Amgen Tour of California - Sunday

[david13]

Starts Sunday the 16th of May. I believe tv coverage will be either Versus or HD Theater.
dc

[wtmusic]

1. The last stage is my regular Saturday ride

(of course, they'll be doing it twice, and doing it twice as fast). :D And I'm marshaling for the individual time trial in downtown LA the day before.

I can't believe how this has grown, I've been to every one except the first. This one will be HUGE, thanks in no small part to the decision to move the tour from February to May.

[david13]

2. I need to make a plan to get out there and see it live, somewhere.

I'd like to have lunch at Phillippe's and then walk over. That may be my best bet.
Or get near Big Bear, that would be nice.
Last year I went to the Rose Bowl. They had food and then the bikes all came in. And big tv's to watch the action in the hills/mountains.
For Phillippe's my only problem is coming from the south. I'd have to skirt around, well, maybe just up the 110.
dc

[david13]

3. Music. Let me know where you will be and I'll stop by and say hi.

I think I may park at Pershing Square and have lunch at Clifton's. Then walk down toward the sports center. To see how close I can get to the start and finish.
Do you know where you will be, or will they assign you on Saturday morning?
dc

[david13]

4. I'm watching the daily record of the race. It's exciting and a huge

event. The final stage near the Rock Store is going to be packed, a madhouse. I'm going to try downtown Los Angeles, there may be some open space there, as I think they will catch a lot of people off guard, a lot who won't know about it, or know that it will be coming in.
I will see.
Big Bear is difficult, but that would be my second favorite, but there are so few roads up that way, one or two ways out and in only, and 2 lane only. (Read traffic congestion).
dc

[wtmusic]

5. You'll be able to get some fence space at the time trial

although it's a different experience watching them go by one at a time. Apparently there is a lot of last-minute juggling - there are a couple of weddings taking place at churches along the route (I'd hate to have to be the strategist in charge of that one).

The Stage 6 route is some of my favorite SoCal riding. I would love to see them come over Dawson Saddle, where Angeles Crest Highway becomes the highest paved road in L.A. county at 7,901 ft. Then there's the two-mile descent into Wrightwood, on pristine asphalt, the only spot I've broken 50mph on a bike. The peloton will be traveling 60-70 mph.

I'm going to be riding Rock Store Sunday morning with my club David, if you want to join us PM me

http://www.sfvbc.org

[david13]

6. I think the Rock Store will be packed. From what I see on the bike

forums, that whole route will be packed.
Central L A is time trials? So they go one at a time? Fence? All the way? Because that is a lot of city street.
Well, I need to get down there and see.
Sunday I will bicycle over to the beach and get 25 miles, from the Peninsula to El Segundo, if it's not too crowded.
I (motorcycled) Angeles Crest in May when it opened, but now it's closed on this side of Upper Big Tujunga. So I see no way to get near Dawson Saddle.
I suppose I could go out Angeles Forest and find a turn out or something on Friday. Or maybe the KOM site. What will be there? Or will that be too crowded?
dc

[wtmusic]

7. Stage 6 will require some effort

39 is closed, so you'd have to go Big Tujunga to get anywhere near the race...a long way to travel but you'd have lots of elbow room. Unless you're in Big Bear, I think that one is best watched from the living room sofa.

If you can get someone to drop you off above the Rock Store, Mulholland will be open (forget about parking) but get there early. You do get to see them go by 4x.

Agoura traffic info
http://ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/Index.aspx?page=36&recordid=258&returnURL=%2Findex.aspx

LA (Stage 7) traffic info
http://trafficinfo.lacity.org/images/AmgenInfo.pdf

[david13]

8. To see them go by 4 times is a good idea, I like that.

The one at a time business in central LA may well be boring. The big thrill is to see the pace car, the motorcycle escort, the leaders (pull aways?) and then, the peloton. The bulge? The pack. And the clammoring, cow bells, whistles, cheering, clapping, and general hooting and hollering.
But anyway I'm looking at traffic.
And I'm salivating like a pavlov dog for one of Cliftons turkey legs.
I eat at Phillippe's all the time so that's nice but no big thrill.
My favorite visits to the Rock Store are weekdays. Closed, no one there. Just a few bikes and cars passing now and then.
Weekends are too crowded.
I'm trying to plan and make a decision. Hasn't happened yet.
Maybe I should just wait and go spur of the moment, and see what happens. Sometimes trips turn out better that way.
dc

[wtmusic]

9. I hear you

Well good luck, I got an email today and I'm going to be a track marshal but I won't know where until Saturday.

We'll have to compare notes next week. :thumbsup:

[wtmusic]

10. Helmet cam from Stage 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrDqARQ_fvA

Where did you end up yesterday?

[david13]

11. I had given up on Saturday. I thought it would be packed. So I

watched the live stream online, which didn't start til 2:30, but was excellent. I have walked every one of those streets, and looked at every building there, so I knew where they were all the time.
It was wide open. There were blocks with no people, well, 2 people on the whole block.
So I determined to take PCH to Malibu Canyon, to Las Virgenes to Cornel, and sit at that corner. Then I thought, why not go up to Agoura Road, then down to Cornel, and have some services, stores, etc nearby.
Sunday morning I was sick. Rarely am I sick but I was too sick to get out there at all, particularly with cold, and wind.
So I watched it online, and also tv. Online coverage didn't start til 2:25 p.m.
I saw that old black Cadillac hearse about 3 times, at least, the one you passed just before the RV zone.
I was also worried about where I could park out there, and what you had, getting jammed up riding around the course.
The internet & tv coverage was good. 15 different angles and points of view.
Anyway, that's a good video with the helmet cam. Thanks.
I'll see you out there yet. Maybe next years race.
dc