# Amateur stage races in the U.S.



## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

I've been mourning the end of my racing season by thinking about putting some stage races on my calendar for next year. 

Please share your experiences with the stage races you've entered. I'm interested in what you thought of the course, how well run the race was, what you liked or disliked about the location (especially from anyone who brought a non-racing spouse along), how the racing compared to your local races, and anything else you'd like to comment on. 

I am most interested in races on the west coast or the bordering states, but I'd bet that others would like to hear about races in the rest of the country.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

Joe Martin stage race in Fayetteville, AR is a good one- it's NRC w/amateur categories as well.


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## gray8110 (Dec 11, 2001)

I'd say if you're interested in stage racing as an amateur on the west coast, Oregon is the place to look. There are a few good ones in Washington and Cali as well, but by shear volume and quality of racing, Oregon takes it. 

<a href="http://www.cherryblossomclassic.com/">Cherry Blossom</a> and Willamette in April
<a href="http://www.mthoodcyclingclassic.com/">Mt Hood</a> and <a href="http://elkhornclassic.com/">Elkhorn</a> in June
<a href="http://www.highdesertomnium.com/">High Desert Omnium</a> and <a href="http://www.mbsef.org/CascadeStageRace/">Cascade</a> in July
<a href="http://www.obra.org/flyers/2009/eugene_celebration.html">Eugene Celebration</a> in August

Hood, Cascade and Elkhorn typically have full fields and draw the best riders from the west coast. Cherry Blossom was a first year race last year but had a strong field and good weather - the promoter puts on Hood and Cascade - he's one of the best. Willamette can be an amazing race with a super-competitive field -- it's got a long history, but the race was cancelled due to low numbers last year. Eugene Celebration and High Desert are well-run races but tend to draw smaller fields, mostly local riders. Elkhorn is, in my opinion, the best stage race available for amateurs. Baker City gets behind the race and it's just a fantastic way to spend 3 days racing your bike.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

For the midwest, we have the Tour of Ohio, Tour of America's Dairyland, and Superweek.

Unfortunately, Ohio and TOAD are run basically at the same time. Ohio is a true, timed stage race. I've never done it, but really wanted to until...

TOAD came along. It is an omnium (more race days), but includes the (potential) 2016 Olympic RR course, and one of the best crits in america: Downer Ave. Superweek is also an omnium. Racing in Blue Mounds (olympic) is epic.

Superweek is run like ****, so it's only good to cherry pick a few good races: Milwaukee Lakefront RR (long course, former US national RR champ course), Fon du Lac is awesome, as is Brewers Hill. They have Downer's Ave, but not as good as TOAD's downer ave, anymore.


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## iktome (Aug 29, 2003)

+1 on Mt. Hood. It's a great race in a great location. My wife, who doesn't race, probably likes attending it more than I do.

The Tour of Walla Walla is also a great race. It has extremely competitive fields and the towns are completely behind the races. If you're a Cat 3 or 4, you'll want to register early, as those fields fill in just a few days.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

I raced in the Cherry Blossom and Cascade Classic this year...Out of the two, I enjoyed the Cherry Blossom race a lot more. It was earlier in the year, but gave a good opportunity to get in some good weather racing early in the season. The race was very well run and the courses were great....even for it's first year. If I do another stage race next year, that will be the one I do again.

The Cascade Classic was OK, but I didn't enjoy it that much. Next year it will be a hard race again as people from all over the country will be there with the National Championships taking place the following week...It makes for tough fields in all categories. Why didn't I like this race? Huge fields, high elevation, courses were....Average, and for the money it just didn't seem to give as much back as other races do.

However...many, many people seem to really like the Cascade Classic.

Mt. Hood SR has a "LOT" of climbing, so if climbing is your specialty I'd look toward that one.

Eugene Celebration seems to be geared more toward flat landers/TT guys...but they change the course up a little every year so you never know what you are going to get.

