Today’s route is one of my personal favorites…I know, I have said that each stage of the camp, but this time I really mean it! With a little over 70 miles on our agenda, the course included three Category 4 climbs, one Category 3 climb, and two sprints. This meant you rarely went more than 30 mins without some kind of treat. Day Six also had some of the nicest descents, with panoramic views of Lake Casitas on the way into Ojai and then a great downhill section into Santa Paula. Nothing like flying along at 28mph with minimal work!
The stage lived up to full yahoo-factor predictions, with sprints lined with spectators, and tons of folks on the climbs. Campers lucky enough to make it up — and over — Balcom Canyon Road were treated to some of the most intense spectating of the tour. Affectionately referred to as “the well”, one camper described the climb at Balcom Canyon as having “the smell of clutch.” You get the idea…topping out at 18%, many a cyclist was relegated to walking up the hill.
Sure a few folks got lost on the other side of Balcom Canyon Road, but our uber-admin team picked everyone up and made sure they joined everyone else in Santa Clarita for the final overnight before Day Seven.
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