Photos courtesy of the Rapha Continental
King of the Mountains (KoM) aspirants will push on this new stage, which runs from the Central Valley into the Sierra Nevada near Yosemite. There are four categorized climbs, topping out with the Crane Valley Road ascent at nearly 4,000 feet, before riders begin a descent to the valley floor for a flat run to Clovis. Expect early breaks targeting the KoM competition, but with the last summit 40-plus miles from the finish, it should all come back together for a sprint. The wild card? The possibility of snow or rain.
HOT TIP: We don't foresee any big leads at this point; instead, expect climbers, like Rabobank's Robert Gesink, to try to soak up KoM points before the long, flat run to the finish. Park on Crane Valley Road outside Oakhurst for the final KoM, then backtrack to Highway 41 and beeline south to Clovis for the finish.
Tour of California Stage Maps:
Prologue | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Stage 6 | Stage 7 | Stage 8
