Thursday, January 8, 2009

Stage 7 of the Tour of California

Hilly but manageable.

The first 10 miles offer a couple short, steep climbs of 1 mile, .5 miles and .6 miles. At 15 miles to 28 miles the course rises slightly. Then, at 28 miles, turn on Angeles Forest Hwy and start the rollers up hill. We started shooting at mile 31 when the climb started . I think it was a 7+ mile climb that was not too bad. Certainly not enough to break up the group. Then an 8 mile descent and two more climbs. One was 3.5 miles and the other was 2 miles. I cruised them at 250 to 275 watts because I never knew how steep the climbs would be around the corner.

It is possible for a good break to work but it would have to be the right combination and total commitment from each rider in the break. I say this turns out to be a sprinters win.

Stage 8 on deck for Friday.

K