Course announced for 2007 Amgen Tour of California
Second stage of world-class bicycle race to finish in front of State Capitol

For the first time in nearly 20 years, Sacramento is a featured stop on the premier cycling road race in the country.

The second stage of 2007 Amgen Tour of California begins in Santa Rosa and concludes in front of the California state capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 20, event organizers announced Wednesday. The Amgen Tour of California consists of a prologue in San Francisco and seven road stages, covering 653 miles of California countryside and city streets from Feb. 18-25, 2007.

The Tour of California’s initial run in 2006 met rave reviews nationally and internationally. In 2007, the route includes California’s capital city, thanks to the efforts of the Sacramento Sports Commission, race organizers, city and county officials, and local law enforcement.

"The City of Sacramento is excited to be one of the stops on the AMGEN
Tour of California,” Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo. “Sacramento has a strong bicycling community as well as a history of organizing and supporting world-class sporting events. Tour riders and bicycle race fans will be impressed by the welcome and
attention they will receive in Sacramento."

The Coors International Bicycle Classic, the sport’s first major professional stage race in the United States, included Sacramento before going out of business in 1988. The inaugural Tour of California was held in February 2006 but bypassed Sacramento. Race director Jim Birrell is thrilled that this year’s Tour includes the state’s capital city.

“It’s a great stage that resurrects the old Coors Classic course,” Birrell said. “I remember the support in Sacramento being overwhelming, and I expect to see the same response in February.”

The 2007 Tour of California begins with a traditional prologue through the streets of San Francisco on Sunday, Feb. 18. The first stage on Feb. 19 will take a world-class field of approximately 100 cyclists from Sausalito to Santa Rosa.

The Feb. 20 stage begins in Santa Rosa and finishes in front of the state Capitol in Sacramento. The third stage on Feb. 21 begins in Stockton and concludes in San Jose.

The Santa Rosa-to-Sacramento stage is approximately 122 miles in length, featuring a climb over Trinity Grade in Sonoma County. The course winds past Lake Berryessa and continues through Winters and Davis before entering Sacramento over the Tower Bridge.

Cyclists will race down Capitol Mall before making three circuits of the state capitol. The finish line is in front of the north steps of the Capitol.

“It’s a great sprinter’s stage,” Birrell said. “The pack will separate over Trinity Grade, then come back together in Davis. It’ll be a great finish for the spectators in downtown Sacramento.”

As is the case in all of the cities on this year’s route, the Tour of California will necessitate road closures. Capt. Brian Louie of the Sacramento Police Department predicts a smooth event. The cyclists are expected to cross the Tower Bridge at about 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

“We’re trying to provide a safe event but also minimize the impact on people who have to work that day,” Capt. Louie said. “We’ve proven that we can handle world-class events such as two U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. It’s a challenging event, but we’re confident we can do it successfully. We want to encourage people to come to the event.”

The 2006 AMGEN Tour of California was seen live by 1.3 million spectators and generated an estimated $100 million in economic growth for the state, AMGEN officials said.

Last week, tour officials announced that three of the best professional cycling teams in the world will compete: CSC, Discovery Channel and Predictor-Lotto. Additional teams will commit to the Tour of California in the weeks ahead.

Santa Rosa resident Levi Leipheimer, one of the world’s top cyclists, will compete for the Discovery Channel team, as will George Hincapie. Leipheimer was named King of the Mountain in the 2006 Tour of California. Hincapie won two stages.

CSC claimed team honors at the 2006 Tour of California. The powerhouse professional team will return in February with two of its aces, David Zabriskie and Bobby Julich. Zabriskie and Julich finished second and third in last year’s Tour of California behind overall winner Floyd Landis of Phonak Hearing Systems.

Mike Sayers, a professional cyclist and long-time Sacramento resident, will compete in his second Tour of California. Sayers will race for the BMC Pro Cycling Team.

“It’s an emotional thing for me,” Sayers said. “I’ve been a pro for a long time and have always dreamed of racing in Sacramento in a race of this caliber. Sacramento has a rich cycling tradition and deserves this race.”

Sanctioned by the UCI (Union Cycliste International) and USA Cycling, the Amgen Tour of California will attract the attention of the cycling world as well as first-time spectators, making it one of the most anticipated events on the international cycling calendar.

The Sacramento Region Sports Education Foundation, the 501-c-3 non-profit of the Sacramento Sport Commission, reached an agreement with race organizers in July.

The agreement calls for SRSEF to conduct the event staging in cooperation with Medalist Sports and AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company. SRSEF secured the support of the City and County of Sacramento to assist with the logistics.

Amgen is a leading human therapeutics company in the bio-technology industry. The Fortune 500 company will leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through the Breakaway from Cancer education and fundraising initiative.