Auburn’s place on Amgen Tour of California route holds promise
Auburn’s place on the Amgen Tour of California route between Nevada City and Sacramento is a definite maybe. But the status of that “maybe” is shrinking as cyclists connected with the tour test routes that invariably include a scenic, historic Placer County community that would welcome it with open arms. Last Wednesday, three cyclists working with the Amgen Tour took a 100-plus-mile ride that started in Nevada City and rolled through Downtown and Old Town Auburn about halfway through their test trek. Cool resident Jim Northey, who has used GPS to map the route for the tour, accompanied the group – professional cyclist Yuri Hauswald and cycling journalists Carlos Perez and Greg Fisher – on the ride. Northey promotes and organizes several biking events in California. “I can’t say what the route is but as far as I know, Auburn is still on course,” Northey said. While Northey declined to divulge the full route for Wednesday’s test ride, he did say that it did not include the 730-foot-high Foresthill Bridge. Northey has worked with cycling star Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa in organizing his Kings Ridge Grandfondo 100-mile ride. He’s encouraging the city to embrace the Amgen Tour this coming May and get out as many people to the May 16 event. Enthusiasm for the event displayed May 16 in Auburn could translate later into a future position as a start or finish point on a stage of the ride. “You have to show the tour director you’re behind for the long haul,” Northey said. “It’s about who you know.” The Nevada City start was announced last month and Auburn was immediately included in the mix of towns a route to Sacramento would run through. Northey said his preferred route would take Lance Armstrong and other tour participants along Highway 174 and through Colfax before traveling Iowa Hill Road and Foresthill to Auburn. A Foresthill Bridge crossing would also be part of Northey’s planning. Supporters of Auburn’s presence in the Nevada City-Sacramento stage were also given encouragement by Duane Strawser, who is working with tour organizers in Southern California on testing routes. He indicated to the Grass Valley Union last week that the route would almost certainly run through Colfax and Auburn, although nothing official has been announced. Lisa Kodl, Auburn Bike Works owner, said she’s certain the Old Town and Auburn route will be chosen. ”I’m sure it’s going to happen,” Kodl said. “It will be awesome for Auburn and the little towns in between.” Auburn can make an enjoyable time even more enjoyable for the thousands of spectators from South Placer County and beyond by providing shuttle buses, parking areas and business specials, she said. Mayor Mike Holmes said that he was very much in favor of the Tour of California traveling through Auburn. “I know that there are several different routes under consideration,” Holmes said. “I’ve had calls from people outside the Auburn area suggesting Auburn will be part of the race.” Holmes said biking in Auburn has been bolstered this past year by the re-introduction of the Auburn Criterium event through the Downtown area. “That’s attracted a lot of interest from racing officials throughout California,” Holmes said. An Auburn tour presence would probably mean street closures, shuttle buses and other means to keep people and traffic moving safely, he said. “The city of Auburn stands buy to facilitate whatever is need to be part of this great event,” Holmes said.
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They had better be forthright and publish the route of the race much in advance. They should also be required to notify every resident along the route of the race via direct mail much in advance. I think they should be required to have special permits from each county and/or city the race goes through.
I beleive that they should publish the proposed routes so resident's may have a chance to voice their concerns and/or opositions. Please don't let the event organizers forget they have a responsibility to the general public, if they are going to run the race on public right of ways.
Remember when people realized that welcoming money spending visitors to their towns elevated the local economy, and provided a fine example of wholesome recreational activity that provided health benefits like exercise ?
Yeah, me too. And we could be yet that way if only a few people would think before they post something.
Canyonrat,
The race coming through my little rural part of the county will not bolster any economy for the local residents. As a matter of fact, it may interfere with a lot of folks and their ability to "boost their own economic situations". Most of the people out my way need to get to work by driving to and from their jobs, or perhaps their jobs are dependent on un-interupted use of the roadways. All that I am saying is "It is right for them to be notified in advance so the people can plan in advance for any interference in their daily routines". If you can't wrap your mental ability's around that idea, then any dialogue with you is pointless. What is fair for the Goose, is fair for the Gander.
Born_Here all fair questions. But ask yourself this....if AMGEN race organizers are already working with local people to nail down a route seven months in advance, don't you think it's for the purpose of exactly what you state? To provide advance notice to the public, to work local authorities to obtain approval for the route and to provide businesses, cities, and residents the opportunity to voice any concerns or needs.
By the way, I also attended the Auburn Crit this last year and heard a couple business owners that were open that day that were very happy with the business impact of that small local race...and none of those were local bike shops.
Be sure to send your email address to AMGEN Tour organizers.
BH You are so damn cranky.
Roger You are so right on. Of course AMGEN will address the concerns of residents.
