The 2008 Tour of California was held February 17-24.
Stages of the Tour of California
Most stages are called road races, starting in one place and ending in another. If you're anywhere along the day's route, you'll be able to see the riders passing, but the most exciting spots are at each day's finish line.Details of the exact route for each stage are not yet available, but we will post them as soon as they are so you can find out when the Tour may be passing near where you live, and where you can see it.
- Sunday, 2/17 - Prologue - Palo Alto: Starting at 1:00 p.m., individual time trials on a two-mile course. The best place to watch is the Stanford Oval where the riders will circle on their way to the finish line. [link ulr=http://www.paloaltostanfordprologue.com/]Read more about race-day events and see a map of the route[/link].
- Monday, 2/18 - Stage 1 - Sausalito to Santa Rosa: The 97-mile first leg starts in Sausalito at 11:00 a.m. and ends between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. in Santa Rosa. The route follows California Highway 1 through Mill Valley, past Muir Beach and Bodega Bay, turning east on Coleman Road through Occidental, ending with three fast curicuts through Santa Rosa, home of defending champion Levi Leipheimer.
- Tuesday, 2/19 - Stage 2 - Santa Rosa to Sacramento: 116 miles, starting at 10:00 a.m. and ending between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. Bicyclists will climb over the mountains into Napa Valley, east past Lake Berryessa, along the Sacramento River, entering the state capitol across Tower Bridge and ending with three laps in front of the State Capitol Building.
- Wednesday, 2/20 - Stage 3 - Modesto to San Jose: 103 miles, starting at 10:00 a.m. and ending 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. After parade laps in Modesto, the route corsses the 4,360-foot-high Mt. Hamilton, climb again over Sierra Road, then into San Jose.
- Thursday, 2/21 - Stage 4 - Seaside to San Luis Obispo: 135 miles starting 10:00 a.m. ending between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of Osos St. and Monterey St. in San Luis Obispo. The route follows California Highway 1 all day.
- Friday, 2/22 - Stage 5 - Solvang: This stage is made up of individual time trials, with riders racing against the clock for 15 miles. The action starts and ends in downtown Solvang, with the route looping out Ballard Canyon Road and back. This short day starts at noon and is over by 3:00 p.m.
- Saturday, 2/23 - Stage 6 - Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita: At 109 miles, it's the longest stage of the race, with lots of climbing. This is where the King of the Mountain Jersey for the fastest climber is likely to be won or lost. The route follows highways 150, 23 and 126 past Lake Casitas and through Ojai, with the final climb through Balcom Canyon a favorite place for fans to cheer the cyclists on. Starts at 11:00 a.m. and ends around 3:00 p.m. with three laps in Santa Clarita before crossing the finish line at McBean Parkway at Valencia Town Center.
- Sunday, 2/24 - Stage 7 - Santa Clarita to Pasadena: The exciting climax would be a hard ride if it were done by itself, but putting it at the end of a 7-day race tests the riders to their limits. Riders head east from Santa Clarita at noon, pedal through the Angeles National Forest, over Mill Creek Summit, the highest point on the entire circuit at 4,906 feet, then down to Angeles Crest Highway and along California Highway 2 into Pasadena for six 5-mile laps around the Rose Bowl to finish between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m.
How the Tour of California Works
At first glance, it's simple. The rider with the lowest total time for the Tour of California race wins. It's also much more complex.Bicycle races like the Tour of California are a team sport with eight people per team. The team leader is the one everyone else tries to help win. Sprinters, climbers and Domestiques (the French word for servant) are the behind-the-scenes heroes who protect the leader from wind, fetch anything he/she needs and even give up parts of their own bicycles if needed.
Teammates help their leader by breaking wind resistance and letting him ride in their slipstream. They may ride in a long paceline in front of the leader if they're riding straight into the wind or in a staggered "echelon" line if there's a crosswind.
A host of support personnel are also involved, following the riders in a van to help them with whatever they need.
Tour of California Jerseys
While the Tour of California will have only one ultimate winner, bicycling tradition awards special jerseys and honors along the way.Sprint Line: This award favors riders who are fast on flat ground. it's like a race within a race, to be the first to cross designated spots during each day's race. First three riders across get points, and the ones with most points each day (and who finish in the top 15 that day) get to wear the green Sprint Jersey.
King of the Mountain: Made for the best hill climbers, King of the Mountain lines are located at the top of long inclines. The first three riders to cross get points toward the orange-colored KOM jersey.
Leader: The coveted yellow jersey is worn by the rider who has the lowest elapsed time when the Tour of California begins each day. The person who wears it can change every day.
Other jerseys include Best Young Rider, given to riders under 23 who do the best at the end of each stage of the Tour of California and Most Aggressive, awarded by the media to the rider who most animates each day's events.
