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Tour of California 2010 Live Dashboard
Race Info, Previews, Live Video, Results, Photos and Highlights
The individual time trial has proved decisive in the first four years which suits Garmin's Dave Zabriskie just fine. Will harder road stages in 2010 lesson the impact of the long Los Angeles ITT stage? Probably not. Photo: kwc.org
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News and Updates for Tour of California 2010
Stage 8 results: Michael Rogers survives multiple attacks to take the overall win; Garmin's Ryder Hesjedal wins the stage from a bunch sprint
20 Big Photos from stage 8 — ken conley
Full Results | Final General Classification | Final Teams Competition | Final Best Young RiderHesjedal wins Amgen Tour of California finale — cyclingnewsRyder Hesjedal wins final stage as Michael Rogers wins the overall — velonews
Stage 8 Highlights (07:51 english) — sbs Stage 8 Highlights (03:04 english) — versus Last 8 Km (10:58) — versus Ryder Hesjedal winner's intereview (02:09 english) — versus Michael Rogers GC winner's interview (01:45 english) — versus 20 Big Photos from stage 8 — ken conley Casey B. Gibson's photos from stage 8 — velonews Rock Store Craziness: driving passed the spectators (02:25) — fredcast Chris Horner post stage 8 (00:52) — teamradioshackMay 23 update:
Official Stage 8 Preview (03:00) — aeg
Google Stage Map and Googe Earth File — cbs13Final day's circuit race to test tired legs — cyclingnewsSee the profile, stage map and timetable for this stage in the race summary table (right)
Stage 7 ITT results: HTC-Columbia's Tony Martin wins easily while teammate Michael Rogers extends his GC lead by 5s over Dave Zabriskie
17 Big Photos from stage 7 — ken conley
Full Results | General Classification after Stage 7 — steephill.tvMartin lights up LA time trial — cyclingnewsMichael Rogers holds Amgen Tour of California lead after Los Angeles time trial — velonews Levi Leipheimer fails to defend in the TT (02:08) — bicyclingmag Bob Roll talks with the Stage 7 ITT winner (01:18 english) — versus Bob Roll talks with the GC leader after Stage 7 (02:12 english) — versusFloyd Landis shows up at Tour of California — sports.yahooFloyd On Hand, Not Talking at TOC — bicycling Stage 7 Highlights (04:51 english) — sbs 17 Big Photos from stage 7 — ken conley
May 22 update: Official Stage 7 Preview (03:00) — aegGoogle Stage Map and Googe Earth File — cbs13Individual time trial could determine the overall race winner — cyclingnews
Stage 7 ITT Start Order and Times — steephill.tvSee the profile, stage map and timetable for this stage in the race summary table (right)
Live Video Streaming and TV Coverage
May 20 update: A work in progress for Tour of California 2010 live and delayed coverage. Check back at race time for more links. Feel free to send in additional sources for live video, tv coverage or text updates/tickers as they become known. — Steve| media source | tv or internet | comments/restrictions |
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live video (english) |
also features a ticker, gps tracking and fan chat; free worldwide. Live video starts at 2:00 PDT |
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live video (english) tv schedule (see ad) |
North America: Live in HD at 2 PM PDT for the weekday stages and 3:30 PM PDT for the weekend stages. Evening rebroadcasts at 8 PDT. find versus in your area |
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live video (english) live video (english) live video (germanic?) tv schedule (UK) |
live tv coverage with english commentary. Stage 5 scheduled for 21:00 GMT (120 min) |
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live text updates |
text updates for every stage |
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live text updates |
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 steephill text updates #atoc twitter group |
short text updates from any and everyone | check back at race time for more and updated links;  send a comment or a new live link |
Stage 6 results: Liquigas' Peter Sagan wins again; adds the Amgen Queen Stage to his list of 2010 wins. Few changes on GC heading into the TT.
