I've stayed at the Super 8 for the past 4 years and find it very acceptable.

Where is everyone staying? This will be my first time doing this race. The Madera Valley In looks okay. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Nick

I appreciate the work Bob and the VeloPromo people do to put on races and the Madera Stage race is pretty decent (expect for that rough patch of road in the road race), except that last year my team paid the entry fees and lodging, drove down there, defended the lead and won the overall, only to never have it officially posted. With very little in prize money and no results to please sponsors, there's no motivation to go again. Also, unless you have someone to hand your team water in the feed zone at the road race, you will have to fight for water from the 2 young kids that make up the "neutral feed". 2 years ago I couldn't get water and stay with the pack the last 2 laps, last year, I had to stop and loose the pack in order to get a bottle to finish the race. In some of the Pro road races I've done, they've had follow vehicles that you could drift back to and get bottles for your team. Maybe that could be arranged. Now if they can just get Tom to do results...... :~)

Danger, no, but the first year I did the RR I covered an attack in the 35+ 1/2/3 field and at a certain speed I found the bumps induced an harmonic vibration in my eye sockets such that everything ahead of me looked like one of those magic pictures.

I don't think so. The primary reason is that the section is basically flat. The vibration is annoying, but I didn't feel the same sense of danger a Copperopolis descent has.

Is the rough section at the Madera RR worse than Copperopolis?

Here's my RR chart from last year's race:

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/940985

It doesn't include the wrong turn I made on the front of the E3 pack. (I wasn't listening to Bob when he said "It's all right turns." I was the only guy to make a left turn that entire day.) Yes, Steve Stein, it was funny -- but not THAT funny.

And you may want to disregard the deceptively high heart rate numbers from the ill-fated 2/3 lap solo breakaway.

And I'm not sure the computer didn't get its hard-drive shaken to hell on the Roubaixesque back side stretch.

A few more:
http://www.routeslip.com/
http://www.toporoute.com/

This is my recollection of the course.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=835397
It actually promenades to the start from 603&407.
Miles 1-3: Smooth gradual downhill
Miles 3-9: Smooth, flat
Miles 9-13: VERY rough, flat(ish)
Miles 13-16: Smooth, rolling climb

After x laps, the finish is at about mile 15.

I'm relatively sure of the route, although it might be 28/29/24 instead of 602. The idea is the same.

Make your own:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

There's another one but I forget the link off the top of my head, someone will chime in with it.