Hamilton viewing suggestions

"Bob Schwartz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hey Kyle, Amit, and company,

I am, of course, interested in the best view of maximum pain. The general level of craziness also
factors in since I'll be there with my kid and I'm not really interested in fighting with crowds
for prime seating.

This is an impossible restriction, I think. The area of maximum pain will always have the highest
craziness factor. Camp out near the top of one of the climbs. I'd suggest perhaps hanging out on
the Jolley Cut overviewing Kenilworth, but I think I read a report saying that was going to be a
ticket area also. If you're going to choose a climb to watch, hang out on Beckett since it's a bit
steeper and a lot more scenic...if the kid gets bored there's a park through the woods to the
west...watch for the trail a third of the way up the climb.Queen St. rises for a few blocks before
the Beckett St. climb proper, so it would be a good place to watch the peloton jockey for
position, while allowing yourself a reasonable distance to return to the finish to watch the
sprint, if there is one.

Bob Schwartz <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hey Kyle, Amit, and company,

Are there any recommended locations on the Hamilton course for those of us that are too cheap to
buy a grandstand ticket? Where did people set up to watch the Canadian nationals?

I am, of course, interested in the best view of maximum pain. The general level of craziness also
factors in since I'll be there with my kid and I'm not really interested in fighting with crowds
for prime seating.

Bob Schwartz

Hi Bob,

Take a look at the map :

hamilton2003.comroadrace.jpgOpen ↗

The grey lines indicate the Niagara escarpment (a rock formation which almost every hard climb near
Toronto goes up). The south part of the course is at higher elevation than the north part where the
start/finish is.

The recommendation from Ed Arzouian (the fired organizer) is to get into the center of the course
and walk south. If you walk down almost any street and into the trees you will hit the Bruce trail
(a hiking trail). This trail is unlikely to be patrolled. You can take the trail to the Beckett
climb (the shorter steeper one) by going east or the Claremont climb by going west and simply watch
the race from the woods.

The trail also intersects the course at a few points, but you probably won't be allowed to cross. I
think walking access along the course will be very restricted on the climbs.

For the Nationals I walked up the Beckett climb but was stopped near the top. It would be
interesting to view the action on the flats/false-flat after this climb (on Garth and Fennell), I
think that's where the hammer could go down, and teamwork is likely to be a factor here more than
anywhere else.

I didn't go to the east point of the course where the turnaround is, I'll have to check that out
sometime soon.

There are some pubs where you watch the race from on James St., but riders will be whizzing by at 65
kph on that descent.

The word is that people will be let into the start finish area at the end of the race for free to
fill up the area for the TV cameras.

This should be a great time.

-Amit

"Amit" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Take a look at the map :

hamilton2003.comroadrace.jpgOpen ↗

The grey lines indicate the Niagara escarpment (a rock formation which almost every hard climb
near Toronto goes up). The south part of the course is at higher elevation than the north part
where the start/finish is.

Some people were grumbling that the SFGP course isn't that great of a racecourse because
it's so urban.

How does Hamilton compare?

P.S. Will someone please show a link to the course profile?

"Carl Sundquist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Amit" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Take a look at the map :

hamilton2003.comroadrace.jpgOpen ↗

The grey lines indicate the Niagara escarpment (a rock formation which almost every hard climb
near Toronto goes up). The south part of the course is at higher elevation than the north part
where the start/finish is.

Some people were grumbling that the SFGP course isn't that great of a

racecourse because

Quoted message said:

it's so urban.

Dumbass -

IMO, the urbanity is what made it successful. Cycling is still a fringe sport here - the spectacle
of the racers climbing the SFers beloved steep-ass hills is what makes the race. If they held the
race with the same field and same UCI rating one hour south at Fort Ord (close to Sea Otter), there
would be a small fraction of the fan turnout.

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

one hour south at Fort Ord (close to Sea Otter),

Are you the proud owner of a helicopter? One hour south in the car gets you to San Jose, if there is
no traffic slowdown.

"Nick Burns" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

one hour south at Fort Ord (close to Sea Otter),

Are you the proud owner of a helicopter? One hour south in the car gets you to San Jose, if there
is no traffic slowdown.

OK then, 2 hours.

No way will I ever partake in general aviation.

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Nick Burns" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

one hour south at Fort Ord (close to Sea Otter),

Are you the proud owner of a helicopter? One hour south in the car gets

you

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to San Jose, if there is no traffic slowdown.

OK then, 2 hours.

No way will I ever partake in general aviation.

Well, OK that is close enough but you have to drive REALLY fast. BTW, those Fort Ord course were
awesome. The only time it was bad was when they went down the start\finish hill. It is much better
in the other direction. It could almost be used for a World's RR (but maybe too narrow in spots
compared to other US locations).

"Carl Sundquist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Amit" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Some people were grumbling that the SFGP course isn't that great of a racecourse because it's
so urban.

How does Hamilton compare?

Not nearly as urban as SF. The start/finish is downtown in front of city hall, the climb up Beckett
is though residential streets. The Claremont climb is basically on a highway and there's some
plazas, businesses on the course. They're projecting 50,000 spectators for the big race.

Quoted message said:

P.S. Will someone please show a link to the course profile?

hamilton2003.comelevation.pdfOpen ↗

basically two climbs some rolling false flats in between

-Amit

What's with the funny over-under turn at the top of the James St. hill? Thanks.

Kirby.

"Amit" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

P.S. Will someone please show a link to the course profile?

hamilton2003.comelevation.pdfOpen ↗

basically two climbs some rolling false flats in between

-Amit

I am thinking about going to Hamilton to see the Worlds. Do I have to buy a ticket, or can I just
park my car someplace and walk to a section of the course and snap pics/watch the race?

Are the tickets just for the grandstand area by the start/finish line?

J. Spaceman

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Carl Sundquist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Amit" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Take a look at the map :

hamilton2003.comroadrace.jpgOpen ↗

The grey lines indicate the Niagara escarpment (a rock formation which almost every hard climb
near Toronto goes up). The south part of the course is at higher elevation than the north part
where the start/finish is.

Some people were grumbling that the SFGP course isn't that great of a

racecourse because it's so urban.

Who was grumbling? How freaking bizarre is that!

Quoted message said:

Dumbass - IMO, the urbanity is what made it successful. Cycling is still a fringe sport here - the
spectacle of the racers climbing the SFers beloved steep-ass hills is what makes the race. If they
held the race with the same field and same UCI rating one hour south at Fort Ord (close to Sea
Otter), there would be a small fraction of the fan turnout.

EXACTLY.

At SF there were "400,000 - 600,000" ;-) spectators (probably 130,000 is accurate and would hold up
to mathematical scrutiny).

If this same race were held at Ford Ord you'd be lucky to have 5,000 fans watching unless they
organized some sort of parade or rodeo with the event or some radical mountain biking freak show
with Palmer and Streb.

-Ken

Kirby Krieger said:

What's with the funny over-under turn at the top of the James St. hill? Thanks.

The Claremont crosses over James St. via a bridge. It then bends left and descends slightly as James
continues to rise to meet it. The turnaround onto James is nearly 180 degrees and would be a great
place to see the riders at their slowest, if you don't care to catch any of the actual racing.