Don’t forget that we have a women’s stage race coming the week before the Tour of California Stage here in Bakersfield. The 14th Annual Kern County Women’s Stage Race. Sounds like a tough race…

May 14th – 16th 2010

Stage 1 – Bena Individual Time Trial – Friday May 14. First rider (Women 1/2/Pro) off at 9 am, 30-second starts. Fairly flat 10 mile total (5 out, 5 back) TT course, one short climb on the return leg. (Race has moved back to morning for potential heat reasons).

Stage 2 – Walker Basin Road Race – Saturday May 15. First group (Women 1/2/Pro) starts at 9 a.m., all riders start by 9:25. Loop is 7.5 miles of nearly flat roads in the Walker Basin, that flat area halfway through the Paris-Loraine course of old (after big climb and descent). East of Bakersfield , north of Caliente.

Stage 3 – Havilah Hillclimb – Saturday May 15. First group (Women 1/2/Pro) off at 3 p.m., all start by 3:12. 15 mile mountain climb on the East side of Breckinridge Mtn. Net elevation gain of about 2,700 feet. (Top at 6,200’) Fair pavement, narrow road, quiet route on Breckenridge Road from Bald Eagle Ranch 2 miles north of downtown Havilah to the top of the pavement on Breckinridge.

Stage 4 – Iron Mountain Road Race – Sunday May 16: Woody 24-mile loop, (north of Bakersfield in the hills). Course is a mountainous/rolling loop used in past for SoCal district Championships, & used since 1998 in this stage race, but this year from the north end, in Woody. Some of these roads will have a Tour of California stage later in the week.

Visit Velo Promo at http://www.velopromo.com/kern-ent.htm for more information.