The Amgen Tour of California organisers today announced the details of the routes for the 2018 men's and women's races, with Long Beach hosting the first stage, and Sacramento once again hosting the final stages for both races on Saturday, May 19.
Organisers warn that the route of stage 2, already announced as the key GC stage, is subject to change due to road damage caused by deadly back-to-back natural disasters in the region. In December, the largest wildfire on record in Southern California swept through Ventura County. In January, heavy rains battered the damaged landscape, causing massive mudslides that washed away homes and damaged roadways.
The route was planned to travel through Montecito, where 21 people perished in mudslides on January 9, but organisers say this could change.
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"With the recent fires and flooding in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, there will likely be changes to a section of the Stage 2 route that passes through Camarillo and Montecito as several bridges are being assessed for repair or replacement," organisers said.
The stage 2 finish on the climb up Gibraltar Road north of Santa Barbara is still in the plan, despite it being on the perimeter of the charred region. The 6km ascent at an average 10 per cent grade should once again be a decisive day for the men's overall, as it was when Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) won there in 2016 and went on to take the overall victory.
The 34.7km stage 4 time trial in San Jose will provide another key opportunity for the overall contenders.
Stage 1: Long Beach Circuit Race - 133km
Stage 2: Ventura to Gibraltar Road - 155km
Stage 3: King City to Laguna Seca (Monterey County) - 197km
Stage 4: San Jose (Indvidual Time Trial) - 37.4km
Stage 5: Stockton to Elk Grove - 176km
Stage 6: Folsom to South Lake Tahoe - 196.5km
Stage 7: Sacramento to Sacramento - 146km
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gibraltar-climb-still-in-the-works-for-tour-of-california-despite-fires-mudslides
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