# Tour of California



## Robert1 (Mar 27, 2012)

Just watched the preview to TOC which starts this Sunday. It looks like NBCSports will be covering the whole thing daily. Looking forward to it.


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## greg12666 (Mar 29, 2012)

Is just me or are the leaders jerseys butt ugly ???


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

I just returned from the Sonoma area and rode many of the stage 1 roads. I cannot wait to see the pros descend Meyers Grade. 60+ mph will not be out of the question for them.

Levi was heading up Pine Flat Road near Healdsburg just after I came down (April 30)and we saw him on Silverado trail the next day as well. 

Too bad he will not be in great form if he is able to start the ToC.


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## Robert1 (Mar 27, 2012)

It's a beautiful area. I've been out there before drinking but never riding. Maybe one day. I think the whole tour will have have some extraordinarily scenic legs. The twists and turns along the cliffs of the coastal highway leading to half-moon are amazing it should make for great racing.



Blue CheeseHead said:


> I just returned from the Sonoma area and rode many of the stage 1 roads. I cannot wait to see the pros descend Meyers Grade. 60+ mph will not be out of the question for them.


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## cambo357 (May 10, 2012)

Awesome to hear NBC will have coverage.

I checked out a good portion of the route for the Mt. Baldy stage this past sunday. Man, those are some fierce climbs. I will be heading up there the friday before to camp out near the finish. looks to be a good time.

BTW, anybody know of a place that I can pick up a bell? not something I buy every day, so no idea where to go.


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## Dank (Nov 26, 2006)

Is it gonna be all commericals, or are we gonna be able to see alot of racing. NBC Sorts is as bad as Versus was with that.


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## Robert1 (Mar 27, 2012)

I'm sure there will be lots of commercials, but who cares, DVR it and fast forward. The coverage and camera work is really good and beats anything online.




Dank said:


> Is it gonna be all commericals, or are we gonna be able to see alot of racing. NBC Sorts is as bad as Versus was with that.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Mt. Baldy climb is 2.5 miles with average grade of 9.6%. Very difficult climb. There are some 15% and 18% stretches that will test the legs for sure.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

aclinjury said:


> Mt. Baldy climb is 2.5 miles with average grade of 9.6%. Very difficult climb. There are some 15% and 18% stretches that will test the legs for sure.


Closer to 4 miles !


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## iclypso (Jul 6, 2011)

Dank;3912584 NBC Sorts is as bad as Versus was with that.[/QUOTE said:


> Because it's the same channel, just re-branded.
> 
> ToC is awarding six jerseys this year. New record?


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## Sylint (Jul 27, 2009)

Dank said:


> Is it gonna be all commericals, or are we gonna be able to see alot of racing. NBC Sorts is as bad as Versus was with that.


probably because it's the same channel.



God, we are a whiny bunch.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

tom_h said:


> Closer to 4 miles !


yep that's right if you start at the Baldy Village, in which case it would be about 4 miles with an average grade of about 8-point-something. However, I was just counting at the part where you turn left to start the "real" ascent to Baldy. Would love to see how fast these pro's can go up there and in what gears. For me, weighing in at 124 lbs & 5'7" (a little under weight), pushing a standard 53/39 crank, I'm averaging probably around 4.5 - 5 mph for the most difficult stretches. If I put on a compact, I go .5 faster. I'll bet these pros will be doing the same stretches at 8-9 mph easily.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*I grew up there*



Blue CheeseHead said:


> I just returned from the Sonoma area and rode many of the stage 1 roads. I cannot wait to see the pros descend Meyers Grade. 60+ mph will not be out of the question for them.
> 
> Levi was heading up Pine Flat Road near Healdsburg just after I came down (April 30)and we saw him on Silverado trail the next day as well.
> 
> Too bad he will not be in great form if he is able to start the ToC.


some of the best roads on the planet


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## Robert1 (Mar 27, 2012)

I just hope NBC don't leave us hanging. Now after looking forward I see Sunday through Wednesday scheduled every day and nothing after that.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

I'm looking forward to this ToC. 

After Levi's injury, I figured Chris Horner would repeat fairly easily. I think it is a different story now with Nibali in the race. Nibali is in super form right now and I'm hoping for a good duel; perhaps a repeat of Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this year? It was close, with Nibali edging Horner out on the TT. I think it will be good.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

a pic from TeoTeoTeo, who's working w the RadioShack team


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

Creakyknees said:


> a pic from TeoTeoTeo, who's working w the RadioShack team


Hideous shoes. Jens obviously has no pull...


