How is it that...

14 days in Costa Rica vs 14 days in North Eastern US take your pick? Pacific Southwest? Maybe the Plains? Location location location.

Not sure I follow your reasoning here as to location being an issue against having a substantial length tour in the US or Canada. Do any of the Grand Tour routes cross nationalities; sometimes encounter inclement weather conditions; and sometimes encounter hostile occupants of certain regions? Just wondering...

US is so over rated... Canada might be alright though scenery wise, If your gona float the whole 2 week tour thing I think Australia would have alot more to offer then the US of A

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Scotttri [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

US is so over rated... Canada might be alright though scenery wise, If your gona float the whole 2 week tour thing I think Australia would have alot more to offer then the US of A

I think the US has great aesthetic and riding value, especially if a person gets off the beaten path. With that said, I'd sure like to see more in bike racing than the usual places. I think it would be awesome if the Tour Down Under expanded a bit to include New Zealand. I think there's great opportunity in Japan, too. Certainly, I think a big race in Japan would draw a lot of locals.

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Wow! A 24.5km mountain individual time trial. Can you say time gaps?? Talk about a GC contender-killer...

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by tonyzackery [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

...the smallish country of Costa Rica can hold a two week (Dec. 16-28) stage race, and the US and Canada can't sustain anything past 6 or 7 days???? For over 45yrs (est'd 1965) Costa Rica has been contesting their vuelta. Sad commentary on the US and Canadian state of cycling affairs...

Maintaining proper scale, and not viewing the exercise as a speculative prospect to capitalize upon contribute greatly to the Vuelta Internacional a Costa Rica's longevity. Good on the Costa Ricans.

You might consider the cost to run a stage race vs. the return to the investors.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by tonyzackery [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

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Wow! A 24.5km mountain individual time trial. Can you say time gaps?? Talk about a GC contender-killer...

It is only a 1 hour time trial. Time gaps are due to ability.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by An old Guy [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

It is only a 1 hour time trial. Time gaps are due to ability.

Really? Differences in gaps are due to ability? Who knew?[IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif[/IMG]
I imagine you'd have similar time gaps on an hour long flat time trial too.[IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif[/IMG]

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by tonyzackery [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

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Wow! A 24.5km mountain individual time trial. Can you say time gaps?? Talk about a GC contender-killer...

It could have been a GC killer...

... but it wasn't. Time gaps changed a little between the top few but the standings overall staid the same. Similar in fact to the flatter time trial that they rode a few days earlier.

I see you sail the fail-boat even at Christmas. 🙂

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Parasites (leeches, fleas, ticks, tapeworms, mosquitoes, etc.), gotta love 'em...

...the smallish country of Chile has an 11 stage Vuelta (Jan.5 - 15)?? Been goin' on since '76. Good on the Chileans...

Tony, how about the Tour of Ertirea? That's the most improbable place for an established stage race that I've heard of.

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Pretty interesting. And been going on since '46. Thanks for the heads-up.