Peto Sagan began the 2019 Tour of California with a win in Sacramento and he finished with a second place in Pasadena. In between, he had a few close ones, wore a green jersey, lost the jersey, and nearly landed on the hood of our car on his way down Mt. Baldy following stage six. Here’s what Peto said at the end of stage seven and the end of the race:
“It was quite a chaotic stage, with so many attacks, counter attacks and moves in the peloton and the breakaways. All that action made it a tough one but in the end, the bunch entered the final lap of the circuit in Pasadena together for a fast sprint finish,” Sagan said. “I was well positioned in the finale but probably I reacted a bit late to Bol’s sprint. I think I can be satisfied with the performance we had here, both mine and of the team. We had a victory, two podium places and put in a great effort throughout the week.”
There’s much more to the 2019 Tour of California story than this, but you’ve likely gotten that info elsewhere. One thing to add: a cycling sage friend of our mentioned the one thing that could have gone differently for the Education First team (pictured above). “One of my favorite teams, but their first blunder was giving GC to Van Garderen instead of Uran, he said. “All downhill from there.” Indeed. Congrats to 20-year-old Tadej Pogačar. Nice work all week. . . especially on Baldy.
You’d think with all the GU we’ve sucked down over the years we’d have some sort of insight into what to buy when it’s time to load up on energy gels. Nope. When faced with buying a new box we’re totally confused by GUs 29 flavor mix. What was that one we liked? Can’t remember? Now, with the flavor wheel it almost makes sense. Want fruit, chocolate, sour fruit, salty, bitter? It’s all there on the chart and easy to read.
What are we ordering this time? If you must know, it’s Salted Watermelon, Strawberry Banana, and some Campfire S’mores. The only way GU could make this better would be to have a caffeine circle so we could remember which ones have it and how much. . . maybe next time. To order your next supply of GU, please click the link.
The 2019 Amgen Tour of California kicked off on Mother’s Day in downtown SacTown with an 88 mile spin up and down the Sacramento River and back to three laps around the Capital. It was a calm day, no valley crosswinds to mess with the peloton and when it was all over Peter Sagan threw his bike to edge Travis McCabe and nab his 17th TOC win. Mark Cavendish finished 109th.
“There is no doubt this is a very nice win, not just for me but for the entire team,” Sagan said. “Earlier today, Pascal Ackermann dominated the sprint at the Giro and now we doubled up with another strong effort here in California. . . I was focused, stayed in the front in the final stretch and timed my attack well. It’s a nice feeling to start with a win in one of my favourite races.”
For the official word from Bora hansgrohe please follow the jump.
Nick Cohenmeyer had his drones (and dogs @stevetheredpoodle) out all day capturing the madness that is The Belgian Waffle Ride — the most [insert a word] bicycle race in American. Held May 5, 2019 in beautiful North County San Diego, the race had riding on every type of surface, terrain, and temperature. And yes, this is what it looks like. For more info and how to sign up for next year, click the link.
San Diego County, California’s summer grass-roots mountain bike race season kicks into gear on Thursday May 9, 2019 with the the opening round of the seven-event QnD Summer Series.
There are a couple fun changes for this year that will add even more excitement to the mix. . . The expert men category will have to contend wit the “dude, where’s my car” loop, which is certain impact the dynamic of the race, and we’ve also added a drop bar category to the schedule for all those that want to tackle our course on some skinny tires.
Races go down every Thursday night at the Lake Hodges Boat Ramp parking lot. Registration opens at 4 PM, kids race is at 5:15, and racers roll at 6 PM. Register ahead and you can show up at the last minute. We were just out on the “Dude, where’s my car” loop and it will offer some serious, single track climbing action. For all the official details, please click the link.