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Creakyknees said:


> a pic from TeoTeoTeo, who's working w the RadioShack team


rough working day under the table?


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## LauraM (Oct 27, 2010)

Robert1 said:


> I just hope NBC don't leave us hanging. Now after looking forward I see Sunday through Wednesday scheduled every day and nothing after that.


I watched the press conference yesterday, which you can view on Youtube. Phil Ligget said it will basically be covered like the shortened TdF coverage. Last two hours will be live for each stage, and I believe he said the final stage will even be on the main NBC channel. Pretty cool.


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## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

I'm sure it will be much like last season. Starts on NBC and ends on NBC. In between is on Versus (insert new name here). Comcast had late night coverage during the week. Either 10:00 or 11:00 mountain, I can't remember. I also can't remember what was shown during the day/live.


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## Dogstar (Apr 18, 2006)

*How about a full cycling streaming pkg!*

Geez NBC, since you own it all, hw about a cycling streaming season pkg? Some Classics, Giro, ToC, TDF, and Vuelta for a reasonable set fee -- $30 or so? Would that be so hard? I'm in the fence about clicking "buy" for Giro streaming -- I missed the first week and it will really bug me if I buy that only to find out they are going to offer a Giro+ToC streaming pkg next week. Of course their site(s) are useless for info :mad2:


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## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

You think AMGEN Tour of California Bike Race - Welcome Cycling Fans! is useless for info? Seriously?

I must be misreading and you are refering to NBC. You might want to go to the link provided above.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

greg12666 said:


> Is just me or are the leaders jerseys butt ugly ???


do you really care all that much about how pretty the jerseys are?


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## Dogstar (Apr 18, 2006)

Rokh On said:


> You think AMGEN Tour of California Bike Race - Welcome Cycling Fans![/url] is useless for info? Seriously?
> 
> I must be misreading and you are refering to NBC. You might want to go to the link provided above.


Indeed, I'm talking about NBC. Yes. the ToC site is packed with info. What I'm bummed about is that NBC has scooped up all these properties (universal, VS, etc) and doesn't have a coherent plan (at least that the fans can see) for how they plan to use these new resources effectively. It annoys me that I can no longer see Universal Sports locally. Ok, fine, I'll pay for access, but throw me a bone here. Since you (NBC) also own coverage rights for the ToC, TdF and (I think) the Olympics, how about giving me a package that lets me fairly compensate you (again, I'm talking about NBC here) for your expenditures WITHOUT nickel and diming me to the point of absolute chamois rash by having me to purchase everything ala carte.

Seriously. Aren't there some marketing geniuses at NBC? Yes we're a tiny market compared to the hockey and basketball and curly folks, but surely they are trying to milk every bit of ROI possible out of these broadcast rights. Work with me, NBC

Yes, I'm probably a little over the top here, but you get the point. Besides, I'm on percoset today have decided to run with my emotions.


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## WAZCO (Sep 16, 2004)

cambo357 said:


> BTW, anybody know of a place that I can pick up a bell? not something I buy every day, so no idea where to go.


try here ToC bell, don't know how soon you can get it though.


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## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

use the tour tracker app or webfeed it's less commercials


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## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

Inspite of some commercials that led me to believe today's coverage would be on NBC, it is in fact on NBCSP following the Olympic Trials. At least on my Comcast.


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## Wile_E_Coyote (Jul 15, 2011)

Horner seems pretty convinced that Leipheimer is in better condition than he claims he is. Leipheimer says he can't win the overall. So it's RadioShack vs. QuickStep in the standoff of who should or shouldn't put guys at the front. Will this distraction favor another team?


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

I still think it will be Nibali vs Horner. If Leipheimer has only been back on his bike for two weeks, it is hard to imagine that he is in form to win a stage race. 

Levi is a humble guy though and I've always thought that he sells himself short, more out of a type B personality than psychological sandbaggery. If Levi is in good form like Horner thinks, I see a more likely scenario of Levi having a chance to contest the overall but not doing so because he has already decided that he can't and that he is going to ride as a domestique for Velits from the beginning. 

I was surprised to see him finish in the front group yesterday though.


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