Yes i agree all routes, closures, etc should be published well ahead of time, and there will always be those that are not happy no matter how much planning and notification does go out, I am glad AMGEN will go through Auburn, and it will bolster the local economy....
Born_Here: Consider yourself hereby notified seven months in advance that, seven months from now, you might be slightly inconvenienced by a bike race. That gives you seven months to make plans to be out of town that day.
A tour of this size will fill hotels and resuraunts. It will help put the names of nevada city, grass valley colfax and auburn on the world news and hopefully bring more of this type of activities to our area. Born here, in dont know what you do for a living, but my industry is hurting, so I am happy for any influx of outside money into our community.
BH Cat got your tongue???
It's ok with me if the ride goes through Auburn proper. It will produce extra income for businesses along the route which is completly acceptable. But when it comes through the rural areas whrere livestock producers (such as myself), dirt haulers, construction folks, delivery people, residential and retiree's etc. will be affected, I ask the courtesy from the organizers to notify us well in advance. Our daily lives should be taken into consideration, as the ride it will not help our "bottom lines" any.
Wayleft,
I'm not cranky, I just expect courtesy and consideration in decisions that may affect me.
AuburNewt,
I can play it that way too, with a witty smart alec reply. I was hoping to avoid comments like yours and keep this civil but here comes my reply to you: If the organizers don't notify me whats going on, I may have to graze or move cattle all up and down one of the proposed race routes that day. With that being said the organizers can consider themselves notified the race might slightly be inconvenienced by my grazing cattle, or the ones being moved across the roads from pasture to pasture.
I'm not asking them not to have the race, just to do the right thing here and take us into consideration. It would be no different than me running cattle up and down the street where you lived on a day you needed to get in and out of your house. If I didnt notify you, you'd be upset wouldnt you?
Born_ Here,
The Amgen Tour begins in Nevada City May 16th, which is a Sunday.
The best suggestion I have for you is to check their Web site at amgentourofcalifornia.com for updates or sign up for the Tour email newsletter by clicking on “Tour” in the upper left-hand corner and then click on the logo of the cyclist under “keep in touch,” for breaking news about the Tour. It’s that easy to get the information you are requesting.
If they decide to route the Tour through Auburn, it will be 15 minutes of an exquisite show of incredible athletes cycling through our town!
Let''s not get too bogged down discussing "notifications". Anyone posting comments is clearly now "notified" that the race is hopefully coming through the area on or around May 16th. Let's talk about what an epic stage this will be with the climb up Iowa Hill and the battle for position going into the descent out of Colfax. Although it's a long way from the finish, undoubtedly some spinely little climber types will take advantage of those 14%+ slopes to attack. Depending how big a group emerges up above the reservoir (Sugar Pine), they could make it stick all the way to Auburn and open up some pretty sizable gaps.
Teresakenworthy,
Respectfully I hear what you are saying and will most assuredly look at their website (thank you for the tip), however the fact remains that it shouldnt be my responsibility to search out the information. The organizers of the event should be compelled to notify all residents along the race route(s). There are potentially large sums of money made by the event organizers, and all involved stand to profit from me and my neighbors inconvenience. In short, they should be held responsible to notify us it is the least they can do.
How could they not take the route over the foresthill bridge? It's one of the tallest bridges in the world! Can you imagine the camera angles and views of all these cyclistg going over it? If you aren't goig to use the bridge why bring it here at all? It's like having the race in Arizona but deciding to ride through Phoenix instead of the edge of the Grand Canyon. Whoever decided not to take it over the bridge needs to have their head examined. May as well skip Auburn.
Auburn is a great town just the way it is. Their are a lot of people who like Auburn for what it is and what it was. If you say it is for the local economy then I say we let the locals take care of the local economy. Let us take care of our own economy and not be taken over by these publicity hounds .ie..streetscape city council, ARD etc.etc.etc.
"however the fact remains that it shouldnt be my responsibility to search out the information."... "and all involved stand to profit from me and my neighbors inconvenience." Hmmmm... the info has been handed to you yet it's not your responsibility to further inform yourself? What a sad sad way for an individual to deal with conflict when options are presented. We are lucky to have this race in our backyard and we should be proud and not act like selfish children. Should the race actually inconvenience you by being routed past your home or business on a Sunday it would be for a short period of time. Now is that really so bad?
"On 11/16/09 at 06:59 AM, watchit wrote:
Auburn is a great town just the way it is. Their are a lot of people who like Auburn for what it is and what it was. If you say it is for the local economy then I say we let the locals take care of the local economy"
Watchit, when is the last time you rented a hotel room here in Auburn? Locals dont keep them running...Tourism is a large part of the local economy, ...
kheiser,
I will try to find out more information on my own you can count on it, but I should not have too. It should be the responsibility of those that stand to benefit financially from my or my neighbors inconvenience. Let me give you an example that may illustrate my point:
You and I are neighbors. Lets say I have a water pipline easement that runs across your property under your driveway that has developed a leak. In order for me to fix the leak, I have to dig up your driveway. You and I talk about it and I let you know "someday in the future I am going to fix that leak".
