10 Reasons Why You Should Ride L'Etape California
1. Jens Voigt
All participants of L'Etape California will have the opportunity to ride with cycling legend and Amgen Tour of California ambassador Jens Voigt. The long-time global fan favorite had a distinguished career which included the World Hour record and stage wins in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Amgen Tour of California. However, he is arguably most fondly remembered for his aggressive riding style, humorous interviews and the legendary battle cry of “Shut up, legs!”
All registered participants will receive a "Shut Up Baldy" Jens Voigt t-shirt to commemorate there challenging day in the saddle.
2. Unique opportunity to ride Queen Stage of Amgen Tour of California on same day as professionals
There are plenty of Gran Fondos throughout Europe and the United States offering courses on the same roads used by pro racers, but L'Etape California is the only event which allows you to ride the course on the same day as the professionals. L'Etape California not only allows club cyclists and amateur racers to ride the Amgen Tour of California's Queen Stage, but it allows participants to sample the same conditions and atmosphere enjoyed by the pros when they ride the route just a few hours later. Combine riding L'Etape California with staying on Mt. Baldy to watch the world’s top riders battle for glory and it’s every cyclists perfect Gran Fondo.
3. The Scenery
Upon arriving at Mt. Baldy one could be forgiven for forgetting you are just 40 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The scenic vistas and winding hairpins are comparable to the epic climbs of the European Grand Tours. At over 10,000 feet, Mt. Baldy stands as the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains. No other peak in the range rivals its awe-inspiring splendour with its snow-capped summit making it one of the most iconic natural features in Southern California.
4. Discover Los Angeles
A ride on the scale and magnitude of L’Etape California warrants an after party celebration of similar stature. Where better to celebrate than the bright lights of Los Angeles, California’s largest city. See a movie star. Sip a cocktail on a rooftop bar at sunset. Slip on a pair of designer shoes in an ultra-luxurious boutique in Beverly Hills. Play at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, explore world-class museums, relax on the inviting beaches of Santa Monica, or dance the night away in a starlet-filled club.
For more information on Southern California attractions visit www.visitcalifornia.com
5. Strava
Not only can you see how you compare against all the other participants in L'Etape California but with more professionals getting onto Strava, including 2012 Amgen Tour of California race winner Robert Gesink, it gives a truly unique insight into what it takes to ride the Queen Stage of America’s Greatest Race. Participants might like to think of themselves as a bit of an amateur Alberto Contador or Chris Froome, but they are likely to develop a new found admiration for the professional peloton when they see how fast the pros complete the same segments with more miles of hard racing in their legs. Young rider, Joe Dombrowski, owns the fastest time up the final steep segment of Mt. Baldy with a time of 23:39 for the final 4.3 miles.
6. A Hilly Gran Fondo is a Great Gran Fondo
Lets face it the vast majority of cycling fans and amateur cyclists around the world dream of being a climber. They dream of winning with a solo attack on a mountaintop finish, not winning a bunch sprint. The worlds all time greatest sprinters such as, Freddy Maertens, Robbie McEwen, Mark Cavendish and Mario Cipollini are all well and good, but it is the climbers that are the greatest source of inspiration and imagination for the fans. Everybody dreams of riding like Fausto Coppi, Andy Hampsten, Marco Pantani or Alberto Contador. L'Etape California provides the mountainous terrain to help make that dream come true. It allows riders of all shapes and sizes to dream and imagine they are riding for glory on the Queen Stage of America’s Greatest Race.
7. Intermediate or Hard, Take Your Pick
With two different routes, you can take your pick according to your level of fitness and ability in the mountains. The short course takes riders directly to the Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts and features 5,000 feet of elevation gain over a 13-mile climb. The long course option begins with a climb to Mt. Baldy Village and turns left onto the scenic Glendora Ridge and Glendora Mountain Roads. For 20 miles, riders will enjoy a rolling and twisting descent before reaching the City of Glendora and the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. After a traverse through the foothill communities, riders will tackle Mt. Baldy Road for a 2nd time. Upon reaching Mt. Baldy Village riders will push on towards the summit and the steepest part of the climb, averaging nearly 9% for the final 4.3 miles. At the finish line riders will have the opportunity to ride through the Amgen Tour of California finish line as photographers capture their moment of glory.
8. The Social Aspect
One of the most rewarding aspects of participating in L'Etape California is the community feel riders experience out on the bike; passing people, being passed and chatting along the way to different people on the bike and at rest stations. The social aspect, of being with roughly 1,000 like-minded people even continues after the bike as participants have the opportunity to mingle in the BBQ area while they wait for the professional peloton to compete for the ‘Holy Grail’ of North American cycling. Indeed, it is more than likely that the winner of the 2015 Amgen Tour of California will be decided on the final 15 switchbacks to the finish on Mt. Baldy.
9. The Challenge
The twenty-sixth President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt once said “nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain and difficulty…” The same could be said of any Gran Fondo. With over 10,000 feet of elevation L'Etape California is certainly a challenge worth doing as participants will feel a great sense of accomplishment as they celebrate crossing the finish at the summit of Mt. Baldy.
10. Because it's the 10th Anniversary of America's Greatest Race!
For more information visit: www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/letapecalifornia-register
Stage 3 to Oron ITT
