Office computers will be logged onto live-update websites, we’ll watch the tape-delay version of each day’s stage on the NBC Sports Network, and we’ll scan the morning paper hoping to find a blurb or two about the race.
Since most of us will never have a chance to ride the real Tour de France routes, I’ve designed an alternative “Tour de San Angelo” that lets you enjoy three consecutive weeks of hard cycling during the same dates that the big race in France is taking place.
Complete the Tour de San Angelo in July and I’ll guarantee you’ll be a much stronger cyclist come mid-August.
The Tour de San Angelo is much like the Tour de France, with 21 stages, time trials, rest days, and both flat and mountainous stages.
It will cover 561 miles over the 21 stages, with a team time trial, an individual time trial, four “mountain” stages, and enough melted chip seal to make you wish for winter.
You may also learn to hate your bicycle seat.
Scoring will be the same as in the Tour de France (total elapsed time to complete all 21 stages), but golf rules apply meaning that you score yourself and everyone trusts you to be honest.
Ride each stage whenever you have time — morning, afternoon or night. Just grab a few friends (your team) and hit the road for each of the 21 stages.
The bottom line is that completing the Tour de San Angelo will give you bragging rights (“Yep, I rode the 2013 Tour de San Angelo and finished in X hours and X minutes”), and you’ll also get to experience the wide variety of cycling routes that exist around our community.
The complete Tour de San Angelo route is described below with a short description of each stage and MapMyRide links.
- Stage 1, Saturday 6/29: The Knickerbocker Loop from the Mary E. Lee park swim beach to town of Knickerbocker and back, 26 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219937395.
- Stage 2, Sunday 6/30: An out and back on Arden Road from Liquor City to County Road 411 and back, 34 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219941479.
- Stage 3, Monday 7/1: An interesting loop that starts in Middle Concho Park with some dirt roads, 14 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219944467.
- Stage 4, Tuesday 7/2: A team time trial on the Loop Group long course, 31 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219949563.
- Stage 5, Wednesday 7/3: A rolling stage on FM 2288 from Liquor City to U.S. 87 at Grape Creek and back, 20 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219952185.
- Stage 6, Thursday 7/4: A circuit race stage around the Bluffs subdivision circuit, four laps, 18 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220053265.
- Stage 7, Friday 7/25: A flat stage that includes Jamison Road from Liquor City, 16 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219960265.
- Stage 8, Saturday 7/6: Mountain stage No. 1, Burma Road out and back from Liquor City, 46 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219969249.
- Stage 9, Sunday 7/7: Mountain stage No. 2, Susan Peak Road from U.S. 277 and Walling Pecan, 52 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220038655.
- Rest day, Monday 7/8 (no ride)
- Stage 10, Tuesday 7/9: A flat stage that circles the east side of Lake Nasworthy, 12 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219957275.
- Stage 11, Wednesday 7/10: A flat stage that goes from the swim beach to U.S. 277 and back via Spring Creek Park, 20 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220056721.
- Stage 12, Thursday 7/11: An individual time trial on the San Angelo Bicycle Association TT course, Susan Peak road, 12 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220058723.
- Stage 13, Friday 7/12: A flat stage across O.C. Fisher Dam, out and back, 14 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220061105.
- Stage 14, Saturday 7/13: A rolling stage that goes through Knickerbocker, Tankersly and Jamison Road from Swim Beach, 41 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220068259.
- Stage 15, Sunday 7/14: Mountain stage No. 3, the Seven Sisters loop from the Swim Beach, 39 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220071789.
- Rest day, Monday 7/15 (no ride)
- Stage 16, Tuesday 7/16: A flat and fast stage, Loop Group short route, 19 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220077825.
- Stage 17, Wednesday 7/17: State Park loop, 14 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220084343.
- Stage 18, Thursday 7/18: A flat stage that starts at Fort Concho and goes out Paint Rock Road, 27 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220049079.
- Stage 19, Friday 7/19: Swim Beach to Door Key Road out-and-back, 20 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220087789.
- Stage 20, Saturday 7/20: Mountain stage No. 4, The Almost-to-Bronte” loop, 58 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220090609.
- Stage 21, Sunday 7/21: The final day will be a complete circle around San Angelo with a celebratory final cruise through downtown and along River Road, 28 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220098001.
The Tour de San Angelo is going to be a fun three weeks of cycling, so get your team together and prepare to ride the Concho Valley roads.
Remember — July is “Ride the Tour” month.
Upcoming Events
- July 4: Christoval VFD 5K, roadlizards.org
- July 14: Lake Nasworthy Triathlon, roadlizards.org
- July 27: Goodfellow Triathlon, roadlizards.org