Knowing that my digging up your driveway is going to cause you a huge inconvenience, because you wont be able to get your car in or out of YOUR driveway for as long as the trench is open. I get up on a Monday morning and start digging. I dont bother to knock on your door and talk to you about the project because you normally have Monday's off like me, and your asleep normally unitll noon on your day off, etc., etc. I dig my trench and get the water line exposed and right at the moment I am finished digging, you come running out to leave for a very important meeting. But alas you cant as your driveway is blocked, so you miss your meeting and loose a million dollar sale.
You take me to court and sue for damages, loss of income, etc. I tell the judge " I let my neighbor know that someday I was going to fix my water pipe, so it was his responsibility to find out when. Who's going to win?
Auburn business people,
Respectfully, I agree with you that Auburn's economy is largely based upon tourism. I also agree that the Amgen Race is a great way to bring more tourists wallets to town, and I support that decision for all. But we can't forget our locals as we are the ones that live here, and support the town when tourists arent here or don't come. I for one do a lot of "local business" and make a point of spending my money here in town. Although the "value" of my purchasing dollar in most cases is greater down the hill, I consider the people of my town "friends" and support them by buying locally. Don't get me wrong, I shop for bargains, make deals, dicker on price etc. If you know who I am, and we have done business together, I have probably tried to talk you into a discount. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose.
The point is this; I hope every business in the town of Auburn can make a million dollars from the Amgen bike race. All I ask is the courtesy and respect to be properly notified, and informed, of the inconveniences I may face by those who stand to make large profits from the event. I don't think I am being to un-reasonable do you?
Sorry, I would love to see it, but I doubt that the route will include Iowa Hill, or the Foresthill Bridge. This is the FIRST DAY, the warm-up leg -- not a day to test everyone's mountain legs. I'll predict: Nevada City to Colfax -- descents through communities adjacent to i80, maybe Weimar, Applegate, etc. --through Auburn (but quickly through Downtown, not Old town) ; Auburn-Folsom Rd., Newcastle, Loomis, etc.
The main spectator event of the day will be watching some finishing laps in downtown Sacramento.. Seems unlikely that there'll be either an economic boon or a major inconvenience to anyone around Auburn. You'll have a bunch of locals positioned along the route to see the peloton flash by, and most them will eat lunch at home.
The tourist money is in being the start or (better) the finish, not a burg along the way that watches them fly by at 30+ mph.
I find this discussion very interesting. Do you really expect the organizers to stop by *every* house along a 100 mile route to ask permission to use *public* roads? Just like any event, like the California International Marathon (which runs thru my town of Folsom BTW), and the Folsom Cyclebration events (which closed down 2 of the Folsom bridges for a day), as well as the previous stages of the Tour of California into Sacramento - they will publish the route ahead of time. Every local newspaper and TV news program will have it published, they will put big flashing 12 foot signs on the roadway at least a week in advance.
Keep in mind this is on a Sunday, for like 4 hours that any specific road will be closed. It's not like they are going to close roads for 12 hours during the business week. Everybody just calm down and be rational.
No stage is going to make everybody happy, but the ToC is a professional organization and I know they will do what they can to ensure the least negative impact to the local area. They want to be able to come back again.
Enjoy the race - stand by the side of the road and get on international television! :)
Born Here, as I posted a few days ago....get AMGEN tour organizers your email, I'm sure they'lll be distributing information for the tour through some type of subscription...of course only some of it will be related to Auburn... And in my experience, even small events provide public notification of the event and road closures well in advance....so I think you should be troubled as little as possible.
On rural routes, with the number of riders in this race, and it being the first stage, I wouldn't expect too many small rural roads....I could see the use of 174 and Placer Hills road coming down to auburn. LIke someone else said, although it would be cool to see, I really doubt the route would include Iowa Hill in the first stage. I'd also like to see the tour go across Foresthill Bridge. Maybe a left off Lincoln to Foresthill road, and then right down to the bottom of Old Foresthill road, and then up hwy 49 into a route through downtown and Old town...before heading to Sac.
And BH, take a 15 minute break from work that day, who knows you might get hooked and we might have you out there riding a bicycle rather than a tractor real soon. ;o) (meant to be taken lighthearted)
Rogerdangit,
It was taken lighthearted, and I do appreciate your respectful replies as well as your wit. I do however have to doubt that I will ever be on a bicycle again after being hit as a kid. No to mention the fact that I am already in shape... round is a shape isn't it?