Amgen Tour
[ Excerpt from THE LOMPOC RECORD, December 7, 2007, by Glenn Wallace ]
Amgen Tour bike routes revealed
Cycling fans, local politicians, event volunteers and schoolchildren were all present in Solvang Park Thursday to see the Solvang and Santa Barbara routes revealed for the Amgen Tour of California - the biggest professional race in the country.
As part of the announcement, members of the public were invited to ride with race organizers and guest professional cyclist Tony Cruz to experience the Solvang route, a 15-mile individual time-trial circuit...
The 2008 race, drawing some of the top athletes in the sport, will be held on a 650-mile course, beginning in Palo Alto on Feb. 17 and ending in Pasadena on Feb. 24.
Stage five will begin and end on the streets of Solvang on Friday, Feb. 22. The start to stage six will be hosted by Santa Barbara Feb. 23, traveling 109 miles to Santa Clarita.
The 2007 race drew more than 1.6 million spectators, with an estimated tourist impact of $1 million for Santa Barbara County...
[A change in the route] has added a steep climb up Alisal Road at the start of the Solvang Time Trial, but otherwise follows much of the original route - traveling through Ballard and Los Olivos before taking the climb over Ballard Canyon Road and returning to Solvang.
The stage six Santa Barbara-to-Santa Clarita route remains identical to the 2007 route, with the exception of a detour through downtown Carpinteria, complete with a mid-stage sprint.
Santa Barbara Mayor Pro Tem Das Williams and 3rd District county Supervisor Brooks Firestone were also on hand for the announcement.
“We are a symbol of cycling in the world,” said Firestone, whose district includes the Santa Ynez Valley.
Firestone added that “�bleskiver and great wine” would await both the Tour of California competitors and spectators that come to the area.
------------------------------------
By the way, Das mentioned to me that he rode that steep climb up Alisal Road, Thursday, on a loaner bike from the city -- a "City Cruiser" he called it. He said he normally would have been able to handle it easily, but because of the lack of lower gears on the City Cruiser, the stretch was a bit challenging!
For more details about the Amgen Tour, please go to: Amgen Tour California.
------------------------------------
Full text of the LOMPOC RECORD article is at:
Amgen Tour bike routes revealed
Amgen Tour bike routes revealed
Cycling fans, local politicians, event volunteers and schoolchildren were all present in Solvang Park Thursday to see the Solvang and Santa Barbara routes revealed for the Amgen Tour of California - the biggest professional race in the country.
As part of the announcement, members of the public were invited to ride with race organizers and guest professional cyclist Tony Cruz to experience the Solvang route, a 15-mile individual time-trial circuit...
The 2008 race, drawing some of the top athletes in the sport, will be held on a 650-mile course, beginning in Palo Alto on Feb. 17 and ending in Pasadena on Feb. 24.
Stage five will begin and end on the streets of Solvang on Friday, Feb. 22. The start to stage six will be hosted by Santa Barbara Feb. 23, traveling 109 miles to Santa Clarita.
The 2007 race drew more than 1.6 million spectators, with an estimated tourist impact of $1 million for Santa Barbara County...
[A change in the route] has added a steep climb up Alisal Road at the start of the Solvang Time Trial, but otherwise follows much of the original route - traveling through Ballard and Los Olivos before taking the climb over Ballard Canyon Road and returning to Solvang.
The stage six Santa Barbara-to-Santa Clarita route remains identical to the 2007 route, with the exception of a detour through downtown Carpinteria, complete with a mid-stage sprint.
Santa Barbara Mayor Pro Tem Das Williams and 3rd District county Supervisor Brooks Firestone were also on hand for the announcement.
“We are a symbol of cycling in the world,” said Firestone, whose district includes the Santa Ynez Valley.
Firestone added that “�bleskiver and great wine” would await both the Tour of California competitors and spectators that come to the area.
------------------------------------
By the way, Das mentioned to me that he rode that steep climb up Alisal Road, Thursday, on a loaner bike from the city -- a "City Cruiser" he called it. He said he normally would have been able to handle it easily, but because of the lack of lower gears on the City Cruiser, the stretch was a bit challenging!
For more details about the Amgen Tour, please go to: Amgen Tour California.
------------------------------------
Full text of the LOMPOC RECORD article is at:
Amgen Tour bike routes revealed
Labels: Amgen
Posted by Malcolm on
12/08/2007
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