20 Big Photos from the stage 6 — ken conleyStage 6 results 1 Peter Sagan (SVK/Liquigas) 6:07:08 2 Rory Sutherland (AUS/UnitedHealthcare) 3 Michael Rogers (AUS/HTC-Columbia) 4 Levi Leipheimer (USA/RadioShack) 5 Ryder Hesjedal (CAN/Garmin-Transitions) 6 Phil Zajicek (USA/Fly V Australia) 7 Paul Martens (GER/Rabobank Cycling Team) 8 David Zabriskie (USA/Garmin-Transitions) 9 Jens Voigt (GER/Team Saxo Bank) 10 Thomas Danielson (USA/Garmin-Transitions) General Classification after Stage 6 1 Michael Rogers (AUS/HTC-Columbia) 29:04:03 2 Dave Zabriskie (USA/Garmin-Transitions) + 0:04 3 Peter Sagan (SVK/Liquigas) + 0:09 4 Levi Leipheimer (USA/RadioShack) + 0:14 5 Rory Sutherland (AUS/UnitedHealthcare) + 0:29 6 Ryder Hesjedal (CAN/Garmin-Transitions) + 0:35 7 Tom Danielson (Garmin-Transitions) 8 Phil Zajicek (Fly V Australia) 9 Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) 10 Paul Martens (Rabobank) + 12:31
Full Results | General Classification after Stage 6 — steephill.tvSagan takes Liquigas' winning streak to three — cyclingnewsPeter Sagan wins at Big Bear, his second Amgen Tour stage, as overall race remains tight. — velonews Stage 6 Highlights (05:00 english) — sbs Casey B. Gibson's photos from stage 6 — velonews Last Km (02:12 english) — versus Dave Zabriskie post-race (00:52) — bicyclingmagTour of California to Tahoe?
Tourism officials make push — tahoedailytribune 20 Big Photos from the stage 6 — ken conleyBig Bear fails to grizzle California's overall race — cyclingnews Horner talks stage 6 (01:48) — bicyclingmag Race leader Michael Rogers after stage 6 (01:33) — bicyclingmag Stage 6 Highlights (02:58 english) — versusMay 21 update:
Official Stage 6 Preview (03:00) — aegGoogle Stage Map and Googe Earth File — cbs13Stage 6 Preview: Big Bear finish anything but cuddly — cyclingnewsSee the profile, stage map and timetable for this stage in the race summary table (right)
Stage 5 results: Liquigas' Peter Sagan wins the power sprint finish in Bakersfield
8 Big Photos from the Lance Armstrong press conference, his crash and stage 5 finish ... more to come — ken conley
Stage 5 results 1 Peter Sagan (SVK/Liquigas) 2 Michael Rogers (AUS/HTC-Columbia) 3 Dave Zabriskie (USA/Garmin-Transitions) 4 Chris Horner (USA/RadioShack) 5 Paul Martens (GER/Rabobank) 6 Levi Leipheimer (USA/RadioShack) General Classification after Stage 5 1 Michael Rogers (AUS/HTC-Columbia) 2256:00 2 Dave Zabriskie (USA/Garmin-Transitions) 3 Levi Leipheimer (USA/RadioShack) + 0:10 4 Peter Sagan (SVK/Liquigas) + 0:15 5 Marc De Maar (NED/UnitedHealthcare) + 0:28 6 Ryder Hesjedal (CAN/Garmin-Transitions) + 0:31 + seven other riders 31 seconds back Abandoned: Stuart O'Grady and Lance Armstrong
Full Results | General Classification after Stage 5 — steephill.tvSlovak Sagan's success continues in California — cyclingnewsMichael Rogers takes the lead as Peter Sagan wins stage 5 — velonews Lance Armstrong Landis Doping Allegations Q&A: Part 1 (09:59) | Part 2 (03:58) — bicycledotnet Lance Armstrong bloody post-crash — sports.yahoo 8 Big Photos from the Lance Armstrong press conference, his crash and stage 5 finish ... more to come — ken conley Armstrong responds to doping allegations and then crashes out (02:40) — cbs13 Stage 5 Highlights (05:53 english) — sbs Casey B. Gibson's photos from stage 5 — velonews Footage of Bruyneel and Armstrong after the crash before abandoning (09:32... removed by source?) — bicyclingmag Bruyneel Breaks Down Armstrong Crash (02:00) — bicyclingmag Last 7 Km (10:56) — versus
May 19 update: Official Stage 5 Preview (03:00) — aegGoogle Stage Map and Googe Earth File — cbs13Stage 5 preview: Crafty circuit could foil the sprinters' plans — cyclingnews Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and Rory Sutherland Analyze Stage 5 — velonewsTough finish circuits could shake up GC — velonewsSee the profile, stage map and timetable for this stage in the race summary table (right)
