The Tour of California may reach its climax on the 4,000-foot climb up Mount Palomar, perhaps the final chance for the GC men to stake their claim on the golden jersey.
The ToC was essentially decided after the Solvang TT the past two years, but the addition of Mount Palomar (5,123 feet) offers a new wrinkle. "This is the kind of stage where a few spots in the top 10 will be in jeopardy," says BMC Racing's Tony Cruz, a Long Beach resident who occasionally rides Palomar. "Once it gets whittled down to a select group and guys figure out, oh, so-and-so's not looking so good, that's when the fireworks start."
WATCH: Palomar is steepest toward the top. "The last 4 to 5 kilometers are where the action will happen," Cruz predicts; the 16.1km climb will offer many chances to thin the pack with attacks. Cole Grade, the last real climb, offers "an opportunity for the soloists to go for broke" if the team controlling the race lacks riders up front. Watch closely: There's a steep descent just 5 miles from the end, so a small move could stay away for a stage win.
RIDE: "If you're camping, do a loop around Palomar," says Cruz. One possibility--up the steep South Grade Road the racers will climb, down East Grade to Lake Henshaw and back on Route 76--nets 30 miles.
GEAR: Hidden Valley Bicycle, open since 1961, has just about anything you'll need.
EAT: Filippi's Pizza Grotto is a SoCal original.
SLEEP: Go camping on Palomar (parks.ca.gov). Some campgrounds close seasonally (others require reservations), so try Euro-style roadside campervans on South Grade Road. Tour of California Stage Maps: Prologue | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Stage 6 | Stage 7 | Stage 8
Position Format:
Datum:
Tracks
Tour of California: Stage 8
Distance: 96.83 mi
Points: 1716
Calories: none
Total Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
Active Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
#
Distance
Instruction
Distance to next
1
3.99 mi
Turn left at Bandy Canyon Rd
Then go 0.30 mi
2
4.29 mi
Turn left to stay on Bandy Canyon Rd
Then go 4.19 mi
3
8.48 mi
Turn left at CA-78/San Pasqual Valley Rd
Then go 6.39 mi
4
14.87 mi
Turn right at Bear Valley Pkwy
Then go 2.62 mi
5
17.49 mi
Turn right at Bear Valley Pkwy/S6/E Valley Pkwy
Then go 0.38 mi
6
17.87 mi
Slight right to stay on Bear Valley Pkwy/S6/E Valley Pkwy Continue to follow E Valley Pkw
Then go 0.83 mi
7
18.69 mi
Turn right at Lake Wohlford Rd
Then go 7.80 mi
8
26.49 mi
Turn right at S6/Valley Center Rd
Then go 5.00 mi
9
31.49 mi
Turn right at CA-76/Pala Rd Continue to follow CA-7
Then go 4.96 mi
10
36.45 mi
Slight left at S Grade Rd/S7
Then go 6.77 mi
11
43.22 mi
Turn right at E Grade Rd/S7
Then go 11.27 mi
12
54.50 mi
Turn right at CA-76/Pala Rd
Then go 17.62 mi
13
72.12 mi
Turn left at Cole Grade Rd
Then go 7.87 mi
14
79.99 mi
Turn left at S6/Valley Center Rd
Then go 2.92 mi
15
82.91 mi
Turn right at N Lake Wohlford Rd
Then go 7.80 mi
16
90.71 mi
Turn left at S6/E Valley Pkwy
Then go 0.33 mi
17
91.04 mi
Slight right to stay on S6/E Valley Pkwy
Then go 0.43 mi
18
91.47 mi
Turn right at E Washington Ave
Then go 0.59 mi
19
92.06 mi
Turn right at Stoneybrae Pl
Then go 0.04 mi
20
92.10 mi
Make a U-turn at Fieldbrook Way
Then go 0.06 mi
21
92.16 mi
Stoneybrae Way turns right and becomes El Norte Pkwy
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