The Amgen Tour of California is Coming to Northern California this Week

The Amgen Tour of California, a weeklong professional cycling race covering 645-miles of California terrain, is completing its final two stages on Friday and Saturday this week in Northern California.

On Friday, May 18 the race will roll through the Sierra Nevada, with 122-mile trek from Folsom to South Lake Tahoe. On Saturday, May 19th the race will complete with 88 miles around the Sacramento region.

The scenic race through California began on May 13th in Long Beach and is making its way up to Northern California through Santa Barabara, San Jose and Stockton. The tour is a preparatory event for cycling’s premier race in July, the Tour De France.

The race features some cycling’s greatest competitors, including Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel and “King of California” Peter Sagan, cycling’s first three-time consecutive World Champion, who also holds the California race record for most stage wins.

Here is an overview of the event’s tours through Northern California:

STAGE 6 | FOLSOM TO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Distance: 122.1 mi / 196.5 km
Start Time: 9:40 AM PST
Est. Finish: 3:41 PM PST

The race processes out of Folsom on the city’s newly completed Johnny Cash Trail, a unique three-mile pedestrian and bike path that honors the memory of Johnny Cash. From there, the race heads up the hill just north of Highway 50 until it hits Placerville. Then it cuts over to Highway 88 where it will pass Kirkwood Resort on its way to Carson Pass. The cyclists will continue to around the north side of South Lake Tahoe until the riders loop around and end at Heavenly Resort.

Here is a map of Stage 6:

STAGE 7 | SACRAMENTO

Distance: 88.9 mi / 143 km
Start Time: 10:15 AM PST
Est. Finish: 1:39 PM PST

The final stage of the Amgen Tour of California is in Sacramento, and this stretch of the race is for the sprinters. A mostly flat course that begins at the state capitol will be the deciding factor for these tired cyclists. The course will head north until it traverses along the Sacramento River in Yolo County. Heading through Woodland and near Davis, the course loops around until it ends back in Midtown.

Here is a map of Stage 7:

For more information on watching the race in person, go to www.amgentourofcalifornia.com. The race will also be aired on NBC and NBCSN during the all the stages of the race.