2009 Tour of California: Stage 2 | Bicycling in California

2009 Tour of California: Stage 2

Tour of California pros will be the first bike racers to ever ride across the Golden Gate Bridge before the route traces Highway 1 south to a frantic finish in Santa Cruz.

Author:	RaphaContinental
Date:	20 Jan 2009 4:51:43 PM
Activity:	Bicycling ActivitySearchBicycling
State:	California (CA)
Distance:	120.94 mi (Change units)
Elevation:	Total Gain: 22283 ft Total Loss: 22523 ft Net Change: -240 ft
Difficulty:	9 / 10
Tags:	2009 Tour of California, Rapha Continental, California, Santa Cruz
Rating:	Unrated Rate it

Photos courtesy of the Rapha Continental

Bissell's Ben Jacques-Maynes knows the local roads intimately and is an inveterate Santa Cruz-area booster (he helped with the area organizing committee's bid for a ToC stage). A strong climber and time-trialist, Jacques-Maynes plans to leverage his hometown know-how. "I don't see this stage coming down to a sprint," he says, noting the climb up Bonny Doon Road near the finish. While a group of 30 or so could hit the finish intact, "it's a fast descent with some tight corners," he says. "You're not going to be able to organize a chase of a guy who's even 20 to 30 seconds up the road."

Departing from Sausalito, the neutral start will see Tour of California pros cruise across the Golden Gate Bridge (a first for bike racers) before kicking it into gear on Highway 1. If the coastal winds are friendly, the peloton might stay intact until the first climb up Tunitas Creek Road. After a tight, twisting descent, the route jogs south again on Highway 1, before tackling Bonny Doon Road (a 7-mile, 2,000-foot climb) and another daredevil descent towards the Santa Cruz finish line.

WATCH: Plan for some race chasing. Snap a pic of the pack crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, then take Highway 1 to I-280 and over SH 22 to Half Moon Bay. Cruise south on the One to the Tunitas Creek climb, a steep, broken-pavement trench. "You have to pick your line," says Jacques-Maynes. South again on Highway 1, hit Bonny Doon Road. A mile up, the pitch kicks up to 12 percent. "That's where you'll see the fireworks," he predicts.

SLEEP: The Sea and Sand Inn is the most affordable hotel near the city's historic boardwalk; all rooms have ocean views.

EAT: Jacques-Maynes recommends Mobo Sushi on Front Street in Santa Cruz; the local favorite opens for dinner at 5:00.

GEAR: Before turning pro, Jacques-Maynes turned wrenches at Santa Cruz's Spokesman.

RIDE: A favorite road ride is a 40-mile climber's "lollipop" up Highway 9 to Boulder Creek, then a loop of 236, which bisects Big Basin State Park and "a massive redwood forest," says Jacques-Maynes.

Position Format:	Datum:

Tracks

Tour of California Stage 2

Dist: 115.09 mi	Points: 1759	Calories: none
Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

Distance	Instruction		Distance to next
0.72 mi		Continue on El Camino del Mar St	Then go 0.19 mi
0.91 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at 25th Ave	Then go 0.52 mi
1.43 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Geary Blvd	Then go 1.00 mi
2.42 mi		Continue on Point Lobos Ave	Then go 0.79 mi
3.21 mi		Slight right to stay on Point Lobos Ave	Then go 0.04 mi
3.25 mi		Continue on Great Hwy/Upper Great Hwy	Then go 0.51 mi
3.75 mi		Slight left to stay on Great Hwy/Upper Great Hwy	Then go 3.09 mi
6.84 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at CA-35/Skyline Blvd	Then go 2.50 mi
9.34 mi		Slight right	Then go 0.06 mi
9.40 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Westridge Ave	Then go 0.04 mi
9.44 mi		Slight right at CA-35/Skyline Blvd	Then go 1.48 mi
10.93 mi	Bear Right	Hwy 1	Then go 13.01 mi
23.94 mi		Slight right to stay on CA-1	Then go 2.31 mi
26.25 mi		Slight right to stay on CA-1	Then go 1.04 mi
27.29 mi		Slight right to stay on CA-1	Then go 1.14 mi
28.43 mi		Slight right to stay on CA-1	Then go 8.49 mi
36.92 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Tunitas Creek Rd	Then go 2.02 mi
38.94 mi	Turn Right	Turn right to stay on Tunitas Creek Rd	Then go 7.31 mi
46.24 mi		Sharp right at CA-35/Skyline Blvd	Then go 5.38 mi
51.62 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Linwood Way	Then go 0.06 mi
51.68 mi		Slight right at Blakewood Way	Then go 0.12 mi
51.80 mi	Turn Right	Turn right to stay on Blakewood Way	Then go 0.09 mi
51.89 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at CA-84/La Honda Rd	Then go 14.90 mi
66.79 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at CA-1	Then go 28.03 mi
94.82 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Bonny Doon Rd	Then go 3.67 mi
98.49 mi		Continue on Pine Flat Rd	Then go 3.72 mi
102.20 mi		Slight right at Empire Grade Rd	Then go 3.72 mi
105.93 mi		Slight left at Qry Bend Rd	Then go 0.66 mi
106.58 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Empire Grade Rd	Then go 4.77 mi
111.35 mi		Continue on High St	Then go 0.44 mi
111.79 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Bay St	Then go 1.09 mi
112.88 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at CA-1/Mission St	Then go 0.49 mi
113.37 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Walnut Ave	Then go 0.16 mi
113.53 mi		Slight right at Lincoln St	Then go 0.26 mi
113.80 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Center St	Then go 0.49 mi
114.28 mi		Center St turns slightly left and becomes Washington St	Then go 0.04 mi
114.32 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Pacific Ave	Then go 0.16 mi
114.48 mi		Slight right at Front St

