2013 Amgen Tour of California Route Announced

For the First Time, America’s Greatest Cycling Race Will Travel South to North, Beginning in Escondido and Crossing Beaches, Deserts, Mountains, Golden Gate Bridge

Changing direction for the first time in its eight-year history from south to north, America’s largest and most prestigious professional cycling stage race, the 2013 Amgen Tour of California, will bring riders and spectators first-time destinations, unprecedented climbs and demanding sprints on the approximately 750-mile course.

Amgen returns as the title sponsor for the heralded 8-stage race, set for May 12 to 19, 2013. Beginning with a circuit in Escondido, the route will run through 13 official host cities and include a first-time finish at the top of Mount Diablo, the 3,864-foot peak in the San Francisco Bay area. The race’s last stage will begin along the San Francisco Bay and continue across the Golden Gate Bridge, where a rolling traffic break will give cyclists uninterrupted access for the six-minute crossing.

Two new cities join the race route roster: Greater Palm Springs and Murrieta will host Stage 2, which will include an intense finish up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, one of the toughest climbs anywhere with an 1,880-foot elevation gain in the last four miles. Two other firsts: Escondido and Santa Rosa will become the first cities in race history to have hosted both an overall start and an overall finish.

As one of the most anticipated professional cycling races on the international calendar, the Amgen Tour of California draws top cyclists from the ranks of Olympic medalists, Tour de France competitors and world champions including BMC Racing Team’s current world road champion Philippe Gilbert.

The 2013 Amgen Tour of California will feature the following highlights (route and start times are subject to change):

Stage 1: Sunday, May 12, 11:15 am start – Escondido, Stage Length 104.3 miles

Stage 2: Monday, May 13, 10:20 am start – Murrieta to Greater Palm Springs (126.1 miles) 

Stage 3: Tuesday, May 14 11:20 am start – Palmdale to Santa Clarita (Finishes at Magic Mountain Parkway) (111.8 miles) 

Stage 4: Wednesday, May 15 12:35 pm start – Santa Clarita to Santa Barbara (84.7 miles)

Stage 4 is largely through Ventura County! Starting in Santa Clarita, cyclist go through Piru, Fillmore, Santa Paula and Ojai, then on through Carpinteria, ending on Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara. Plan on watching the excitement on Highway 126, Guiberson Road, Highway 150/Dennison Grade and Highway 192 to Santa Barbara. The route has over 5,000 feet of elevation gain. Visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Route/stages/stage4.html for a map and more details!

Stage 5: Thursday, May 16 11 am start – Santa Barbara to Avila Beach (116.4 miles)

Stage 6: Friday, May 17 12:50 pm start – San Jose (Individual Time Trial) (19.6 miles)

Stage 7: Saturday, May 18 11:35 am start – Livermore to Summit of Mount Diablo (93 miles)

Stage 8: Sunday, May 19 8:15 am start – San Francisco to Santa Rosa (86.2 miles)

The largest cycling event in America, the 2013 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 from May 12-19, 2013. For more information, please visit www.AmgenTourofCalifornia.com.