Tech Gallery: Gearing for Mount Baldy

Getting to the top wasn't easy for anyone today, even with lower than normal gears. Photo: Nick Legan

Colombia-Coldeportes' Duarte had his Bianchi shifted into the 28-tooth cog before the race even started. He finished third on the stage and sits fifth overall. Photo: Nick Legan

Horner's bike doesn't know what's about to happen to it. It sits calm and ready for a thrashing, with Bontrager Aeolus 3.0 wheels and an 11-27 cassette for the day's slopes. Photo: Nick Legan

Even Gesink's spare bike had a 27 installed for the day. Notice the wear on the rear derailleur as well. Photo: Nick Legan

Robert Gesink used an 11-28 to climb his way to a stage victory and the overall lead on Mount Baldy. Photo: Nick Legan

Some riders are more concerned with the hills ahead, not the riders around them. Photo: Nick Legan

Tejay van Garderen had athletic tape put on his stem with the initials of his GC rivals and his time difference to them. Photo: Nick Legan

Tejay van Garderen had an 11-28 for the day. Many of his teammates, including George Hincapie, used 11-27s. The entire team was aboard Easton EC90SLX shallow wheels. Photo: Nick Legan

Climbing stages mean a lot of work for team mechanics. Both race and spare wheels need the cassettes changed. Here, a few of Garmin-Barracuda's sit, ready to be loaded into the car. Those are 11-28 cassettes mounted. Photo: Nick Legan

Joe Dombrowski and his teammates had 11-28 cassettes. Used to great effect, one might add! Photo: Nick Legan

Most of the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team was on 11-28 cassettes, including Levi Leipheimer, who had his mounted to Zipp's ultralight 202 wheels. Photo: Nick Legan

Not even gold derailleurs will help on a day like the stage to Mount Baldy. Exergy riders used everything from 11-23 to 11-28 cassettes. Photo: Nick Legan

Ontario was proud to host the start of stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California. And they should be. By the end of the day, the general classification was sorted in the hills outside of town. Photo: Nick Legan

On key stages, riders often take along a cheatsheet to remind them of important course features or riders to watch. UnitedHealthcare's Rory Sutherland hadn't marked down his vital information on his top tube just yet when VeloNews stopped by. He was busy playing with his son at the time. Photo: Nick Legan