IronCamp Update Day Six

Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita: 100 miles.

Today ended up being one of the best dang days to ride of the entire tour. Almost 100 miles and virtually no wind at all, temps in the mid-60s. Four KOM sections and two sprints. Tours of orange groves...it just doesn't get any better!


We started just outside of Santa Barbara, and the first ten miles were pretty easy going. Things quickly started to heat up, however, as we headed into overlapping KOM sections. In other words, you saw the sign for 5k to the next KOM before you saw the sign for 1k to go on the KOM you were currently climbing. One word for that: OUCH! The climbs were both Category 4 efforts, however, so at least it wasn't killer. That said, the work did have a huge pay off, with incredible views of Lake Casitas.


Things turned semi-urban for a bit as we rolled through the town of Santa Paula, where we were able to get another sprint in. Then it was off to climb Balcom Canyon, lined with a ton of folks. While the police were interested in the number of people on the hill, our group was more interested in the observed percent grade of 18+%. Can you say ouch??? A truly epic climb, even though it was short. The terrain after the killer climb was mostly downhill, including a great section where a few doodes sat in the draft of a convertible Dodge Viper (do not try this at home!).


We rolled in for another quick food break, and then it was off to Santa Clarita. This was a net uphill section, but the road felt pretty forgiving. We finished the ride into town with the group including Saul Raisin, and then waited for the peloton to arrive. Things were interesting w/ a seven man break as the riders entered town; the peloton was 1:25 down...but by lap two the deficit was only 40 seconds, and by the final lap the break had been rolled up. Another sprint finish.

Today was our last official day. Most folks fly out tomorrow, while some might go check out the final stage. All agreed that today's weather and terrain made it the best ride day of all thus far. From an organizers perspective, I have to say that the camp was an absolute blast! We'll definitely be back in 2008, and will include a variety of updates. Stay tuned for more information on this blog. Until then, keep it real!