The move to May
In 2010, the Tour of California moved from its traditional February slot to May - a risky move that on one hand allowed the race to expand into the high mountains with less risk of bad weather (more on that later) and attract stronger fields of in-form riders tuning up for the Tour de France. However the race overlapped with the Giro d'Italia.
Then-director Andrew Messick told Cyclingnews in 2009: "The weather was really bad this year. We had three stages where it never stopped raining and was never above 40 degrees (F).
"It was our good fortune that [then-UCI President] Pat McQuaid came to visit the race this year after four days of rain. He had an opportunity to talk to everyone, including the riders and teams, and I think he realised that California is a great state, but it really does rain a lot in February and that’s not what we want to showcase. So we worked hard with the UCI to find a solution."
Article continues belowThe move proved successful, with the race attracting plenty of top European riders who were looking to regain form following their post-Classics break ahead of the Tour de France. They enjoyed California's luxurious hotels and warm and sunny weather, but going up against the Giro also meant only a few riders had it on their calendar as a serious target.
