2019 Tour of CA Exploratory Thread [Mid May-ish, say 5/12 to 5/19**]
Curious to see who would be interested in bringing this camp back in 2019. This could turn out to be nothing, could be a great camp! It really depends on your interest. Read on to learn more.
Note 1: If you are interested, please reply to this thread and I'll the names and start some outreach.
Note 2: This camp will be limited in size, likely 6 to 7 folks all in. Like a PRO team!
Background
With France Camp looming in 2020, many of you need chances to validate a camp entry for France by coming to another camp with Endurance Nation. Campers within the last two years 2018 and 2019 are eligible at this point. The point of this process is to ensure to I know everyone interested in France and can vouch for their fitness and bike skills.
Also, some of my greatest cycling memories were makes right here in the USA. Traveling abroad is incredible, but riding here "at home" alongside some of the greatest cyclists on the planet is otherworldly.
Read some past blog recaps HERE and HERE TOO.
Tentative Dates
The dates are generally mid-May, and it's typically a week long event.
** There is a rumor that the event could be 9 days long this year, but we'll have to see if that's the case.
What's Included:
- Minimum of seven days of riding on epic terrain!
- Full ride SAG support, with a tech, and workout nutrition.
- Nightly lodging (double occupancy only)
- Camp Welcome & Close Dinners, as well as Breakfast, Lunch Daily.
- Camp jersey and swag
- One finish line VIP experience (TBD)
What's Not Included:
- Airfare to/from the camp.
- Dinners each night: given individual food preferences, we’ve found it’s easiest to have the campers self-serve for dinner. Note, we'll get the Apps and the first round of drinks!!!
- Airport Transportation.
- Bike shipping to / from the camp (but you can use our awesome sponsor Bike Flights!)
General Info
For those of you who don't know, this is a point-to-point camp. We basically ride the stages of the race about two to three hours before the actual racers. So you get all of the spectators and drama with none of the traffic.
This awesomeness does come with a few logistical challenges.
- Starting / Ending in different parts of the State.
- Transfers at the end of each day's worth of riding to prepare for the next day.
- Potential on-course mayhem with traffic or personnel issues (missing rider, etc).
Pricing
Camp cost will be approximately $500 a day. So seven days of riding will be $3500. A 9-day camp, if that's a thing, would be $4500.
If we do this, an upfront deposit of $250 would be due by 12/31/18, with final payment due by 2/14/19.
We would make a final go / no go call by 12/31/18, leaving you with five months to plan, etc.
Interested? Please reply!
Questions? Fire away!
Comments
Not May 2019, but France 2020 def!!!
@Scott Alexander Word!!!!
Awesome to see EN activity on West Coast. Since it's a small group, would you vet for similar skill level?
I would love to figure out how to do this trip in conjunction with the year I have planned next year (Rattler, Al Camp, Camp Hoff, IMLP) doesn't seem possible, but a definite maybe...?
and 2x on France! what time of year will that be? TDF I assume? need to release the date early so we can plan our IMs around THAT!
@Sheila Leard Yes, we'd have to figure out the ability piece...but I need to see who's interested first... 😉
@Scott Dinhofer man that year sounds INCREDIBLE!!!!! #jealous The France Camp is looking like early August of 2020...more on that in early 2019!
Like Sheila, I'd be interested, but I would not want to be the Low Cat B in a group of 40-something Cat As. No fun for me, a drag for them.
if you do this, make sure you sound out Xavier to support...he's the guy we had the last two years, a real pro and great guy. Ask Mariah:
http://www.crazybearbikes.com/
I am interested. I can't commit right now, but I at least want to say I'm interested. I agree with @"Al Truscott" I wouldn't want to slow the group down, but if it did work out, I would do the most I could to be in the best bike shape possible!
Ok, sorry to be misleading. After checking into some things and reflecting on this a bit more, I think I will have to skip Tour of California 2019. Hopefully I can join the team to do it another year. I'm super jealous of any of you that do end up doing it! Thanks for organizing Coach P, Mariah and crew!
I'll echo Sheila and say it's awesome to see the west coast love on EN. Like Larry, I'm definitely interested, but not quite ready to commit. My 25th wedding anniversary is right in the middle of this so I'd need to figure that out. Also, it's 5-6 weeks before 70.3 CdA so I'm wondering if a camp like this is the best choice in the final lead-up to a race. Also I'll be on a HIM-focused plan this season so I'm not sure I'll have seven 100-mile days in me. If there are SAG options or options for individuals to shorten or slow certain days, then I'd love to participate. Like others have said, I don't want to be the one holding up the group.
