Record low precipitation may have gripped California in drought, but a late spring snowfall prompted race officials with Amgen Tour of California to move Friday’s stages to lower elevations.
The men’s and women’s Individual Time Trials scheduled for Friday in the Big Bear Lake area of the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles has been moved to Santa Clarita, located north of LA.
New course details
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita will host the Stage 6 individual time trials on Friday, race officials announced Thursday. The times are expected to be “blistering fast” on the 6.6-mile route that leaves from the Six Flags parking lot and heads out and back The Old Road.
The women will race on the course beginning at 11 a.m. Friday; the men’s division follows at 12:45 p.m.
More details at the press release.
Weather
Race officials determined the snowfall and freezing temperatures would make for unsafe conditions “for riders, teams, partners, fans or staff”.
This is the 10th anniversary of the stage race that visits towns up and down the length of California. The host towns are big draws for race spectators, who also camp out along the route.
The Big Bear Lake organizing committee worked hard to secure the location as a host site and was using the event to publicize the road and mountain biking amenities of the area.
Weather forecasts for Big Bear Lake call for intermittent snow, accumulating up to 6 inches in the next couple of days. The forecast in Santa Clarita is for unseasonably chillier weather (high of 65) with light precipitation.
The remaining stages of the Tour of California are scheduled to go off without a hitch on Saturday (Ontario to Mt.Baldy) and Sunday (Pasadena Rose Bowl Stadium).
All schedules and routes available online.
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