This video shows the Queen Stage, Stage 6 in the Amgen Tour of California. This Stage reaches altitudes of over 7,000 feet. Stage 6 is a relentless climb through both the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California.

Big Bear Lake, Finish of the Queen Stage, Amgen Tour of California 2010

This short video shows the beginning of the climb into the San Bernardino Mountains on HWY 138. The relentless climb begins near Silverwood Lake. The route is comprised of hairpin turns, steep grades and road conditions.

We shot this video with a Nikon Coolpix, holding it out of the car passenger window on the way up the mountain.

Amgen Tour of California Riders and Fans

Finish Line Amgen Tour of California

STAGE 6 ROUTE

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. April 7, 2010 – Today AEG Sports released a statement that the 2010 Amgen Tour of California Stage 6 route will change due to severe road damage on Angeles Crest Highway (Hwy. 2) above La Cañada Flintridge. The stage will no longer start in Pasadena. However, the Stage 6 finish in Big Bear Lake will continue as planned, and will not be affected by the change. More information about the route change will be announced at a later date.

The statement released by Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, regarding a change to the 2010 Amgen Tour of California Stage 6 Start and Host City is as follows…

 “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, which has notified us that due to the potential safety hazards, the road will be unable to accommodate our race.  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.

Stage 6 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.

As long-term partners with Pasadena, we appreciate how graciously they have handled this difficult situation.  We look forward to returning to Pasadena soon.”

– Andrew Messick, President, AEG Sports

Will the Mountain Stage Determine the Winner?

This segment shows the course conditions. We leave Runnings Springs, head up through Snow Valley, to the Summit and then around the mountain to the Big Bear Lake Dam.

The video is home-made. We shot it out of the car window using a Nikon Coolpix camera. You can see the relentless uphill ride and the beautiful views the riders will encounter as they make their way to Big Bear Lake California from the city of Pasadena.

Additional Resources;

• 2010 Amgen Tour of California – Breakaway Ride! | WCM – Patrick Dempsey and George Hincapie confirmed their participation in the ‘Breakaway Ride presented by Specialized,’ two cycling events held in conjunction with the upcoming 2010 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race set for …
• VeloNews.com – Tour of California’s second half: hills, then mountains – As the Amgen Tour of California reaches its halfway point, first come the hills, then the mountains and the toughest stage in race history, as Tour of.
• 2010 Tour of California Preview | Boulder Report – The 2010 Tour of California route saves the fireworks for the final stages to keep race fans glued right up to the finishing circuit in LA by Joe.

It’s official. Stage 6 – The Big Bear Climb of the Amgen Tour of California will travel 132 grueling miles from Pasadena, through the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, and finish in the first-ever mountain-top finish in Big Bear Lake. With an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 feet of climbing, this is one of (if not the) toughest legs of a stage race ever in the US. Below are some course details:

See the Stage 6 Map, the Stage 6 Log, and the Stage 6 Profile (all in PDF format).