BREAKING NEWS:
Landis comes clean on PED use — espnCyclist Floyd Landis Admits Doping, Alleges Use by Armstrong and Others — wsj Johan Bruyneel Addresses Landis Allegations (02:16) — bicyclingmag Armstrong says he has nothing to hide (00:30) — sports.espn.goArmstrong rejects Landis allegations — cyclingnewsLandis Responds: Says Someone Leaked His Private E-mail — versusArmstrong and O'Grady abandon Amgen Tour of California after early crash — versusStage 4 results: Liquigas' Francesco Chicchi picks up his fifth sprint win of the year in the streets of Modesto
35 Big Photos from Stage 4 — ken conley and mike norrisStage 4 results 1 Francesco Chicchi (ITA/Liquigas) 122 miles in 4:55:02 (24.8 mph) 2 Juan José Haedo (ARG/Saxo Bank) 3 Mark Cavendish (GBR/HTC-Columbia) 4 Theo Bos (NED/Cervelo Test Team) 5 Jonathan Cantwell (AUS/Fly V Australia) 6 Alexander Kristoff (NOR/BMC Racing Team) 7 Ken Hanson (USA/Team Type 1) 8 Andreas Stauff (GER/Quick Step) 9 Alex Candelario (USA/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 10 Guillaume Boivin (CAN/SpiderTech) General Classification after Stage 4 1 Dave Zabriskie (USA/Garmin-Transitions) 18:04:35 2 Michael Rogers (AUS/HTC-Columbia) + 0:04 3 Levi Leiphemier (USA/RadioShack) + 0:06 4 Peter Sagan (SVK/Liquigas) + 0:21
Full Results | General Classification after Stage 4 — steephill.tvChicchi kicks hardest in Modesto — cyclingnewsFrancesco Chicchi wins stage 4 of the Amgen Tour; Dave Zabriskie defends lead — velonewsChris Horner's Team RadioShack diary: Tour of California stage 4 — blog.oregonlive 35 Big Photos from Stage 4 — ken conley and mike norris Stage 4 Highlights (04:00 english) — sbs Last 100m (00:40) — modbee Stage 4 podium ceremony (12:29) — modbee Stage 4 Highlights narrated by Phil Liggett (03:13 english) — versusMay 19 update:
Official Stage 4 Preview (03:00) — aegGoogle Stage Map and Googe Earth File — cbs13Stage 4 preview: Better get in a good warm-up... — cyclingnewsSee the profile, stage map and timetable for this stage in the race summary table (right)
Stage 3 results: Three man break succeeds; David Zabriskie outpsrints Michael Rogers and Levi Leiphimer in Santa Cruz to move into Gold
25 Big Photos from Stage 3 — ken conley and veloimages
Stage 3 results
General Classification after Stage 3
Zabriskie holds off Rogers to win in Santa Cruz — cyclingnews
Dave Zabriskie wins thrilling stage 3 — velonews
Full Results | General Classification after Stage 3 — steephill.tv
25 Big Photos from Stage 3 — ken conley and veloimages
Stage 3 Highlights (04:56 english) — sbs
Zabriskie Takes Lead In Tour Of California (02:43) — ktvu
Stage 3 Highlights narrated by Phil Liggett (03:31 english) — versus
Last 8 Km (10:54) — versus
Stage 3 photos by Casey Gibson — velonews
Armstrong slams Versus for poor Tour of California coverage — sportsillustrated.cnn
May 17 update:
Official Stage 3 Preview (03:00) — aeg
Google Stage Map and Googe Earth File — cbs13
Stage 3 preview: Bonny Doon is back — cyclingnews
Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and Rory Sutherland Analyze Stage 3 — velonews
Ride to Santa Cruz is no cruise — velonews
See the profile, stage map and timetable for this stage in the race summary table (right)
Stage 2 results: Aussie Brett Lancaster wins the 27 man bunch sprint in the rain; big time gaps due to more crashes
