by George Tomasich
L’Etape California featured much of the same climbs and roads the professional riders raced during the Amgen Tour of California’s Queen Stage, finishing at Mt. Baldy on Saturday, May 16 …showcasing beautiful roads and a significant amount of climbing!
During the event, participants had the opportunity to ride with cycling legend and Amgen Tour of California Ambassador, Jens Voigt.
The long course started with a climb to Mt. Baldy Village before turning left onto the scenic Glendora Ridge and Glendora Mountain Roads. For 20 miles, riders enjoyed a rolling and twisting descent before reaching Glendora and the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
After riding through the foothill communities, riders tackled Mt. Baldy Road for a second time. Upon reaching Mt. Baldy Village, riders pushed on toward the summit and the steepest part of the climb, averaging a nearly nine percent gradient for the final 4.3 miles.
At the summit, riders had completed more than 10,000 feet of elevation gain !!
Sometimes you just get lucky…. An honor that I could not pass up… to be on the KOM list with “Mr. Shut-Up-Legs”!…
…And of course, a privilege to cross paths during the event, with Canyon Velo friends, Ralpth Bonnin, Danny Davisson, Glen Wells, Dave Stanton and Chris Bergstrom…
I am sure there were more club members near Mt. Baldy celebrating a great cycling day in SOCAL!