A Day on "Old Baldy"

May 21, 2011. Continuing the finest of Windbreaker traditions, Rabbit and MapBoy (and rumor has it that Wrench was at Shinn Rd and Guardrail was in Downtown Glendora as well!!) joined a few thousand other crazed cycling fans for the Amgen Tour of California. In past years the Windbreakers have posted up at the Balcom Canyon "Wall", Mt. Palomar in SD County, and at Lakeview Point near Big Bear to view the Tour.

Anticipated for many weeks, this Stage 7 "Queen Stage" route followed very familiar roads to we Windbreakers, starting in Downtown Claremont, ascending Mt. Baldy Rd, then west on Glendora Ridge Road, GMR, and San Gabriel Canyon Rd. After a sprint in Glendora, the riders then experienced the pain and suffering that we know all too well...a climb up GMR, then Glendora Ridge Rd over Cow Canyon Saddle to Baldy Village, then up Baldy Rd. to the switchbacks, past Manker Flat to the Ski Lifts. An epic 75.8 mile stage won by Levi Leipheimer with Chris Horner right on his back wheel. Levi was quoted after the stage: "The last six kilometers were tough, some of the toughest in the world".

The weekend adventures started with Rabbit and MapBoy securing one of the last remaining campsites at Manker Flat on Friday morning at 7 am. We then rode to work, with MapBoy riding back later that afternoon and Rabbit riding up the next morning. MapBoy rode to Cow Canyon Saddle early to view the 1st KOM and Rabbit viewed the peloton on Mills just after the start. We met up on Manker Flat on the last mile of the epic climb to view the riders on the finish at the Ski Lifts. A great day!

L Etape' du California

May 7, 2011. L Etape' du California...for those of us not fluent in French it translates to "stage of the tour". On Saturday May 7, 2011 Windbreaker intrepid cycling warriors Rabbit and Map Boy joined approximately 1,500 other cyclists on an opportunity to ride the same route as the upcoming Stage 7 "Queen Stage" of the 2011 version of the Amgen Tour of California.

This was not a day for the faint of heart. These are roads we Windbreakers are very familiar with, just not in the planned order and doing them all in the same day! The ride started with our national anthem and other fanfare in Downtown Claremont, not far from our regular post-ride hangout, 42nd Street Bagel. From there it was up Mills, Mt. Baldy Rd. to Baldy Village, then to the first summit at Cow Saddle. Then along Glendora Ridge Rd, East Fork to Hwy 39, and down San Gabriel Canyon Rd. Then east through Azusa and Glendora, back up Glendora Mountain Rd and Glendora Ridge Rd again to the Village. It was here that the final stage of the route heads up Mt. Baldy Rd passing Ice House Canyon, the switchbacks, Manker Flats to the finish at the ski lifts. 90+ miles and 10,000 ft of vertical gain.

Map Boy and Rabbit met up with friends Vince, Patrick, Tom (from San Diego), and Theresa, Brad and Brian from Pasadena. Perfect weather...cool and overcast with the sun breaking through as the day progressed. Map Boy lost contact with Rabbit early (no surprise), but felt good throughout the day, at least until the final climb to the summit. As Map Boy's neared the switchbacks his left foot got more and more numb and sore until the pain took over and forced a turn downhill. A "spot of bother" as Phil Leggett and Paul Sherwin like to say. Only a couple miles short of the finish but may feet of climbing remaining. Still a great ride and experience!

Rabbit was our man on the mountain this day...the Windbreakers Polka Dot jersey and KOM award goes to him...Congratulations!