Amgen Returns to Pasadena

The 2017 Amgen Tour of California men’s competition is set to begin its seven-stage, 600-mile event in Sacramento on May 14, and it will conclude in Pasadena on May 20, 2017.

Prepared by Vahe Simonyan

Peter Sagan, the 2015 overall Amgen Tour of California winner and record holder with 15 stage victories since riding for the first time in 2010, will headline an all-star peloton when America’s most prestigious cycling stage race launches the 12th edition in May, 2017.

The 2017 Amgen Breakaway From Heart Disease Women’s Race Empowered with SRAM will begin three days earlier on May 11 in South Lake Tahoe and it will conclude its four-stage race in Sacramento on May 14.

The remaining Host Cities (start and finish destinations for each stage) were also announced today and include:

• Big Bear Lake (Men’s Individual Time Trial)
• Modesto
• Morro Bay
• Mt. Baldy
• Mountain High
• Ontario
• Pismo Beach
• San Jose
• Santa Barbara
• Santa Clarita
• And first time Host City Elk Grove which will host the Stage 3 women’s competition start.

Kristin Klein, president of the Amgen Tour of California and executive vice president of AEG Sports, said:

The Amgen Tour of California has long been the most esteemed cycling race in America. Its designation as a UCI WorldTour event will continue to expand its international exposure and attract the best teams and cyclists yet, giving fans even more to cheer about from the streets of California next spring,

The King of California Returns

Sagan, one of the most popular cyclists ever to compete in the Amgen Tour of California will be racing for his recently launched BORA-hansgrohe team hoping to add on to his current record of 15 stage wins including two in 2016. The 2015 and 2016 (current) World Champion will be racing in the Golden State for the 7th consecutive year.

Sagan said:

Racing in the Amgen Tour of California is always one of my top priorities every year. While spectacular to watch from a scenic standpoint, the route is consistently tough and challenging and one that brings out the best in all of the riders. The incredible fans and all of the cities of California that we get to visit truly makes the Amgen Tour of California one of the best experiences of the year for me.

Also returning to California in 2017 is 2016 Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease Women’s Race Empowered with SRAM defending Champion and current UCI Womens World Tour Champion Megan Guarnier racing for the Boels–Dolmans team.

Guarnier said:

The Amgen Tour of California has been a superb addition to the Women’s World Tour calendar. As an American, I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to race at the highest level on American soil.  The Amgen Breakaway From Heart Disease Women’s Race Empowered with SRAM creates the most professional platform to showcase women’s racing alongside the long-running men’s race, and the organization ensures that there is media coverage surrounding the event further elevating the exposure of our event for our current, and I dare say our future, fan base.

The 2017 race will mark the first year the men’s race has been elevated to UCI WorldTour status, making it the only stage race in North America to receive this prestigious classification. The upcoming race will also be the tenth consecutive year that a women’s competition will be held as part of the Amgen Tour of California.

Schedule

Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease Women’s Race empowered with SRAM

• Thursday, May 11   Stage 1 – South Lake Tahoe
• Friday, May 12       Stage 2 – South Lake Tahoe
• Saturday, May 13   Stage 3 – Elk Grove to Sacramento
• Sunday, May 14     Stage 4 – Sacramento

 

Amgen Tour of California (Men’s Race)

• Sunday, May 14       Stage 1 – Sacramento
• Monday, May 15       Stage 2 – Modesto to San Jose
• Tuesday, May 16      Stage 3 – Pismo Beach to Morro Bay
• Wednesday, May 17 Stage 4 – Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita
• Thursday, May 18     Stage 5 – Ontario to Mt. Baldy (Summit Finish)
• Friday, May 19         Stage 6 – Big Bear Lake (Individual Time Trial)
• Saturday, May 20     Stage 7 – Mountain High to Pasadena

Mountain High to Pasadena, May 20, 2017

The Amgen Tour of California returns to the Mountain High ski resort for the start of the final stage. While this will be a fast and largely downhill run into Pasadena, the riders will have two significant climbs that will top out at over 7,900 feet. The crowds in Pasadena will be watching the top teams try to deliver their sprinter to the line to claim the finish.