Tour of California Stage 6 Changed

by Jimbo... on Apr 7, 2010 6:55 PM EDT

Toc-main_medium Stage 6 of the 2010 ToC will no longer start in Pasadena or use the Angeles Crest Highway to get to the "mountain top finish" in Big Bear. They are actively looking for some other place to start the stage, but have not announced one as of yet. The reason, big surprise, is "storm damage", which is shorthand for massive mudslides, road erasures and other act-of-God type nastiness. In the famous words of Smokey the Bear "only you can prevent forest fires, you little pyro". Official-like statement on the flip ...

Statement from Andrew Messick regarding a change to the 2010 Amgen Tour of California Stage 6 Start and Host City.

Due to severe road damage on the Angeles Crest Highway (Route 2) above La Cañada Flintridge caused by the recent winter storms, we have been forced to change the route for Stage 6 of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California. This change is being made at the direct request of Caltrans, which has notified us that due to the potential safety hazards, the road will be unable to accommodate our race. Stage 6, scheduled for May 21, 2010, will no longer start in Pasadena and we are working to secure a new stage start, which we are hopeful of announcing in the coming days.

Stage 6 will still finish in Big Bear Lake as planned and we look forward to a challenging stage in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains.

As long-term partners with Pasadena, we appreciate how graciously they have handled this difficult situation. We look forward to returning to Pasadena soon.”

Andrew Messick, President, AEG Sports

Update from Gav: Here's a press release from CalTrans, dated February 2010. With pictures! A bit of a mess, really.

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There's a great John McPhee piece on landslides in SoCal

Part of his Control of Nature book. Read that and you are not surprised in the least.

by ursula on Apr 7, 2010 7:46 PM EDT reply actions

Great book!

Yeah, the mountains don’t stick together very well. There’s a really cool geology word for that, but I forget it just now. It’s all shale and sandstone like stuff, and it slides real good. We have a road that has just massive massive reinforcements in the hillside to keep it from coming down. And it’s still barely hanging in there. Steep terrain and sloppy rocks.

by Jen See on Apr 7, 2010 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions

"Angle of repose"

Probably not the term you are thinking of, but it’s another good geology term, and also the title of an excellent good book by the incomparable Wallace Stegner.

"Do you think we are a bunch a girls?...Go and ride some cobbles and you’ll definately know that we don’t discuss perfume and shaving cream." - Dom

by Jimbo... on Apr 7, 2010 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions