2014 AMGEN Tour (Photo – Vahe Simonyan, Staff).
Amgen Tour will take many of the world’s best cyclists on a picturesque, challenging and highly competitive competition through California’s iconic highways, byways and coastlines this spring, with the twelfth annual edition of the men’s race visiting 12 Host Cities from Sacramento to Pasadena.
Millions of fans are expected to line the racecourse in May to cheer on the elite, international fields that will include Olympians, Tour de France contenders and World Champions. Fans will also have opportunities to meet and hear from cycling legends Jens Voigt and Freddie Rodriguez, who will reprise their roles as Race Ambassadors. Kristin Armstrong, the most decorated woman in U.S. cycling history, will join as a first-time Amgen Tour of California Race Ambassador, on the heels of her incredible performance to win her third Olympic gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games last summer.
Kristin Klein, race president and executive vice president of AEG Sports said:
As the sport of cycling continues to bloom in America, the Amgen Tour of California men’s and women’s events are both part of the UCI WorldTour for the first time, a privilege and designation reserved for the world’s premier races. This means the competition will reach an all-time high, with the best racers and best teams in the world lining up to take part.
Men’s Route: May 20, 2017 – Stage 7
Mountain High to Pasadena 77 miles / 124 kilometers
Teams will ride to protect race leaders through this mostly downhill stage punctuated by moderate climbs. Expect an electrifying group sprint finish to close out the 2017 race.
Los Angeles
What would the Amgen Tour of California be without a quick tour of the Angeles National Forest? Often called Los Angeles’ “backyard,” this will be the race’s 13th visit to this iconic California gem! Starting at the Mountain High ski resort and finishing in Pasadena (second and fifth visits respectively), there will be a lot of downhill to this stage. Not to worry, the action will come on strong with two sprints and three KOMs with 6,400’ of climbing.
Destination: Pasadena
The final stage will eventually descend into the City of La Cañada Flintridge and the outskirts of Pasadena. As in 2014, the winner will be crowned in the heart of downtown Pasadena on Green Street in front of Convention Center. The finish will feature a long straightaway that will allow the teams to launch their sprinters. It should make for an incredible finish to the 2017 Amgen Tour of California.
Women’s Route:
From South Lake Taho to Sacramento 256.6 miles
The Capitol Circuit Race has quickly earned the reputation as one of the fastest and most technical courses in the country. This flat 2.2-mile course features six turns. It encompasses the Capitol building and passes by several other notable state government buildings. The 90-minute race will include 20 laps of the circuit, beginning shortly after the men depart the course to begin their seven-day event.
Quick look
> The first-ever U.S. UCI WorldTour course will cover more than 575 miles through 12 Host Cities (May 14-20), including Sacramento, Modesto, San Jose, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita, Ontario, Mt. Baldy, Big Bear Lake, Mountain High and Pasadena.
> The Amgen Breakaway from Heart DiseaseTM Women’s Race empowered with SRAM (May 11-14) will visit South Lake Tahoe and Elk Grove before concluding in Sacramento as the men’s race gets underway.
Local organizing committee in Pasadena is recruiting fans (with and without cycling experience) to fill thousands of volunteer positions for various duties along the course. Click for volunteer registration here .
Source: amgentourofcalifornia.com
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