17 Big Photos from Stage 2 — ken conley and mike norrisStage 2 results 1 Brett Lancaster (Cervelo TestTeam) 100 miles in 4.38'48" (23.7 mph) 2 Peter Sagan (Liquigas) 3 Lars Boom (Rabobank) 4 Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthCare) 5 Andre Steensen (Team Saxo Bank) 6 Francois Parisien (SpiderTech) 7 Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) 8 Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin) 9 Lars Ytting Bak (HTC-Columbia) 10 Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthCare) (27 riders with the same time including Lance Armstrong,Michael Rogers,
Jens Voigt, Andy Schleck and Dave Zabriskie. Next group crossed 1:30 back) General Classification after Stage 2 1 Brett Lancaster (Cervelo) 2 Peter Sagan (Liquigas) + 0:04 3 Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthCare) 4 Lars Boom (Rabobank)
Full Results | General Classification after Stage 2 — steephill.tvLancaster claims Santa Rosa stage — cyclingnewsLancaster wins stage 2 — velonews Brett Lancaster stock photo — sirotti
Stage 2 Highlights (04:08 english) — sbs 17 Big Photos from Stage 2 — ken conley and mike norrisArmstrong: 'Does it always rain here?' — pressdemocrat Tour of California: For hardy souls only — pressdemocrat Chris Horner Recaps Stage 2 (01:17) — teamradioshack Levi Leipheimer Recaps Stage 2 (01:04) — teamradioshack Raw Video of the Stage 2 finish and podium — cbs5 CBS 13 Stage 2 Report (03:44) — cbs13 Damp Cycling Enthusiasts Brave Rain To Watch in Santa Rosa (02:18) — ktvuStage 2 photos — grahamwatsonChris Horner's Team RadioShack diary: Tour of California stage 2 — blog.oregonliveMay 16 update:
Official Stage 2 Preview (03:00) — aegTour of California stage 2 preview — velonewsStage 2 preview: A little speed bump before the finish... — cyclingnewsRiders escape injury in California — cyclingnewsSee the profile, stage map and timetable for this stage in the race summary table (right)
Stage 1 results: Mark Cavendish wins the sprint finish in Sacramento; Tom Boonen crashes hard during one of several crashes on the circuits
24 Big Photos from Stage 1 — ken conley and mike norrisStage 1 results 1 Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) 104 miles in 4.04'46" (25.5 mph) 2 J.J. Haedo (Saxo Bank) 3 Alexander Kristoff (BMC) 4 Robbie Hunter (Garmin-Transitions) 5 Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia) 6 Marcus Burghart (BMC) 7 Guillaume Boivin (SpiderTech by Planet Energy) 8 Andreas Stauff (Quick Step) 9 Nikolas Maes (Quick Step) 10 Thomas Leezer (Rabobank) General Classification after Stage 1 1 Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia)
Full Official Results — steephill.tvCavendish wins California opener — cyclingnewsCavendish wins stage 1 — velonews Cavendish Wins First Stage Of Tour Of Calif. — kcra 24 Big Photos from Stage 1 — ken conley and mike norris Stage 1 Highlights (03:24 english) — sbs Stage 1 photos — cyclingnews Stage 1 start photos — jered gruber Stage 1 Clips — news10.net Stage 1 start and finish photos — wilmatthewsphotoMach the mountain man in California — cyclingnews Stage 1 photos by Casey Gibson — velonewsStage 1 photos — grahamwatson CBS 13 Stage 1 Report (06:20) — cbs13
May 15 update: Nevada City parties on the eve on Stage 1 — news10.net Hincapie talks up Tour of California; Foresthill Bridge Preview — kcra Official Stage 1 Preview (03:04) — aegSee the profile, stage map and timetable for this stage in the race summary table (right)
Pre-Race Press Conference
May 14 update:
Big Photos from the Press Conference — mike norrisLeipheimer confident in quest for fourth California title — velonews Levi Leipheimer | Lance Armstrong — teamradioshack Lance Armstrong's GC Race Predictions — canadiancyclist Press-Conference Highlights (04:23) — uridetv 
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Race Previews
