L'Etape Du California

You should be able to make the cutoff, you can start at 7 AM!

For me it's all about the recovery...if your base is big enough then less time to recover (depending on the effort).

basically I do as much as I can squeeze in and still show up feeling at least semi-fresh for race day.

 

I made that up! :lol:

I had a coach tell me that a few years ago. Things change so maybe it's not how it is now.

 

Lifts gets easier the more you do it. I'd skip the Mt.Baldy Rd. climb (easy) and do repeats on Lifts until you get used to the quick hits on the tighter switchbacks. Count the number of s'backs (I seem to come up with 9) and get a steady pace going and leave plenty of giddyup for that last straightaway up to the parking lot - that's the real crusher generally.

Break the ride up - do a MTB climb all the way from Village to Notch. I think there will probably be snow on the road now but, I'm going to do some repeats on Saturday to see what's going up there now. The dirt climb is way better than Mt. Baldy Rd. No cars and only a few hikers. From the Village you get 3000'+ in less than 10 miles.

Grab a beer at the Notch Restaurant for the last roll down the fire road to Village - good fun.

 

Just signed up for this! Still thinking about gearing but I might just go with wat I already have on the bike which is compact up front and 11x26 in the back. Looking forward to it, and meeting some of the STR folks there.

 

I hope you're right that I can make the cutoff; I think you are. It took me about 5:40, including breaks, to ride 60 miles of the route (everything but the climb up Mt. Baldy Rd. to the Village and the climb to the ski lifts). While those are the two hardest parts, I would imagine it's not going to take me more than 1.25-1.5 hours to make it up the initial climb to the village. Add another 30 minutes for extra rests, slowness, etc. and that puts me at 7:40, which means I'd get to the Village by 2:40pm, versus the 4pm cutoff. Even if I have a major meltdown, I should be able to make that 4pm cutoff...Should being the key word...

The bigger problem is that I know I had more in me when I completed the 60 mile ride, but I didn't have 15 miles and 4,700 feet left in me. That's going to hurt...

I tried doing a recon of Mt. Baldy on Saturday morning, but the wind gusts go to be too sketchy for my taste a bit past the tunnels. I drove all the way up, including the drive to the ski lifts--which was interesting in the dark. I drove down to the rest area a ways down and was going to ride up the ski lifts on fresh legs, but it just seemed too gusty up there. I drove all the way back down and it was calmer at the base, so I started up from there--took me 50 minutes to get up just past the tunnels, maybe a little over 2 miles from the Village where I turned around. I understand it gets steeper just past the tunnels.

I'm hoping for better weather on Saturday. Forecast shows 10mph winds on www.weather.com and High of 68 and Low of 45 for Mt. Baldy.

 

here is a map of the route with my split times and distances from the pre-ride marked on it. We didn't start at the actual start so that is 'penciled in'. (a few essentially flat miles)

over half the route (time wise) is from GMR to Baldy Ski Area, roughly 3 hours of up, up, up!

(if you click on the map it makes it larger and easier to read)

 

Awesome map. Thank you! If you did it in 5h49m I figure I'll be able to finish it in 10 h.....

 

No kidding that is a great time for the amount of up!

 

Man, that is killer fast.

 

You and me both...Deja Vu will be back by lunchtime, I'll be lucky to be back by Dinner...or nightfall!!! Oh well, what doesn't destroy you makes you stronger...right?

That segment in "Split 3" was tougher than I expected when I rode it. Definitely lots of false flats or almost imperceptible rollers; it took more out of me than I realized it would. Maybe that's because I did the GMR/GRR to Village climb first then looped back around, but I felt great at the Village. I'm going to be really careful on that segment to take it easy as that will lead up TO the GMR climb on Saturday. If I show up even a little tired/weak at the base of GMR, I'm going to be hosed.

Thanks DejaVu for the map and the splits--I can't tell you how useful that is to have that info. Even though I need to multiply times 2 to get my splits...

 

I am thinking get some calories in early on this one...will need some fuel in the tank for the last half. I will probably chug down a light perpetuam/heed mix on the first climb and eat something semi solid like a muffin on the GRR or 39 descent as it is flat enough to get your hands off the bars. May hit all the full rest stops for more food and down some gels here and there. I got really hungry on the pre-ride, the temps and all the climbing added up.

Be sure to bring some arm warmers and maybe a light jacket.....on the pre-ride I had a sleeveless underlayer and a short sleeve jersey, put on the arm warmers and jacket for the GRR/East Fork descent and also Baldy back down, it was freakin' cold! Looks like temperature supposed to be similar tomorrow (cooling down some)

 

You are disappointing me. I though you would be in the front peloton with the pros, no rest stops and an uphill sprint to the finish. Don't forget Andy Schleck will be riding this stage a week later. With the chip timing we will be able to compare our times with the pros. We got to show that Luxee that us SoCa folks can kick ass!

I'll look for you at he start though you'll probably drop me on the first climb!

 

hehe, yeah right! that is what is cool about this ride, makes you realize how tough pro cycling is...really tough and a huge effort for us just to do this one stage without doing a week of racing with no breaks before hand. I won't even bring up the giro schedule.....

 

i don't do rides i can't pronounce...

but good luck to all you roadie monsters.

 

The really demoralizing part is their estimated finish time...

AMGEN Tour of California Stage 7 - Claremont to Baldy
Miles: 75.8 KM: 121.9
Start: Sat, May 21: Claremont
Finish: Mt. Baldy
Start Time: 11:45am Finish ETA: 3:21-3:43pm

 

I just came back from doing the required talk and getting my stuff.
FYI: when you get there, they'll direct you to where the meeting is.
Don't even try to pick up your stuff. Wait till you have a hand stamp.
The biggest info. I took away from the ride is that it is not a leisurely century.
Don't linger around the rest stops shooting the shit. They want us to ride efficiently!
Got that Beth??

 

Thanks for the heads up on the hand stamp! I'll be picking up my packet tomorrow morning so I'll need to be there bright and early to hear their pep talk.

 

I am in. Will be riding solo since my main group will be doing BA. Been doing some GMR but really not ready for a hammerfest up. Will keep a steady pace and smart move on saving some in the tank for GMR Up! Hope to see some you guys out there!

Also good note on bringing the arm warmers and light vest for the ride down and some up at the lift area. Weather is showing overcast and fog??? It doest drop in temp as you get to the upper elevations.

Couple of weeks ago I pushed up GMR and the fog creeped in and it was like riding in the cold rain. Be prepared...

 

I'm thinking I should bring a small light for safety??

 

I'm bringing a small rear red tailight.