a road race from Nevada City to the state capital Sacramento. The course consists of a lot of descending, starting at 2,500 feet (760 m) and ending near sea level, with a mass sprint finish expected.[8]

Stage 2

May 17, 2010 — Davis to Santa Rosa, 109.5 miles (176.2 km)

This stage is mostly flat, and uses most of the same course from stage 1 of the 2009 race. A notable diversion from that course, however, occurs around 20 miles (32 km) from the finish line in Santa Rosa, when the climb of Trinity Road is visited. Its steep grade and, more importantly, vicinity to the finish line leave in doubt the type of finish this stage will have.[9]

Stage 3

May 18, 2010 — San Francisco to Santa Cruz, 113.6 miles (182.8 km)

This course includes the Tour's first major climb, of Bonny Doon road. It was on this climb in the 2009 race that Leipheimer first took the lead that was eventually his overall margin of victory. The course is expected to be similar to the one used in Stage 2 from 2009. There are three categorized climbs before the final one to Bonny Doon 12 miles (19 km) from the finish.[10]

Stage 4

May 19, 2010 — San José to Modesto, 121.5 miles (195.5 km)

This is a flat stage, and uses the same course as Stage 3 from 2009. At the 6 miles (9.7 km) mark, the peloton faces a difficult, technical climb up Sierra Road, but after descending it there are no further difficulties in the route. A mass sprint finish is expected, with the potential for high winds, common in the San Joaquin Valley, to make it so general classification contenders will have to work hard to stay with the leading group.[11]

Stage 5

May 20, 2010 — Visalia to Bakersfield, 121.5 miles (195.5 km)

After a lengthy transfer, two new towns will be visited in Stage 5. This is categorized as a flat stage, though a climb with a 14% gradient occurs early in the stage and the finish in Bakersfield includes three visits to a climb that tops out over 10% in grade.[12]

Stage 6

May 21, 2010 — Palmdale to Big Bear Lake, 135 miles (217 km)

This has already been declared the queen stage of the 2010 Tour, and may be the most difficult stage in the Tour's five-year history. It is the first Tour of California stage ever to conclude with a mountain climb. The climb to Big Bear Lake reaches reaches 6,752 ft (2,058 m) in elevation.[6] This stage was originally scheduled to begin at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena,[13] but the roads on which the course would have traveled were damaged by heavy snowfall at high elevations in 2010, making them unsafe to use. The stage will now begin just north of the Angeles National Forest at Palmdale City Hall and visit the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, incorporating 2,000 ft (610 m) more climbing than the original course from Pasadena. From there, the race heads south along the Angeles Forest Highway before cutting across the Upper Big Tujunga Canyon to travel on the undamaged part of the course as previously designed.[14]

Stage 7

May 22, 2010 — Los Angeles 20 mi (32 km) (individual time trial)

The one race against the clock for the 2010 Tour will take place in Los Angeles, on a longer course than was used in Solvang in the previous three editions of the race. It will run twenty miles over two laps in downtown Los Angeles.[6] The course passes such landmarks as the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, and Los Angeles City Hall, finishing at Chick Hearn Court at L.A. Live. It is expected that the riders will complete the course in anywhere from 41 to 48 minutes. The first 90 riders to take the course will be staggered one minute at a time, and the final 30 will be spaced out with two minutes separating their departures.[15]

Stage 8

May 23, 2010 — Thousand Oaks circuit race, 83.5 miles (134.4 km)

The Tour concludes with a hilly circuit race in Thousand Oaks, with a steep climb up Decker Canyon Road before finishing in Westlake. The circuit course is 21 miles (34 km) long, and it will be covered four times. It reaches a height of 1,000 feet (300 m).[16]


References

  1. ^ Kirsten Frattini (2010-04-06). "Powerhouse peloton for fifth Amgen Tour of California". Bicycling.com. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
  2. ^ Joe Lindsey (2009-10-22). "Armstrong, Leipheimer, Hincapie to Race 2010 Tour of California". Bicycling.com. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
  3. ^ "2010 Amgen Tour of California Host Cities and Top Competitors Announced via Twitter". Anschutz Entertainment Group. 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  4. ^ a b Kirsten Robbins (2009-05-06). "Tour of California moves to May in 2010". Cycling News. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  5. ^ a b c Kirsten Robbins (2009-10-23). "Tour of California moves inland for fifth edition". Cycling News. Retrieved 2009-11-11. Cite error: The named reference "inland" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Daniel Benson (2009-10-22). "Tour of California 2010 Route Announced". Cycling News. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  7. ^ Teresa Rochester (2009-10-24). "Armstrong gives big boost to Amgen Tour". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  8. ^ Cycling News (2010-02-09). "Downhill all the way?". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  9. ^ Cycling News (2010-02-09). "A little speed bump before the finish..." Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  10. ^ Cycling News (2010-02-10). "Bonny Doon is back". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  11. ^ Cycling News (2010-02-10). "Better get in a good warm-up..." Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  12. ^ Cycling News (2010-02-11). "Crafty circuit could foil the sprinters' plans". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  13. ^ Cycling News (2010-02-11). "Big Bear finish anything but cuddly". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  14. ^ Cycling News (2010-04-14). "Big Bear finish anything but cuddly". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  15. ^ Cycling News (2010-02-12). "Individual time trial could determine the overall race winner". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  16. ^ Cycling News (2010-02-12). "Final day's circuit race to test tired legs". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2010-02-13.

Template:Cb start

Template:Cb end