May 13 update:Big names line up for grizzly Amgen Tour of California — cyclingnewsGet ready for a whole new Tour of Cali — espnRogers focused on Amgen Tour of California overall title — cyclingnews Lance Armstrong's GC Race Predications — canadiancyclist 2010 Race Promo Video narrated by Phill Liggett (02:49 english) — versus
May 7 update:
Provisional Team Rosters Announced — steephill.tv
April 30 update:
Amgen Tour of California tightens anti-doping measures — cyclingnews
April 15 update:
Haussler makes comeback at Tour of California — velonews
Palmdale replaces Pasadena as the stage 6 start host
April 14 update: From the official release: The City of Palmdale, in the Antelope Valley of Los Angeles, will serve as a host city and be the location for the Stage 6 start of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, AEG, presenter of the eight-day cycling road race, announced today. The May 21 stage start had to be moved from Pasadena due to road closures on the Angeles Crest Highway caused by recent fires and subsequent mudslide damage to the route. Here's an updated interactive map — Steve
April 10 update:
Messick denies ASO takeover of California Tour — velonews
Winter damage to Angeles Crest Highway forces route change
April 7 update:Amgen Tour of California stage 6 re-routed — cyclingnewsAngeles Crest Highway (SR-2) Remains Closed for Repairs — mayorsampressrelease.blogspotTeams announced
April 6 update:2010 Amgen Tour of California teams announced — velonewsThe 16 teams 
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Official stage information for ALL stages now posted
February 10 update: Official details for stages 3 through 8 including stage maps, profiles and timetables are now posted. See the links in the race summary table (right). No major surprises in any of the stage routes as compared to our collaborative speculation. Also check out the preview links for video previews of each stage as they are released throughout the week. — SteveFebruary 9 update: Official stage 1 & 2 stage maps, profiles and timetables have been released. See the links in the race summary table (right). Also check out the preview links for video previews of each stage. — Steve
Bridges, mountains and history start off California tour — velonewsTeam Sky opt out of Tour of California — cyclingnewsOne-lap Tour finish coming to Santa Rosa in May — pressdemocratTour of California releases Big Bear stage details — cyclingnewsTour of Californias second half: hills, then mountains — velonews
February 8 update: Specific route details for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race will be revealed beginning tomorrow via individual stage videos, AEG, presenter of the fifth-annual event, announced today. The videos have been created in collaboration between the start and finish cities of each stage (designated at host cities), highlighting features of the route for the eight-day event. Two videos will be released per day throughout the week of Feb. 8. Check back... Steve
January 17 update:
Stage 3 Route Details Becoming Available — community.activeJanuary 3 update: According to Michael Roth, a spokesperson for AEG, the 2010 Tour of California stage details (maps and profiles) will be released on Feburary 1st — Steve
November 25 update:
Old Town Auburn out? Foresthill Bridge in? Tour of California cycle route decision time — auburnjournalNovember 16 update: Looks like the Nevada City-Sacramento route will be longer than the proposed 78 mi. A detour to Iowa Hill and Foresthill may be included. In-progress insight on the Nevada City-Sac route
November 13 update: Westlake Village officials discuss effects (and route) of Amgen Tour — vcstar
November 2 update: Merced Sun-Star editorial re: failed Merced-Yosemite bid: "The local group gambled with a hand they knew wasn't likely to win. Not smart."
