Stage 7: Santa Clarita to Pasadena
ROUTE DETAILS
Day: Sunday, Feb 24
Start: Santa Clarita
Finish: Pasadena
Start Time: 12:00 PM
Miles: 93.4
End ETA: 3:27-4:01 PM
Often the final day of stage races is more ceremonial than competitive, but not at the 2008 Amgen Tour of California where stage 7, sponsored by Amgen, is a challenging point-to-point affair that could produce dazzling fireworks with changes possible in the general classification and King of the Mountains competition. After departing Santa Clarita, the first 25 miles is a gradual climb to the intersection of Angeles Forest Road before the road tilts skyward to the highest elevation ever reached by the Amgen Tour of California on the massive Millcreek Summit (4,906 feet). The riders will rocket down an eight-mile stretch to Angeles Crest Highway before dropping into Pasadena. With the legendary Rose Bowl and San Gabriel Mountains providing a picturesque backdrop, the peloton will whip up the speed during six demanding five-mile laps around the famed stadium. Everyone wants to win the last stage at major stage races so look for the sprinters to drag race to the finish line in a blaze of glory.
(stage description courtesy of the official Amgen Tour of California website: http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/ )
