BY JEFFREY WEIDEL
Lake Tahoe will once again be hosting a portion of the Amgen Tour of California. This Tour de France-style cycling road race challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course that traverses hundreds of miles of California’s iconic roadways.
Riders in the Amgen Tour of California will make their way around Lake Tahoe on Friday, May 8. Starting and finishing at Heavenly Resort, partial road closures and delays will affect drivers from approximately 11 a.m. through noon.
Fourteen of the top women’s cycling teams from around the world will take part in the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race Title, which takes place in three stages. The Lake Tahoe Road Race is the first stage. Stage 2 will take place in and around Heavenly, and the third in Sacramento.
Cyclists will travel clockwise around Lake Tahoe May 8, entering Tahoma at approximately 12:01 p.m. They are expected to reach Tahoe City at 12:23; Kings Beach at 12:45; crossing through Stateline in Crystal Bay at 12:50; Hwy 28 at 1:04; and Hwy 50 at 1:29 p.m.
Local law enforcement, and race and tourism officials have created routes to minimize impact on residents and visitors. Travelers should expect 20-minute delays along the course.
“North Lake Tahoe is recognized as a premier human-powered sports destination and we’re proud to have been selected as a destination for this prestigious event,” JT Thompson, tourism director for North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, said. “The NLTRA will also host the USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships this coming June with over 1,000 cyclists that are expected to enter the competition.”
Lake Tahoe will be one of 14 host cities for elite cyclists from around the world. The race is sanctioned by Union Cycliste International, denoting the highest level for a non-World Cup event. For further information about the Amgen Tour of California and to experience the race like never before with VIP Access, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.
For more information visit http://www.gotahoenorth.com/events.
The 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. The teams chosen to participate have included Olympic medalists, Tour de France contenders and World Champions.
Amgen Tour of California is listed on the international professional cycling calendar (2 HC, meaning “beyond category”), awarding important, world-ranking points to the top finishers. More information is available at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.
This year, the men’s course will traverse more than 700 miles and wind through 13 host cities, including Sacramento, Nevada City, Lodi, San Jose, Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita, Big Bear Lake, Ontario, Mt. Baldy, L.A. LIVE (Downtown Los Angeles) and Pasadena. The women’s three-day stage race will travel more than 150 miles through South Lake Tahoe and Sacramento, followed by a 15-mile Invitational Time Trial in Big Bear Lake.
Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Thanks for visiting his website at www.tahoeskiworld.com