Early preview of the stage details (unofficial)
November 2 update: Made refinements to most of the stage map drafts. You should find them generally accurate. See the links in the October 30 entry just below or the map/profile links in the race summary table, right.October 30 update: I've now posted unofficial stage maps and profiles for stage 1, stage 3, stage 5 and stage 6. You can comment on the maps if you have feedback to share. Stages 2 and 4 should be largely unchanged. Details on stages 6 and 7 still to come. — Steve
Big Bear finish on Onyx Summit? — bigbeargrizzly
Visalia organizer's proposed route — visaliatimesdelta
Bakersfield's recommendations — bakersfield
It's Official
Official Press ReleaseGeneral Description — velonewsRoute Overview — cyclingnewsQueen Stage Map/ Profile unofficial
Reactions to Tour of California's 2010 route announcement — cyclingnewsArmstrong to return to revamped Tour of California in 2010 — google
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Nevada City is planning a community-wide reception this morning — theunionWhy the ATOC is not be returning to San Diego County — nctimes
October 21 update:
Yosemite Park Officials Turn Down Amgen Tour — kmph
Anouncement should confirm that Merced isn't included next year. — mercedsunstar
Official route announcement this Thursday
October 20 update: The organizers have reaffirmed Thursday, October 22nd as the new route announcement date. Check back at 10:00 AM Thursday for the official details.Bakersfield has a home page for their Tour of California bid with links to sponsorship details, a volunteer form and course info (nothing there currently). The finish in Bakersfield will probably consist of 4 mile circuits around Bakersfield College. The town's bid has had strong local support with $160,000 being committed in just four weeks back in the spring. A news conference in Bakersfield is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Looks like Visalia will indeed host the stage 5 start that finishes in Bakersfield. Mike Camarena, a member of the Visalia organizing committee said yesterday, "The prospects are looking very good" and a news conference is scheduled for the Visalia Convention Center at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.
So far, there are no changes to our October 5th route predictions. — Steve
Amgen bike race returning to Sacramento — sacbee
Tour of California Pedaling to Kern County? ... could be stopping in Bakersfield — turnto23
Amgen cycling race to bypass Clovis — fresnobee
AMGEN Tour Returns to the Valley, Clovis Left in the Dust — abclocal.go.com
October 8 update:
It's official: Tour of California returns to Santa Rosa — pressdemocrat
Official route announcement delayed but more information is available
October 5 update: With the official route announcement pushed back several weeks, there are a few changes/updates to the news I reported at Interbike. Bruce Hildenbrand has spoken to another Tour official and has some new information which I've summerized in the race summary table (see right, note: host cities marked in gray have been confirmed by only one source). Nevada City to Sacramento is apparently the starting stage. This was speculated early on, but I was officially told the stage would start in Sacramento while at Interbike. Clearly, with two route announcement dates pushed back, not everything is in place yet. Part of the delay may have to do with The National Parks Service not permitting the Tour to enter Yosemite National Park.
I'm assuming Visalia is the stage five start for the following reasons: the town was invited to submit a proposal to host a 2010 stage, we already know the four new host towns (Visalia hosted last year) and Visalia is a logical start town for the finish in Bakersfield if the Sierra-Nevada are to be used a second time. If the stage 5 start is not Visalia then it may be Clovis who submitted a request for 2010 although it would be a very long stage from Clovis to Bakersfield.
