With so much drama (not to mention of course tragedy) unfolding at the Giro it would be easy to forget this month’s other great cycling event The Tour of California which starts tomorrow (Sunday May 15). Sponsored by Amgen – a biotech company with focus on cancer treatments – the race has grown from it’s beginnings in the mid-2000s to become the biggest pro cycling event in the USA which has largely been without a major competition since the Coors Classic ceased to be in 1988. Last year the Tour was shifted from it’s early-year February slot up to its new May dates, but despite now clashing with the Giro d’Italia it still attracts an impressive roster of teams and riders.
This year’s 8-stage event will see riders competing in the best the Western State has to offer. Challenges including Stage 1’s 191km loop around Lake Tahoe, Livermore to San Jose with a 1900ft climb over Mount Hamilton and a punishing 9.4% gradient finish (Stage 4), and the final day’s Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks trek with a 129.1km profile almost entirely devoid of anything approaching flat.
The Tour of California runs May 15-22. For further information, live updates and daily results see: www.amgentourofcalifornia.com