It will take you almost as long to read the results as it took Peter Stetina to ride the 133 miles of the 2019 Belgian Waffle Ride held May 5, 2019 in the northern reaches of San Diego County, California. But go ahead, click the continue link and knock yourself out. Sidenote: if you’re looking for someone use search. [click to continue…]
The 2019 running of The Colorado Classic presented by VF Corp, the top women’s road race in North America will also reportedly be “the greenest pro cycling race in North America,” according to organizers. What does this mean exactly?
The race has been awarded “Certifiably Green” status by the City of Denver. No other bike race in the state of Colorado has received this designation and the Colorado Classic is the largest event in Colorado to receive this certification. The race has earned the designation through numerous initiatives that will take place at this year’s event.
Green is good, and it’s even better for marketing. For all the details on exactly how RPM Events Group is going to green up this race, please follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Eliel is inviting the cycling community to come together for the Breakfast Burrito Ride on Friday May 3, 2019 to help raise money for The Pablove Foundation.
Today, 46 families were told their child has cancer. When one child is diagnosed, an entire community is forever impacted. Join us for BBR on May 3rd to benefit The Pablove Foundation that strives to improve the lives of the children, families, and communities affected by pediatric cancer. . . Shifting gears, frothing cold brew’s, and the smell of bacon on a Friday morning; what more do you need to get excited about the Breakfast Burrito Ride? Roll out and enjoy some coastal miles of smiles with local cycling clubs and industry partners while fundraising for The Pablove Foundation.
The no-drop ride begins at Canyon Bicycles’ USA headquarters at 5600 Avenida Encinas, in Carlsbad, California at 8AM. If you’d like to purchase a BBR t-shirt, or want more info, please click the link.
In the North San Diego County city of Carlsbad, California the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has declared war on mountain bikers by actively enforcing closures of open space that has been used by mountain bikers, horseback riders, and hikers for decades. The battleground is the Carlsbad Highlands Ecological Reserve, or as mountain bikers call it Calavera. Enter the Calavera Trail Coalition
The Calavera Trail Coalition . . . is dedicated to keeping the public informed on the process of getting the Carlsbad Highlands Ecological Reserve updated to allow Muti Use Recreation on approved trails while preserving sensitive habitat for all wildlife on the land. We encourage anyone who agrees with the mindset that public land should be properly managed and open to all to join us in the process. We want to provide all user groups a voice and give full transparency. The loud voice of a small fringe group should not dictate the will of the people.
Without going in to too much detail, we agree with the Calavera Trail Coalition. Land set aside as mitigation for huge developments should be managed, cared for, and above all open to the public to enjoy in a responsible way. Allowing developers to kill off large swaths of open space, and then closing off the mitigating open space is a double hit to those who enjoy spending time in nature especially those who live in and around the continually growing urban sprawl of Southern California. For more info on the situation and how you can help, please visit the Calavera Trail Coalition website by clicking the link.
Rapha, is inviting you to join them at Rapha LA on April 27, 2019 at 4pm for the launch of the limited edition Nelson Vails collection (inspired by his first team – Toga Tempo Thunder Bolt), with a special twist.
Nelson Vails himself will join us to share stories of a memorable career, from New York City bike messenger to Olympian. Nicknamed The Cheetah, the Harlem raised rider was the first African-American cyclist to win an Olympic medal, and was inducted into the US Bicycle Hall of Fame in 2009.
We recommend hanging out with Nelly on any cycling occasion, but this limited edition kit launch looks like an even better reason. Rapha will have drinks, food and the full collection on display for purchase. To RSVP, please click the link.
The 2019 running of The Colorado Classic presented by VF Corp, the top women’s road race in North America will also reportedly be “the greenest pro cycling race in North America,” according to organizers. What does this mean exactly?
In the North San Diego County city of Carlsbad, California the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has declared war on mountain bikers by actively enforcing closures of open space that has been used by mountain bikers, horseback riders, and hikers for decades. The battleground is the Carlsbad Highlands Ecological Reserve, or as mountain bikers call it Calavera. Enter the Calavera Trail Coalition
