Organizers for the Tour of California, AEG Sports, have been forced to change the route of stage six due to problems with the road. The stage was originally scheduled to start in Pasadena and end atop Big Bear, but now the race will have to find a new starting point.
“Due to severe road damage on the Angeles Crest Highway (Route 2) above La Cañada Flintridge caused by the recent winter storms, we have been forced to change the route for Stage 6 of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California. This change is being made at the direct request of Caltrans [California Transportation], which has notified us that due to the potential safety hazards, the road will be unable to accommodate our race,” explained the President of AEG Sports, Andrew Messick.
Stage six is expected to shake up the overall classification of the race, and will feature the inclusion of mountains that organizers were forced to leave off the route when it was held in its earlier time slot of February.
“Stage 6, scheduled for May 21, 2010, will no longer start in Pasadena and we are working to secure a new stage start, which we are hopeful of announcing in the coming days,” he added. “[Stage six] will still finish in Big Bear Lake as planned and we look forward to a challenging stage in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains.”
While the situation has brought up a whole new set of challenges for the organization, Messick is hopeful that the race to come back to the city once again: “As long-term partners with Pasadena, we appreciate how graciously they have handled this difficult situation. We look forward to returning to Pasadena soon.”