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Amgen Tour of California Announces Grueling Finish On Mount Diablo, Start In San Jose

CALABASAS (CBS SF) -- The top of Contra Costa County's Mount Diablo is one of the specific race sites included in Thursday's announcement of the ninth annual Amgen Tour of California route, outlining the roads and challenges that the nation's largest professional cycling race will face in May.

The third stage on May 13th in the Bay Area is set to be the toughest in race history, leaving San Jose, then climbing up Mount Hamilton within the first five miles, ending with an exhausting sprint to the finish line 95 miles away on Mount Diablo. The final portion features a 10.8 mile uphill climb, at a 6 percent grade, rising 3,000 feet.

The total elevation gain along the route tops 40,000 feet, and features the longest race day ever for the event, during the 740 mile ride.

Thirteen California cities are featured in the eight stages, beginning May 11th in Sacramento, then traveling to Folsom for time trials, followed by the grueling Bay Area stage.

May 14th features the Monterey to Cambria route, then May 15th is Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara, with Santa Clarita to Mountain High, then Santa Clarita to Pasadena. The tour finishes May 18th in Thousand Oaks.

Two stages will finish on mountain tops, including the Mount Diablo leg and Mountain High in Southern California. Another route will take riders along Highway 1 for spectacular ocean views. Hearst Castle, Big Sur, and even a start on the 1200-foot long pier in Pismo Beach are among the highlights.

"Every year we look to incorporate new destinations, as well as vary technical aspects of the race," said Kristin Bachochin, executive director of the race. "There are no easy days, and teams will have to be strategic about when to take the lead and how to protect their positions through the rest of the week, so we'll see some really exciting racing to the end."

COMPLETE RACE ANNOUNCEMENT: Amgen Tour of California


SOURCE: Amgen Tour of California

Stage 1, Presented by Visit California: Sunday, May 11 – Sacramento
Start/Finish Location: State Capitol Building, L Street Start
Time: 10:50 a.m.
Stage Length: 123 miles

The inaugural stage of the 2014 Amgen Tour of California – the longest of the race at 123 miles – will begin and finish at the steps of the State Capitol building. As the route heads north out of the city, it will hug the east bank of the Sacramento River. After a ride through Pleasant Grove and a sprint in Lincoln, the racers will blaze into Auburn to contest the second sprint of the day. After a fast descent to the American River, the peloton will be confronted with a difficult climb up Highway 49 for the day's KOM. The riders then will head southwest for a fast and flat run back into Sacramento. Once the peloton passes by what is sure to be a large and loud crowd gathered at the steps of the State Capitol Building, the race day will conclude with three circuit laps. Past circuit finishes in Sacramento have delivered some of the most thrilling finishes in the race's history, and history is sure to repeat this year.

Stage 2: Monday, May 12 – Folsom (Individual Time Trial)
Start Location: Sutter Street
Finish Location: Liedersdorff Street & Wool Street
Start Time: 1:05 p.m.
Stage Length: 12.5 miles

Day two will see the teams in nearby Folsom, for the 2014 Amgen Tour of California individual time trial, where riders race the clock one by one. Though the race has visited the historic gold rush town in the past, this will be the first time the city is hosting a stage. A short, flat course will reward the strongest rider and prove an honest test of who is riding well and who is not. Designed for speed, the 12.6-mile route will begin and finish in Folsom's historic district. A start on Sutter Street will be followed by a turn onto Riley and a short downhill run onto the Rainbow Bridge and over the American River. The route will then turn north toward Folsom Lake. A right turn onto Folsom Lake Crossing will take the riders past the main entrance of California's second oldest prison. A turn onto Green Valley will lead the riders to a 180-degree turn back over the same route to finish downtown. While there is a good chance Stage 2 will result in a new race leader, expect results to be close – no one can afford to lose time on this stage so early in the week, and racers will have to ride all out, even with the Queen stage in their sights the next day.

Stage 3: Tuesday, May 13 – San Jose to Mount Diablo State Park Start
Location: Lake Cunningham Regional Park
Finish Location: Mount Diablo Summit
Start Time: 10:45 a.m.
Stage Length: 110 miles

The Queen stage will come early in the 2014 Amgen Tour of California. Stage 3 will begin at the Lake Cunningham Regional Park on the east side of San Jose, which has the distinction of hosting a stage of the Amgen Tour of California for each of the nine years of the race. While the racers won't see the south face of Mt. Hamilton from the start line, they will feel the beginning of the climb just five miles into the stage – the first time the course has winded this way to the summit of Mt. Hamilton. With 22 switchbacks, the long and steep climb is sure to be lined with thousands of spectators. The descent route will be shorter than the ascent, but steeper and much more technical. The long, rolling San Antonio Valley Road will quickly give way to twisty Mines Road, where it will be easy for a breakaway to form and quickly be out of sight of the peloton.

As the riders skirt the east side of Livermore, the race will hook into last year's route to Danville and the approach to Mt. Hamilton. The race up Mt. Hamilton in 2013 will still be fresh in many of the rider's minds – the initial climb, the flat run to "The Junction" and the final relentless push to the summit. The winner of the stage will almost certainly wear yellow on the podium. The question for the teams will be whether to defend the leader jersey for the rest of the race or save themselves for the race's second mountaintop finish during Stage 6.

