Stage 3: Modesto to San José
ROUTE DETAILS
Day: Wed., Feb 20
Start: Modesto
Finish: San José
Start Time: 10:00 AM
Miles: 102.7
End ETA: 1:49-2:52 PM
The riders are certain to remember the difficulty of the significantly revamped stage 3, which departs revitalized downtown Modesto migrating south through scenic California farmlands. After pedaling through Patterson, the peloton will be put under serious duress during a 26-mile section of climbs and descents traversing technical, twisty roads that travel past the pristine beauty of the Frank Raines Regional Park before facing the daunting climb to the 4360-foot summit of Mt. Hamilton, one of the highest peaks ever encountered in the Amgen Tour of California. With legs and lungs burning from being pushed to the limit, the racers will fearlessly let it rip down a fast descent before the road again tilts skyward on the epic ascent of Sierra Road, a climb that decisively shattered the peloton in last year’s race. Finally the riders will flock to the finish line in San Jose after a fast 18-mile run-in. Someone might not win the general classification on this day, but many hopefuls will lose hope of finishing high up in the overall standings if they don’t have a strong performance as some riders will lose heaps of time on the incessant hill assaults thrown at them during this stage.
(stage description courtesy of the official Amgen Tour of California website: http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/ )
