It goes in cycles
The next edition of the Amgen Tour of California cycling race, which runs Feb. 18-25, 2007, has figured out its final course of action.
That's 650 miles of it, our version of the Tour de France without the crazy Frenchmen on the route trying to trip up the leader, but more of the laidback, isn't-this-kinda-cool spectators who'll line the route once they figure out where things are laid out.
For local consideration, we note the fifth stage will be an 14.5 mile individual time trial on Friday, Feb. 23 in Solvang, where many of the top pro teams train. The race will only be a couple of blocks long, winding through some vineyards, farms and a little steep climb, with plenty of time to get off and sample some Danish pastries and clog around in wooden shoes when it's all settled down.
As for stage six, they're going 105 miles from the Santa Barbara shoreline, up Highway 150, past Lake Casitas, through Ojai and Santa Paula before the final climb to the Valencia Town Center at McBean Parkway in Santa Clarita on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Santa Clarita, by the way, gets a nice writeup on the official Tour website, referring to it as "Los Angeles without the traffic." I'll remember that next time I'm stuck on Interstate 5 with no where to go.
Anyway, 16 of the world's top pro cycling teams won't be stuck in any traffic -- they'll create the traffic when they compete in this race, which starts in San Francisco and ends with a loop course in Long Beach. Organizers claim 1.3 million watched it last year. VERSUS (which used to be OLN), the home of Babe Winkleman, is also the official cable TV carrier of the race and plans daily coverage.