Elkhorn is a very hard Stage Race, but those that go seem to love it. The town goes all out to make it the best situation possible for all racers. However, this year...even though it's in early June they had snow on the last stage that caused them to shorten the last stage. So you never know what you are going to get in that race.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Elkhorn is great courses. No time cut...so if you have a mechanical or get dropped you still can finish and not sweat the next stage..For someone who travels a long way with no support, a good feature. More low key, rider wise. 
There are a bunch of SRs in the desert southwest, too. AZ cycling.com or SoCalcycling.com has info. Winter and spring for the Southwest desert SRs.
I second the Mt Hood and Cherry Blossom for great courses...My backyard, so I may be a bit biased. Mt Hood Classic is a climbers race, for sure...


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## gray8110 (Dec 11, 2001)

Wookiebiker said:


> Elkhorn is a very hard Stage Race, but those that go seem to love it. The town goes all out to make it the best situation possible for all racers. However, this year...even though it's in early June they had snow on the last stage that caused them to shorten the last stage. So you never know what you are going to get in that race.


As someone who has raced Elkhorn five times and raced all of the other Oregon stage races at least twice, I'll agree that Elkhorn is hard, but I think you're overstating its difficulty. Stage Races are inherently hard, that's what makes 'em so fun. Elkhorn can be tough because the weather can be extreme in either direction and the amateur fields are strong, but the course is no harder than Cascade or Cherry Blossom. Hood is in a league of its own in terms of climbing. 

Eugene Celebration changes up every year. Some years they've had a road race with almost 9,000' of climbing. This year they had an uphill prologue and a 15 mile flat TT. I've had my share of success at the race so I'm biased, but it's just good, fun end-of-season racing.


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## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

Something to keep in mind:

Big, PRO stage races are run really well (they have to be). You won't find the level of professionalism at more local stage races. Local races will treat the little guys with a little more importance, if thats important to you. If you're willing to put up with some poor organization and sometimes not on time results, a local 3 day event can be a lot of fun.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

check your regional association, there are usually 2 or 3 stage races a year in most areas.

beyond the usual racing advice, remember the time trial will usually be very important, many times determining the winner. also keep in mind what kbiker said - if the organizers are trying to do a road race on Saturday morning and a TT in the afternoon... be prepared for a chaotic / late TT start and results.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Nebraska has the Omaha Cycling Weekend, which is an omnium. It was run alright this year, but they goobered the Cat 5 TT. The UNL collegiate team is planning on a 3 race weekend that might be offered as an omnium or perhaps stage race. Other than that, there's the Joseph Sheehan SR in MO. 

I'm very impressed with Oregon's cycling popularity. We don't quite have that here, but it sounds like there's a little more interest from new riders.


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

Creakyknees said:


> check your regional association, there are usually 2 or 3 stage races a year in most areas.


Certainly a good suggestion for most people, but although my district has an abundance of racing, we've only got one stage race, early in the season. I'd like to find some options other than racing against a full team from Bissell.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Undecided said:


> I'd like to find some options other than racing against a full team from Bissell.


The Omaha Cycling Weekend generally only has 1 Bissell rider.


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

spade2you said:


> The Omaha Cycling Weekend generally only has 1 Bissell rider.


A race with a few pros in it, or even several isolated pros, is one thing (not that TF isn't super strong on his own, like any other pro), but dealing with whole teams, with strategies and the ability to really implement them, is another.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Undecided said:


> A race with a few pros in it, or even several isolated pros, is one thing (not that TF isn't super strong on his own, like any other pro), but dealing with whole teams, with strategies and the ability to really implement them, is another.


I was just kidding, but super impressed you knew exactly who I was talking about!  He just took the final road race of the year.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Undecided said:


> A race with a few pros in it, or even several isolated pros, is one thing (not that TF isn't super strong on his own, like any other pro), but dealing with whole teams, with strategies and the ability to really implement them, is another.


I'm not sure I consider 3-4 day events a "stage" race. They would have to be at least 5-6, and closer to 9 days.

3-4 day events are just an extended training block. There is no period where everyone feels terrible on the bike. To the contrary, no one trains _extremely _hard for 6-9 days in a row without rest day(s).


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

iliveonnitro said:


> I'm not sure I consider 3-4 day events a "stage" race. They would have to be at least 5-6, and closer to 9 days.
> 
> 3-4 day events are just an extended training block. There is no period where everyone feels terrible on the bike. To the contrary, no one trains _extremely _hard for 6-9 days in a row without rest day(s).


I could be biased, though. TOAD attracted a bissel, a couple TT1, some KBS, the LiveStrong team, a couple Garmin, Rock, along with Texas Roadhouse, Fly V, etc, etc. Superweek always has its share of pros.

TOAD is 9 days, Superweek is 16. If you aren't racing on a Wednesday, it's not a stage race


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

iliveonnitro said:


> I could be biased, though. TOAD attracted a bissel, a couple TT1, some KBS, the LiveStrong team, a couple Garmin, Rock, along with Texas Roadhouse, Fly V, etc, etc. Superweek always has its share of pros.
> 
> TOAD is 9 days, Superweek is 16. If you aren't racing on a Wednesday, it's not a stage race




Hmmmmmm, I have a feeling I might look at the TOAD in about 2 years or so. Although I haven't the slightest idea how to train for a 16 day SR. I have a feeling some of us employed folk have trouble wrapping our minds around 16 days of racing.


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

iliveonnitro said:


> TOAD is 9 days, Superweek is 16. If you aren't racing on a Wednesday, it's not a stage race


TOAD sounds like a good event (I've never been that attracted to Superweek), but letting people cherry pick races from a 9 or 16 day calendar doesn't really make for a stage race either. I do think, though, that there's some extra attraction in the increasing brutality of a longer stage race, like five days.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

spade2you said:


> Hmmmmmm, I have a feeling I might look at the TOAD in about 2 years or so. Although I haven't the slightest idea how to train for a 16 day SR. I have a feeling some of us employed folk have trouble wrapping our minds around 16 days of racing.


12 days of crits, 4 days of RRs. Basically, build your CTL and FTP extremely high, have a really good sprint, and hope everyone fatigues before you.



Undecided said:


> TOAD sounds like a good event (I've never been that attracted to Superweek), but letting people cherry pick races from a 9 or 16 day calendar doesn't really make for a stage race either. I do think, though, that there's some extra attraction in the increasing brutality of a longer stage race, like five days.


No doubt omniums are not the same as stage races. Anyone looking to win the overall in these races, however, should be racing all 9 days of TOAD and at least 14/16 in superweek. It's hard racing against fresh people on the weekends on your 8th/9th and 15th/16th day. There is usually an off day on the 8th or 9th day.

In the end, there are not many 9 straight days of races in most of America, let alone 16. Rare to find them allowing amateurs, too.

TOAD is extremely well run. I can't believe most of us put up with superweek. TOAD should be huge next year, now that the word is out.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

iliveonnitro said:


> 12 days of crits, 4 days of RRs. Basically, build your CTL and FTP extremely high, have a really good sprint, and hope everyone fatigues before you.


No TTs? 

CTL and FTP? (sorry, mind is fried at the moment. I'll probably say "oh yeah...." when you say what they stand for.)



iliveonnitro said:


> No doubt omniums are not the same as stage races.


Definitely my gripe with omniums. A majority of the riders who did well in the afternoon crit at my last omnium didn't bother going to the morning time trial. Fightin' someone with fresh legs can suck sometimes.


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## iktome (Aug 29, 2003)

iliveonnitro said:


> I'm not sure I consider 3-4 day events a "stage" race. They would have to be at least 5-6, and closer to 9 days.
> 
> 3-4 day events are just an extended training block. There is no period where everyone feels terrible on the bike. To the contrary, no one trains _extremely _hard for 6-9 days in a row without rest day(s).


