Tour of California | A bike race through California

Tour of California comes to the Sierra

Stage 2 | Rancho Cordova to South Lake Tahoe

The Tour of California, officially known as the Amgen Tour of California, is a professional cycling race that was first held in 2006. This eight-day race covers 650–700 miles as it travels through the state of California. 

The race has become an annual event of professional cycling riders representing ten to twelve teams. The race teams each have ten to twelve members and over 150 riders will start in the race.

All of the racers are members of the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour. The Tour of California has 6 Stages and a one-time trial race to determine the winner. 

After starting the 2019 Amgen Tour of California in a familiar locale, Stage 2 begins in the new host city of Rancho Cordova, fifteen miles upstream along the American River. Rancho Cordova may be a new partner for the race, but the peloton’s journey to the slopes of South Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly Ski Resort is well-known and feared by local cyclists and the peloton.

From the start, the route gradually prods uphill. Over the next 122-miles, the peloton will climb over 14,500 feet and three KOM's (King of the Mountains) - even finishing uphill to the mountain’s ski lifts. The race’s Queen Stage (women) comes later in the week, so the overall contenders can go for the General Classification lead here but they would be well-advised to save their legs.

For more information: Amgen Tour of California

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