Get ready for the
Amgen Tour of California! Starting May 13 through May 19, the exciting cycling stage race will cover 645 miles of roadways, highways and coastlines during its seven stages from Long Beach to Sacramento.
Sacramento County will see cyclists weaving through our area:
There will be many vantage points along the 77-mile course of the Delta to catch a glimpse of the best riders in the world cruising down the road. Stage 1 of the women’s tour will start in Elk Grove and zoom south on Franklin Boulevard, then east through the Walnut Grove area past Ryde along Highway 160 and up to Courtland. The tour will bring the competitors to Hood and back to Elk Grove. Like the women’s race, the Men’s Stage 5 ends in Elk Grove, but don’t expect the two races to intersect before the finish line. The men’s race heads north and east to enter Sacramento County along Ione Road and travel into Rancho Murieta via Jackson Road (Hwy 16). They’ll take a left onto Dillard Road and then left onto Clay Station Road. The riders will then bank right onto Twin Cities Road (Hwy 104), whip through Galt, and head north on Bruceville Road into Elk Grove to finish their 109 mile race.
The Men’s Stage 6 leaves Sacramento County from Folsom and heads to South Lake Tahoe.
Both the women’s and men’s race finish at the State Capitol. The women’s race is a flat, 43-mile street course around downtown. The men take on a 90-mile trek that starts downtown, takes them out to Winters and back to the Capital.
The
Sacramento Sports Commission also has information about the Amgen Tour, things to do and places to eat and encourages spectators use the free bike valet set up by the west steps of the Capitol on Sunday.
In addition to enjoying the Amgen Tour as a spectator, give bike riding a try. The
May is Bike Month has great tips for getting started and you can participate in fun riding pledges, challenges, events and prizes.
About Amgen Tour of California
Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race created and presented by AEG that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course that traverses hundreds of miles of California’s iconic highways, byways and coastlines each spring.