I'm not sure I'd consider a bunch of crits a "stage" race. Cat 3 crits are not _extremely_ hard, and stringing together a bunch of pack finishes over a couple of weeks is decidedly different than actually _competing_ in a timed stage race with long, difficult road stages.

I have the benefit of having lived and competed in Wisconsin, as well as in the PNW, and I can assure you that 7-10 days of Wisco crits are not as hard as Mt. Hood.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Unless the crits in a multi-day stage race have some placing bonuses, they are pretty unimportant, it seems to me. When you have a good team at a 'strong team' race like the Mt. Hood or Cascade...the crit results are usually not contested effectively by the GC boys.

My team does well in the big Oregon races (Masters) and they usually have a plan for the Crits that goes something like....Send one guy(our team leader, usually leading in the GC) with the second place contender to make sure he gets good and worked over.. He has to try to get time on our guy to gain in the GC...Our guys just sit in until the leader judges that the second place guy is 'cooked'...Then he drops back and plays it safe..If one of our team is feeling stong (remember, they are all pretty fresh from sitting in) he might get the go ahead to go for a win..but the GC leader just plays safe and works for a "same time" finish..

Not much chance to improve on GC in a stage race crit..Unless the field is really asleep, and that is never the case in the Mt Hood or Cascade or Elkhorn or...almost any SR with some decent teams..


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## scarecrow (Oct 7, 2007)

Valley of the Sun in Phoenix. Early Feb. 3 days. TT, RR then Crit..

La Vuelta de Bisbee in Bisbee AZ. Late April. 3 Days 4 Stages. Short uphill TT, RR, TT, RR. Lots of climbing at Bisbee. 

Tour of the Gila in Silver City, NM. First of May. 5 days, 5 Stages. RR, RR, TT, Crit, RR. All stages at altitude, NRC race and Lance and Levi raced it this year. 

Those are the biggest races in the Southwest outside of SoCal.

Oh and I forgot about the Tucson Bicycle Classic (TBC) in Tucson AZ. First of March. 3 Days. TT, RR, Circuit with some hills.


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## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

iliveonnitro said:


> TOAD is 9 days, Superweek is 16. If you aren't racing on a Wednesday, it's not a stage race



If there's no TT, its not a stage race 

(I say this mostly because I lose ever stage race I'm in due to a poor TT.)


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

kbiker3111 said:


> If there's no TT, its not a stage race
> 
> (I say this mostly because I lose ever stage race I'm in due to a poor TT.)


TTs and at least one hilltop finish. :thumbsup:


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Gnarly 928 said:


> Unless the crits in a multi-day stage race have some placing bonuses, they are pretty unimportant, it seems to me. When you have a good team at a 'strong team' race like the Mt. Hood or Cascade...the crit results are usually not contested effectively by the GC boys.


I suppose that is the beauty of an omnium. It doesn't go by time, but rather a points system. Top 20 get 20, 19, 18, ..., 1 points for crits. Road races have the points doubled. It makes it that much more difficult to score points against people who are fresh.



iktome said:


> I have the benefit of having lived and competed in Wisconsin, as well as in the PNW, and I can assure you that 7-10 days of Wisco crits are not as hard as Mt. Hood.


Not denying that. It is nice having some 30% being road races, though. The majority would be nice, but that just won't happen in Wisconsin.


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## Eric_H (Feb 5, 2004)

I finally managed to hit Cascade this year, racing in the old dogs (35+) category. Good race, well run, good courses, HOT. My non-racing non-cycling wife really liked Bend, so did I and we are planning to return next year. I also want to add in Mt. Hood and/or Elkhorn but I'll be staying in Masters, I know I can't cut it in the pro race at biggies like these ones. Too bad all the good PNW stage races are 6-8 hours away from greater Vancouver (Canada).

