The 2008 Amgen Tour of California Route has been announced. Some interesting details:
- Prologue: The short prologue trades SF's Telegraph Hill for the Stanford Oval. The Oval should provide better viewing for spectators, but less challenging for the riders.
- Stage 1/2: Pretty much the same?
- Stage 3: Mt Hamilton has been added to the course, so the riders will now have to contend with both the Hamilton and Sierra Rd climb in a 26 mile stretch, before the long 18-mile run-in to the finish. Voigt, Leipheimer, and Horner managed to succeed in a break with just Sierra Road in the mix. The addition of Hamilton adds a much desired climb and new strategic element to the race.
- Stage 4/5/6: Pretty much the same?
- Stage 7: The final stage gets a bit of retooling: a 60-mile course from Santa Clarita to Pasadena, including the highest elevation of any ToC route (Millcreek Summit), followed by 6 five-mile laps around the Rose Bowl.
Now I'm off to head to route announcement ceremony at Palo Alto.
