Premier Men and Women Cyclists Return To Lake Tahoe in Eleventh Annual Amgen Tour Event
South Lake Tahoe Ca – May 11,2016 – The 2016 Amgen Tour of California kicks off this weekend (May 15-22, 2016) in San Diego California, with the Men event set to head North and visit South Lake Tahoe on May 19th. Stage 5 of the Men’s Event and Stage 1 of the Women’s Event will Feature Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Mountain Range.
The Women’s Event will start in Lake Tahoe on the 19th, making Lake Tahoe the place to be for cycle enthusiasts. Tahoesouth.com has published a great list of “best” places to watch the events from Lake Tahoe.
The 11th annual Amgen Tour of California is America’s premier cycling race. 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.
On May 19th, the Men will leave Lodi California and cross over the Sierra Via Hwy 88, passing by recreational favorites such as Silver Lake, Kirkwood resort, and Hope Valley , then head over Luther Pass (Hwy 89) adn coming int he West Side of South Lake Tahoe until finishing at Heavenly Village at the end of that Stage. Stage five for the men features over 13,000 feet of elevation gains over the 132 mile course.
Stage 5 will usher riders from the beautiful vineyards of Lodi to a long gradual ascent to an uphill finish in South Lake Tahoe, reaching a peak elevation of 8,600 feet – the highest in race history. The ride, essentially a 130-mile climb that gains in elevation from 50 feet to 6,650 at the finish, will showcase California’s diversity, from the rich soil of the Central Valley to the mighty peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
This stage will be similar to Big Bear Lake stages of years past with plenty of climbing over the long route through national forest and wilderness areas. Upon reaching South Lake Tahoe, a short steep climb up Ski Run Boulevard will deliver the cyclists to the finish at Heavenly Mountain Resort.
The Women’s Road Race – Overall Stage Start
Stage 1 of the Amgen Breakaway From Heart Disease Women’s Race Empowered by SRAM will complete a full clockwise 72-mile loop of Lake Tahoe, just like the first stage in 2015.
The high-altitude route will feature an early Queen of the Mountain climb at Emerald Bay on the West Shore before reaching North Lake Tahoe and the communities of Kings Beach and Incline Village. As the race traverses the hilly yet beautiful East Shore, teams will begin working to set up \ general classification contenders for the short but steep uphill finish to Heavenly Mountain Resort – a 1-mile climb at an approximately 7% average gradient.
Lake Tahoe is known for its natural wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts, so fans will likely be watching from boats, paddle boards and bikes throughout the loop.
It’s an Olympic year thus success – be it a stage victory or an overall title – in the first UCI Women’s WorldTour event held on North American soil will go a long way towards earning Olympic selection. Seven of the Top 10 teams will send squads into battle at the Amgen Tour of California empowered with SRAM, including the No. 1 ranked Wiggle High5 from Great Britain. In total, 18 women’s teams will be present at the opening stage start in South Lake Tahoe, including outfits from Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Argentina and nine American teams.
One of the most decorated cyclists in women’s history is American Kristin Armstrong, a two-time Olympic gold medal-winning time trialist presently preparing for the Rio Games at the tender age of 42. Armstrong will be riding the Amgen Tour of California with Twenty16-Ridebiker.
Meet the Womens Teams
Meet the Mens Teams
Make plans to catch these extraordinary women in action. Stage 1 is a beautiful yet punishing 72-mile loop around breathtaking Lake Tahoe.
There will be a Lifestyle Festival on May 19th in South Lake Tahoe for visitors to enjoy and celebrate with the race activities. Also there are Strider Race Sign-up available for your toddlers and young kids.
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