If you are cat 1, I would stay clear of Cascade as that was a pretty hardcore field and there was not a lot of respite for the little guys. A couple of local elite amateur teams raced and the guys that finished died just to do so. The Trek-Red Truck team won 2 stages at Mt. Hood this year (P/1/2 race) but their riders were in deep at Cascade just to survive. Mt. Hood was not NRC this year and did not have a really strong pro team turnout, as a result they threw in the 2s but if it goes NRC again they will likely have P/1 and separate cat 2. At Mt Hood Bissell had a team, OUCH had maybe 3 guys otherwise it was more or less amateur teams hence the success by amateur teams. Cascade had a separate cat 2 field this year.


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## estone2 (Sep 25, 2005)

Nitro, those aren't stage races. You can pick whichever days you want and you don't have to finish every day within a certain amount of the winners time.

I've had the misfortune of doing one real stage race, UCI officials and all, and it was so hard that I came back from it with a different personality (my friends commmented on it immediately).


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## kreuzberg (Feb 1, 2009)

+1 for superweek. Who's cares if everyone isn't completing all the races? If you do all the races, then it's a stage race for you.
Plus its so fun! A week of crit racing- thats MY kind of stage race!


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

kreuzberg said:


> +1 for superweek. Who's cares if everyone isn't completing all the races? If you do all the races, then it's a stage race for you.
> Plus its so fun! A week of crit racing- thats MY kind of stage race!


OK, then I'm calling my season a stage race. I won it, I think, as I had no DNFs or DQs and can't imagine that any other racer was at every race I was at.

Seems sort of silly, right?


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## kreuzberg (Feb 1, 2009)

Undecided said:


> OK, then I'm calling my season a stage race. I won it, I think, as I had no DNFs or DQs and can't imagine that any other racer was at every race I was at.
> 
> Seems sort of silly, right?


Oh stop that. Fine, point taken. I'm just saying Superweek isn't worth skipping just because it doesn't have a TT, a big climbing stage, or the fact that it's an omnium. It's 5-15 days of racing in a row, so that's a little different than a race every weekend for a whole season.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

kreuzberg said:


> Oh stop that. Fine, point taken. I'm just saying Superweek isn't worth skipping just because it doesn't have a TT, a big climbing stage, or the fact that it's an omnium. It's 5-15 days of racing in a row, so that's a little different than a race every weekend for a whole season.


You're right. Superweek is worth skipping because it's managed poorly.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

iliveonnitro said:


> You're right. Superweek is worth skipping because it's managed poorly.


Zing!


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## chase196126 (Jan 4, 2008)

I'll put in a plug for the Callville Bay Classic at Lake Meade. If you are in the NV/CA/UT region it is certainly worth the time to get to. Fun uphill TT, a very difficult RR, and a fun crit. And you get to stay on a houseboat! The atmosphere is a lot of fun, I will definately be there next year!

http://www.callvillebayclassic.com/


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

Wookiebiker said:


> I raced in the Cherry Blossom and Cascade Classic this year...Out of the two, I enjoyed the Cherry Blossom race a lot more. It was earlier in the year, but gave a good opportunity to get in some good weather racing early in the season. The race was very well run and the courses were great....even for it's first year. If I do another stage race next year, that will be the one I do again.


To report back, I took this suggestion. Cherry Blossom was a great race. I found it to be well run, fun and beautiful.


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## DesnaePhoto (Jun 11, 2009)

Anyone got a link to the Tour of Ohio? 

Tour of America's Dairyland looks good, except I currently prefer road races.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

Undecided said:


> To report back, I took this suggestion. Cherry Blossom was a great race. I found it to be well run, fun and beautiful.


Good to hear you enjoyed the race....I missed it this year, but hear it was pretty brutal competition. Hopefully I'll be able to return and race again next year.


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