A first-ever south-to-north route and new host cities should shake up the race.
By Joe Lindsey
Officials announced the race route for the 2013 Amgen Tour of California today, and although some aspects are comfortingly familiar, much has changed from years past.
The biggest switch for the eight-stage 750-mile race (May 12-19) is directional. Rather than start in northern California and wend south to Los Angeles, the 2013 edition will kick off just outside San Diego and head north, for a finish in Santa Rosa.
Exact routes and stage distances aren?t available yet, but here?s what was announced on Tuesday.
Stage 1: Escondido to Escondido
This city just north of San Diego hosted the 2009 finish. Fans of that edition will remember that the route climbed nearby Mount Palomar; Frank Schleck won the stage and Levi Leipheimer took the overall. Palomar may well play a role again, but in 2009 the summit was too far from the finish to make a major difference in the race, and it doesn?t take a geographer to know that it hasn?t moved any closer.
Stage 2: Murrieta to Palm Springs
Two new host cities will line up for the second stage, which takes racers across desert terrain. With an average May high temperature of 96 in Palm Springs, heat?could play an important role, as it did in last year?s Bakersfield time trial. Murrieta was for some time home to Floyd Landis, whose non-selection for the 2010 edition helped spur the investigation into doping on U.S. Postal. This stage could see hills if it goes through the San Bernardino National Forest and past Mount San Jacinto (which would then go near Landis?s Idyllwild cabin). Windy conditions could also be a factor.
Stage 3: Palmdale to Santa Clarita
Skirting the Los Angeles area proper, the third stage sticks with the desert theme with a Palmdale start, but the details are what?s intriguing. The finish city, Santa Clarita, is less than 40 miles away by the most direct route; the race will likely go any number of other directions, into the San Gabriel mountains to the Angeles Crest, or west to Lake Castaic. Either route has the potential to be a major climbing day.
Stage 4: Santa Clarita to Santa Barbara
Santa Clarita plays host the start of Stage 4 as well, and this could be an intriguing day; it?s over 70 miles to the finish in Santa Barbara by the shortest route, and the race likely will use smaller roads. One complicating factor could be riding straight into westerly winds, which could shift to a crosswind as riders hit the coast, as far away as Ventura.
Stage 5: Santa Barbara to Avila Beach
Another long day (at least 90 miles, but probably closer to 110), this stage features two new towns but some familiar territory as it heads north along, or near, the central coast. Riders will likely pass through or near longtime host town Solvang, the site of several previous Tour of California time trials. Race organizers will probably aim for an early start and a fairly direct route to minimize the overnight transfer. As the race seems to be paying homage to former big names in cycling, it?s worth noting that Avila Beach is not far from San Luis Obispo, home of ex-HTC manager Bob Stapleton.
Stage 6: San Jose to San Jose (individual time trial)
As the only city to host all eight editions of the race, San Jose has seen finishes and starts but never a time trial, until now. The course is a complete unknown; the start and finish will likely be somewhere near downtown, but how long and where it goes are still unknown. One logistical note: The transfer from Avila Beach is the longest in the race?s history by a good bit; it?s almost 200 miles from there to San Jose (three and a half hours of driving). So while race organizers will likely pick an early finish for Stage 5 and a late start for Stage 6, the TT might go to the rider with the best on-the-road recovery.
Stage 7: Livermore to Mount Diablo
Likely the queen stage of the race, this summit finish, combined with the previous day?s time trial, should decide the overall. Livermore isn?t far away from the state park where the race will finish, so there?s considerable variation in how the riders get there. But Diablo is certainly worthy of the name. It climbs 3,200 feet in under 11 miles with an average gradient of 5.7 percent. The current record on Strava is just over 45 minutes. Expect these guys to lop 5 to 10 minutes off that.
Stage 8: San Francisco to Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is known for its large, enthusiastic crowds, and hosting the race?s overall finish will likely boost those numbers. Although the race may have been decided by the previous stage?s mountaintop finish, this final day is potentially challenging. The key lies in the route: After a start in San Francisco, the race will likely go north across the Golden Gate Bridge. From there, does it go into the Marin Headlands and Point Reyes National Seashore, then up to some of the familiar routes from past editions? Or do they head through Marin to Sonoma and Napa and wine country, and obstacles such as Trinity Grade? Either way, expect some leg-breaking hills before a fast run-in to the finish.
Overall, it?s a much different course than the 2012 edition, and not just because of the direction. The 2012 race went far inland and made much use of the central valley, though not always to good effect. The 2013 Tour of California will be dominated by southern desert and the coast, barely touching on a major urban area until Stage 6.
Some of the roads will be familiar to the riders, but they?ll mostly be tackling them from a different direction. Desert heat, coastal winds, and long days will all be factors. The course saves the main difficulties for late in the race, but the early stages could be more taxing than they seem at first glance.
BICYCLING will fill in route details as they become available. Ditto for team announcements.
Till then, what are your thoughts on the course? Comment below.
Tags: Amgen Tour of California, ATOC, Pro Racing, route announcements, Tour of California, UCI
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