Big Bear Lake – Amgen Tour of California Stage 6

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. February 11, 2010 – Today officials of the Amgen Tour of California announced the Stage 6 route from Pasadena to Big Bear Lake. On Friday, May 21 the world’s top professional cyclists including Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and George Hincapie will battle it out on the Tour’s most challenging route known as the queen stage. The route from Pasadena to Big Bear Lake consists of 135 miles and more than 12,000 feet of climbing. The grueling queen stage is specifically designed to challenge cyclists, and should have a significant impact on the overall standings of the Amgen Tour of California (ATOC).

“The May timing of the 2010 edition of the AMGEN Tour of California is going to allow us to visit some challenging new areas of California that previously were not possible due to the weather,” said Andrew Messick president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. “The Stage 6 route from Pasadena to Big Bear is the perfect example, with our first-ever mountaintop finish at a 7,000 foot elevation.”

Stage 6 begins in Centennial Square, directly in front of Pasadena City Hall at 9:45 a.m. The cyclists will make their way through Old Pasadena as they head east on Colorado Boulevard and over the historic Colorado Street Bridge. The racers will drop into Arroyo Seco and pass by the iconic Rose Bowl, where the competitive portion of the race begins.

The first of four main climbs along the route takes place as the riders ascend into the San Gabriel Mountains on the Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) to an elevation of 3,700 feet. The cyclists will encounter a number of climbs on Highway 2 as they strive to reach Dawson Saddle, the highest point of the entire tour at 7,900 feet. From Dawson Saddle the racers will have their first sprint to Wrightwood at an elevation of 5,960 feet.

The peloton of riders will cross Interstate 15 on an overpass, and make their push east onto a curvy Highway 138 to Silverwood Lake. In the distance the cyclists will see mountain vistas that surround Big Bear Lake, which looks quite intimidating from afar. From Silverwood Lake a steep and windy climb into the San Bernardino Mountains begins on their way to Crestline.

The race then moves onto Highway 18, which is known as the Rim of the World Highway, because of its narrow stretch of road that sets on the edge of the San Bernardino Mountains. This portion of the race goes through the mountain communities of Sky Forest, Running Springs and Arrowbear.

Just outside of Arrowbear the racers will encounter the last long sustained climb of the day. The riders will have a steep climb all the way to Lakeview Point, which tops out at 7,112 feet. At this point the cyclists will be treated to a stunning view of Big Bear Lake, the jewel of the San Bernardino Mountains.

From Lakeview Point the racers will sprint along a portion of Highway 18, known as the Arctic Circle. The racers will kick it into high gear as they give it their all on this final sprint to Big Bear Lake. The race route enters Big Bear Valley at Big Bear Dam, but rather than crossing the dam and heading through the City of Big Bear Lake, the riders will continue on the north shore of the lake and race along the shoreline for about three miles. The cyclists will ride through the quaint mountain town of Fawnskin and pass by some of Big Bear’s most recognizable locales, such as the Big Bear Discovery Center, Serrano Campground and the East Boat Public Launch Ramp. The cyclists will cross over Stanfield Cutoff to the City of Big Bear Lake and make a mad dash for the finish line at the base of Snow Summit Mountain Resort at an elevation of 7,000 feet.

The race is expected to end in Big Bear Lake sometime between 3:20 p.m. and 4 p.m. By the end of stage the race the riders will have climbed more than 12,000 feet. The Amgen Tour of California’s first-ever mountaintop finish in Big Bear Lake could very well be a determining factor in the outcome of the final standings.

Big Bear Lake at Snow Summit is the finnish for the Amgen Big Tour of California. The route and video were posted this morning. Watch this video to get an idea of The Big Bear Climb!

More About Big Bear CA

• Bicycle .net :: 2010 Amgen Tour of California Route Revealed for … – Specific route details for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race are being announced this week via specially-produced videos highlighting each of the race’s eight stages. Today’s videos, which were produced by the …
• Route Announcement, Stage 6 – The Big Bear Climb | The Big Bear … – Stage 6 – The Big Bear Climb of the Amgen Tour of California will travel 132 grueling miles from Pasadena, through the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, and finish in the first-ever mountain-top finish in Big Bear Lake. …

Related articles by Zemanta

• Cycling LIVESTRONG Big Bear Tour of California Livingstrong (livingstrongandhappy.blogspot.com)