Regardless of whether I participate in the camp or not, if there's a Bay Area stop (like last year's San Jose time trial stage) then I'd love to have the whole EN crew over to the house for dinner.
@Al Truscott - i hear you on the pacing. and yes, we’ve talked to Xavier!
@larry no worries!!
@John Katsoudas sounds like we’ll see you either way.
for all...this isn’t meant to be a hammer camp by any means. goal is to ride 65-85 miles per day...i could see a group “pace” with the option to hammer a KOM.
how we’d handle this would depend on the terrain of the stage, etc. we could also leapfrog folks ahead at the start of particularly challenging sections...so one group would do 75 but the others would do 55 miles for example.
@matt limbert Putting you on this thread...just in case. Anyone else on the fence for this adventure in 2019?
@Al Truscott @Sheila Leard @John Katsoudas @scott dinhofer .....you all are on the short list. I need four more folks to make this a tentative...and the deadline to make the call is 12/1.
Do any of you know anyone else who might be interested....either on the Team or near you? Just wanted to leverage your connections to see if that's the case.
Hoping to make this happen!
~ Coach P
OK - sent this out to my Tuesday night group of OFs, and my Thursday group of Mountain Goats...
@Paul Curtin
@Patrick Marsh
@matt limbert
@Mark Stahlkopf
if any of you were to pony up for this, I would be swayed in... while @Coach Patrick has me on the list... I'd need to be pulled in hard..
@Coach Patrick just emailed this to all my local folks, let's see if anyone pops out.
well....
@Coach Patrick I received two immediate positive responses from two 60-something (male) life-long cyclists who are very experienced at multi-day tours, and go wheel-to-wheel with me on our 4+ hour rides in the mountains. I'd like to tug on the line while they are biting, so can I send their email addresses to you for direct contact?
@Al Truscott Yes please...have them email me at patrick.mccrann@gmail.com with 2018 Tour of CA Camp Inquiry in the subject line. @scott dinhofer Has someone as well, so we could easily have our "small group" of folks...fingers crossed.
short list Here...thanks so much!
~ Coach P
Just saw this thread. This camp is an awesome experience. Vet from 2016 and 2017.
I don't think this will fit in my schedule for next next year. I highly recommend it though.
@Robert Sabo - thanks for the kudos! We're just trying to give this camp legs moving forward...maybe in the future!!! 🤟
@Al Truscott @Sheila Leard @John Katsoudas @scott dinhofer
Looks like the deadline for in or out is going to be early december, so we can plan. We have Xavier lined up, so the quality will be good. Now we just need a good core group of folks. Anyone else out there interested, please let me know so we can keep you on the short list!
@Paul Curtin @Patrick Marsh @matt limbert @Mark Stahlkopf
@Coach Patrick It is always good to be on the short list for fun stuff like this, but I plan to race IM Santa Rosa again around this time. I'm out for 2019.
@Coach Patrick There is talk in my house of Leadville again - so the travel and time away commitment could be tight. I want to do everything! I'm off the list this time around.
@matt limbert @Sheila Leard No worries to both of you...it's all good.
Hopefully we'll get this party started in 2019 so you can join us in 2020!!
~ Coach P
@Coach Patrick Doesn't fit into my schedule for 2019 but am interested in future camps.
I did this camp in 2017 and it was awesome. I will have to check the schedule to see what May looks like. I will get back to you P. Anyone that can swing it, I would tell you that you won’t regret it!
Short list for me. I don't think I will be able to swing it this year, but really loved this camp in the past.
@Coach Patrick Fair warming: if I don't KQ @ IM AZ next month (not a good chance, as I'll be 69 1/2), I will have my eyes on Santa Rosa next May, so I would probably (a) be late for the start and (b) not be able to ride much anyway.
If I fail there, then it's on to Boulder the next month...
Just finding this.
i had been bummed about missing previous rich’s Tours.
interested. But for 2020. My plan would be to drive my van and leave at the start. Then get back to it somehow when the week is done.
will stick to Majorca for 2019. Looking forward to that.
All...thanks for the update...sounds like it's pretty hard to get a commitment given this "early" even though I need to get it lined up. I will keep this rolling / open as we head into Nov/Dec as some of your schedules may evolve as time passes.
I am tentatively planning on this, regardless of the group, as I want to revive the camp. I will reach out to the broader public as well to see what else we can drum up.
Tentative:
Thanks folks!!!
~ Coach P
You probably already checked, but our former Coach Rich interested in helping organize ?