The revised official route announcement date is now Thursday October, 22nd. — Steve
Bruce Hildenbrand's update — community.active
October 1 update: Interview: Messick's masterplan for the Tour of California — cyclingnews
From the floor at Interbike: 2010 route news
2010 starts in Sacramento; TT stage near Los Angeles after a summit finish at Big Bear the previous day
September 23 update: As previously announced, the Amgen Tour of California is moving to May for 2010. The dates are May 16-23 with the route once again moving from north to south over 8 stages with four new host towns along the way. According to Andrew Messick, President of AEG Sports, the next Tour of California "takes full advantage of the change to May with a couple stages covering ground where we couldn't go in the winter time [Feburary]." He also said the date change is permanent and there will be one mountaintop finish, a first for the race. The Sierra-Nevada will also be used for the first time with two stages slated to "kiss them" according Josh Furlow of the Amgen Tour of California. According to Furlow, the Tour is looking to expand beyond 8 days down the road.
According to an off-the-record source, there will be an urban time-trial (update: in Los Angeles) that replaces the three year run held by Solvang. It's slated to be between 20 and 30 miles in length and more hilly than the Solvang TT flat. Even at the shortest distance, 20 miles would make it the longest time-trial the Tour of California has ever had. (San Jose in 2006 was 17 miles in length and Solvang was 15 miles). The feeling is the mountaintop finish will spread the GC out before the time-trial. Hopefully, we don't see the time-trial dominating the GC standings like we have in previous editions of the Tour of California and other one-week stage races. A 30 mile TT would be very long for a one week race something defending champion Levi Leipheimer would ideally prefer. (update: the Venice ITT will be 29 mi long and it follows the Big Bear summit finish the previous day, according to the November issue of Velonews)
The mountaintop finish will finish at a ski resort area at 6000 ft of elevation with approximately 12,000 ft of climbing along the way. (update: Big Bear will host the mountaintop finish). Nevada City has been contacted by Tour officials so it's possible it will be one of the host towns that "kisses" the Sierra-Nevada. Nevada City is the site of one of the longest running annual races in North America.
Stage 1 will apparently start (update: in Nevada City) and finish in Sacramento as it did in 2008, but this year will feature a road race rather than a prologue. There will also be a stage finish in the Tour's favorite host, Santa Rosa.
Sixteen teams are expected to partake, one fewer than 2008 with a 50/50 split between ProTour and Continental teams as required by the 2HC status. No teams have been confirmed but expect Garmin, Columbia-HTC, The Shack, Rabobank (an event sponsor), Saxo Bank, QuickStep and Liquigas to be invited. Liquigas, being an Italian squad that focuses on the Giro d'Italia, will be weakened by the overlapping move to May, Messick admits. The overlap is unpopular among the many North American Giro d'Italia fans who believe the fields of both races will be diluted.
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The Tour of California will once again be broadcast live in North America on Versus and in the late evening in Europe on Eurosport.
The official route will be announced on Tuesday, October 6th, "give or take a day" according to Messick. (Oct 5 update: I'm hearing that this date could again be moved back) — Steve
July 27 update:
Lance Armstrong a favorite for 2010 Tour de France; may race Tour of California — latimesTour of California moves to May for 2010
May 6 update: The 2010 Tour of California dates are May 16-23 next year. The race will now have nicer weather and possibly a Sierra-Nevada stage, but it now overlaps with one of the best (if not best) race in cycling, the Giro d'Italia. Few Americans at the Giro next year? Few Italians at the Tour of California? That's not good for the viewers of either race.Tour of California up against Giro next year
— podiumcafeTour of California moves to May in 2010 — cyclingnews
March 9 update: Tour return is iffy for San Diego: lots of interesting scoop on the 2010 route — signonsandiego
Tour of California 2009 Archived Coverage (2009 Results, Photos and Video)
Tour of California 2008 Archived Coverage (2008 Results, Photos and Video)