The Above Category TDF Summer Challenge

The Tour? In September? Things sure are different this year, but we’re excited to see the quest for the yellow jersey carry on. To celebrate the festivities, we’re throwing a TDF Summer Challenge.

For each week of the race, we’ll share a route here in Marin inspired by various stages of the tour. Once the tour concludes and racers cross the Champs-Élysées, we’ll select riders who’ve completed all three routes to win an AC prize package.

Yes, we know we're a bit late, but with the air quality in California in flux, we wanted to hold off to see how conditions panned out before sending people out for big days on the bike.

So how do you join the challenge? Follow these three easy steps:

- Sign up for our email list by scrolling down to the end of this page
- Join our Strava Club here and title your ride each week “Above Category TdF Challenge” so we can track your progress
- Tag us in a photo from each ride on Instagram and drop the hashtag #ACTDFSummerChallenge

From there, just stay tuned for the route updates and get out and ride. The rules are easy, but the stages will certainly put you to the test. While we’d hoped to host each of these as group rides, for obvious reasons we’re all going solo. So get out when you can and ride on your own schedule. Not local to us in Northern CA? No worries, simply make up your own ride with a similar distance and elevation profile.

Given the air quality in CA due to the wildfires, we're leaving you a two week window to complete each route from the day it gets published. Use your best judgement and only get out if the air quality is safe! And of course, if you'll be riding with others or planning to make and stops, don't forget your mask!

Get the Stage 1 route here: https://www.strava.com/clubs/5/group_events/787232

The route for stage one is a big, long, and rolling. It takes you 95 miles across some of Marin’s most iconic rolling terrain with a few moderate pitches sprinkled in. 

Get the Stage 2 Route Here: https://www.strava.com/clubs/5/group_events/792897

Stage 2 is one for the climbers. 8,200 ft of vertical gain over a 70 mile course with a few ways up Mt. Tam and across the jagged coast line.

Get the Stage 3 Route here: https://www.strava.com/clubs/5/group_events/797176

Who doesn't love a rolling time trial with an uphill finish? Short and simple, Stage 3 is about throwing down and leaving it all out there on the road. If you're riding in Marin, use the stroll from AC to Tam Junction as a warm up. Once you've safely turned on to Shoreline and pass Good Earth, it's game on. Give it your all up and over shoreline, along the jagged rollers of the coast line, and up Panoramic to Pantoll station. That's it! After you've made it to the top, the rest the ride is up to you. Cruise back down to you favorite coffee stop, of if you've still got something on the tank, keep the ride going!

Get out, have fun, and stay safe; and please, if you're on the West Coast, only get out if the air quality permits. We're extending the deadlines to compete routes 1 and 2 to account for the current air conditions.