Neutral Start

Dist: 5.85 mi	Points: 135	Calories: none
Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

Distance	Instruction		Distance to next
3.15 mi	Bear Left	US-101 (Note: Bicycles CANNOT ride this route!)

Points of Interest

Cranking up Tunitas

Location: 37.394335°, -122.366967°
A cool, dark climb covered in Redwoods, Tunitas Creek Road offers a private place for suffering. Due to the ride's early flat terrain, it's likely that the first break of the day may not get free until this first climb of note (which gains about 2,200 feet in 10 miles). © Rapha

The Spinnaker

Location: 37.857088°, -122.479459°
The peloton will roll out on a neutral warm-up through Sausalito from the Spinnaker Restaurant in historic Sausalito. If you're riding the stage yourself and looking for a pre-ride caffeine boost, check out Caffe Trieste, just a quarter-mile west at 1000 Bridgeway.

Riding the Gate

Location: 37.816972°, -122.478333°
The Tour of California peloton will be the first ever to cross the Golden Gate Bridge on the main road. Unfortunately mere mortals are still relegated to the bridgeside path. © Rapha

Stage 2 Official Start

Location: 37.798315°, -122.478923°

The Great Highway

Location: 37.777737°, -122.513008°
The Pacific Coast stretches out to the horizon as the route curls south on the Great Highway. This view is just an appetizer of vistas to come. © Rapha

Golden Gate Park

Location: 37.765874°, -122.510079°
The Pacific from Golden Gate Park © Rapha

View from the 1

Location: 37.747033°, -122.508631°
Highway 1: Where bicycles come to play with the Pacific.

Approaching Devil's Slide

Location: 37.585296°, -122.514210°
As Highway 1 departs from Pacifica the road narrows and spits out onto the exposed contour of a steep bluff (known to locals as Devil's Slide).

Healthy Shoulder

Location: 37.547436°, -122.512493°
Some stretches of the 1 have ample shoulder; others don't.

Moss Beach Agriculture

Location: 37.516943°, -122.498932°
California's agricultural landscape extends to the tip of the Pacific in Moss Beach.

Skyline Boulevard

Location: 37.425218°, -122.313066°
Covered in trees, Skyline offers a winding and twisting descent to La Honda.

Alice's Restaurant

Location: 37.386731°, -122.265043°
Riding with friends? Here's good spot to regroup after dropping down the backside of Tunitas. © Rapha

San Gregorio Creek Valley

Location: 37.313451°, -122.325640°
Heading down from La Honda back to Highway 1, the route traces an expansive coastal valley alongside San Gregorio Creek.

Snacktime at the San Gregorio Market

Location: 37.326932°, -122.386794°
Another great spot to pit stop at if you're riding any section of this route on your own. © Rapha

Back on Highway 1

Location: 37.308673°, -122.404432°
After descending from La Honda, the route returns to Highway 1 for more classic Pacific coast riding. If the winds are at your back, Highway 1 can be blissful. If they're not, well... © Rapha

Pigeon Point Light Station

Location: 37.181655°, -122.394090°
One of the tallest light houses in the U.S., Pigeon Point Light Station is well worth a short detour off the main route. The lighthouse keeper's housing has been restored as a hostel, so Pigeon Point is a great alternative for those riding a longer chunk of Highway 1 and looking to break up the trip.

Bonnie Doon Road

Location: 37.001182°, -122.180243°
Climbing north into the California redwoods, Bonny Doon is the last test of the day. It's got a modest bite to it (relative to other TOC climbs at least), and is placed far enough from the finish that whether the peloton will catch the break before Santa Cruz is a bit up in the air.