Stage 4, Presented by Visit California: Wednesday, May 14 – Monterey to Cambria
Start Location: Monterey Municipal Wharf
Finish Location: Main Street & Cambria Road
Start Time: 11:50 a.m.
Stage Length: 105 miles

While Stage 3 can be dubbed the most difficult stage of the 2014 race, Stage 4 is arguably the most beautiful. Monterey returns to host its second Amgen Tour of California stage, with a start on beautiful Alvarado Street. After heading out along Monterey Bay, the riders will head south on one of the most iconic roadways in the world – Highway 1. Riders will vie for one sprint in Big Sur and three KOMs on the way to first-time host city Cambria for the stage finish.

Halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Cambria has an ideal mix of beaches, wineries, shopping and great restaurants. The route will feature spectacular ocean vistas, crashing waves, lighthouses, state parks, elephant seals, herds of zebra and Hearst Castle. It sounds like racing through a postcard, but the reality will be punishing on riders since there are very few stretches of flat road. The race last visited these roads in 2009, when rain and gale force winds stretched a four-hour race into more than six hours.

Stage 5, Presented by Breakaway from Cancer®: Thursday, May 15 – Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara
Start Location: Pismo Beach Pier
Finish Location: Cabrillo Boulevard & Garden Street
Start Time: 11:45 a.m.
Stage Length: 108 miles

The third new host city for the 2014 Amgen Tour of California is Pismo Beach, where the beauty of the Central Coast takes center stage. In the most unique start in race history, the riders will begin the day over the waves on the 1,200-foot long Pismo Beach pier before heading east past several vineyards and ranches, and the first sprint in Arroyo Grande. As the route turns south toward a beachfront finish in Santa Barbara and the racers approach Los Olivos on Highway 154, some may be deceived into thinking they are in for a flat run to the coast. The experienced riders will know the final climb up San Marcos Pass waits just ahead, with a steep and fast descent into Santa Barbara.

Stage 6: Friday, May 16 – Santa Clarita to Mountain High
Start Location: Main Street & Market Street
Finish Location: Mountain High North
Start Time: 11:35 a.m.
Stage Length: 97 miles

Stage 6 will include the second true mountaintop finish of 2014. Racers will begin the day in the Newhall area of Santa Clarita. For those who remember screaming down Bouquet Canyon to finish Stage 3 in 2013, they will know they have a long and steep climb up this year. A left turn onto Spunky Canyon will lead through the small town of Green Valley. The race will continue through the familiar host city of Palmdale and onto the route used in 2010 to reach Big Bear. The Big Pine Road climb was the first of many that year, and it will serve as the final climb of Stage 6. When the riders reach the top and have Mountain High Ski Resort in their sights, the leaders will find that the route makes an unexpected 180-degree turn up Table Mountain Road and another steep 1.2-mile climb to the remote finish at Mountain High North. Many will assume that the race will be won on this stage, but don't count on it!

Stage 7: Saturday, May 17 – Santa Clarita to Pasadena
Start Location: Town Center Mall
Finish Location: Holly Street & Arroyo Avenue
Start Time: 11:40 a.m.
Stage Length: 91 miles

As in 2013, Santa Clarita will host two stages this year. Stage 7 will start at the popular Town Center Mall. The route will follow a familiar high desert path to a sprint in Acton and into the Angeles National Forest. A slight twist from the previous routes through the forest will be the addition of Upper Big Tujunga. This means a second KOM and several additional miles on the picturesque Angeles Crest Highway. After passing Mount Wilson Observatory, the riders will quickly begin a long, steep and very technical descent into La Cañada Flintridge. In Pasadena, riders will pass the Rose Bowl and cross the iconic Colorado Street Bridge. After some quick turns in Old Town Pasadena, the leaders will see City Hall, the finish line, and three laps to go. The three-mile circuit will follow many well-known Pasadena thoroughfares, including the route of the famous Rose Parade along Colorado Boulevard.

Stage 8, Presented by Amgen: Sunday, May 18 – Thousand Oaks (Circuit Race)
Start/Finish Location: Townsgate Road and Village Glen Road
Start Time: 8:30 a.m.
Stage Length: 84 miles

Thousand Oaks, home to title sponsor and biotechnology pioneer Amgen, will host the overall finish for the 2014 Amgen Tour of California, where the race winners will be decided and jerseys awarded. The final stage will be contested over the same circuit used for the race finale in 2010. That means four ascents up the infamous "Rock Store" climb on Mulholland Drive and a sprint at the finish line each lap. Each 21-mile circuit will pass through Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, past the Rock Store at the foot of the climb, and finally, a very technical descent of Westlake Boulevard. If the race is close coming into Stage 8, there is a strong likelihood that the yellow jersey will change on the final day of the race. It will have been a very difficult race, and unlike most stage races, riders can make up significant time on this course. The yellow jersey almost changed when the race finished on this course in 2010. Will it happen this year?

*Route and start times are subject to change.

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