The 2009 Tour of California will be held February 14-22.
Stages of the Tour of California
Most stages are called road races, starting in one place and ending in another. If you're anywhere along the day's route, you'll be able to see the riders passing, but the most exciting spots are at each day's finish line.Details of the exact route for each stage will help you find out when the Tour may be passing near where you live, and where you can see it. the Tour of California website has maps of each day's route (which are .pdf files) so you can find out exactly where they're going.
- Saturday, 2/14 - Prologue - Sacramento: Starting at 1:30 p.m., individual time trials on a two-mile course. [link ulr=http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Route/stages/prologue.html]Read more about race-day events and see a map of the route[/link].
- Sunday, 2/15 - Stage 1 - Davis to Santa Rosa: The 108-mile first leg starts in Davis at noon and ends between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. in Santa Rosa. The route passes Lake Berryessa, goes over Howell Mountain Road into Napa Valley, with a final climb over the mountains on Calistoga Road
- Monday, 2/16 - Stage 2 - Sausalito to Santa Cruz: 116 miles, starting at 8:30 a.m. and ending between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. Bicyclists pass through the streets of San Francisco, south along Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz.
- Tuesday, 2/17 - Stage 3 - San Jose to Modesto: 104 miles starting at noon and ending between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m., making a steep climb (1,930 feet elevation) over Sierra Road, negotiating more than 40 switchbacks on Calaveras Road and making a second climb through Patterson Pass on the way to Modesto, where they finish with two laps through town.
- Wednesday, 2/18 - Stage 4 - Merced to Clovis: Starts at 11:00 a.m. and ends between 3:20 and 4:30 p.m. This stage includes four King of the Mountain competitions as it passes through the Sierras
- Thursday, 2/19 - Stage 5 - Visalia to Paso Robles: Starts at 10:00 a.m. and ends between 3:00 and 4:30 p.m. Mostly flat, but at 130 miles, it's the longest day of the race.
- Friday, 2/20 - Stage 6 - Solvang: This stage is made up of individual time trials, with riders racing against the clock for 15 miles. The action starts and ends in downtown Solvang, with the route looping out Ballard Canyon Road and back. This short day starts at noon and is over by 3:00 p.m.
- Saturday, 2/21 - Stage 7 - Santa Clarita to Pasadena: Riders head east from Santa Clarita at noon, pedal through the Angeles National Forest, over Mill Creek Summit at 4,906 feet, then down to Angeles Crest Highway and along California Highway 2 into Pasadena for six 5-mile laps around the Rose Bowl to finish between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m.
- Saturday, 2/22 - Stage 8 - Rancho Bernardo to Escondido: New in 2009, it's the most difficult final stage ever for the Tour of California starts at noon, over Palomar Mountain (4,123 feet), 11.7 miles climbing a 7% grade before dropping into Escondido between 3:30 and 4:45 p.m.
How the Tour of California Works
At first glance, it's simple. The rider with the lowest total time for the Tour of California race wins. It's also much more complex.Bicycle races like the Tour of California are a team sport with eight people per team. The team leader is the one everyone else tries to help win. Sprinters, climbers and Domestiques (the French word for servant) are the behind-the-scenes heroes who protect the leader from wind, fetch anything he/she needs and even give up parts of their own bicycles if needed.
Teammates help their leader by breaking wind resistance and letting him ride in their slipstream. They may ride in a long paceline in front of the leader if they're riding straight into the wind or in a staggered "echelon" line if there's a crosswind.
A host of support personnel are also involved, following the riders in a van to help them with whatever they need.
Tour of California Jerseys
While the Tour of California will have only one ultimate winner, bicycling tradition awards special jerseys and honors along the way.Sprint Line: This award favors riders who are fast on flat ground. it's like a race within a race, to be the first to cross designated spots during each day's race. First three riders across get points, and the ones with most points each day (and who finish in the top 15 that day) get to wear the green Sprint Jersey.
King of the Mountain: Made for the best hill climbers, King of the Mountain lines are located at the top of long inclines. The first three riders to cross get points toward the orange-colored KOM jersey.
Leader: The coveted yellow jersey is worn by the rider who has the lowest elapsed time when the Tour of California begins each day. The person who wears it can change every day.
Other jerseys include Best Young Rider, given to riders under 23 who do the best at the end of each stage of the Tour of California and Most Aggressive, awarded by the media to the rider who most animates each day's events.
