HIGH-ALTITUDE Time Trial
First Ever Staged in Big Bear Lake
BIG
BEAR LAKE, California – AEG, presenter of Amgen
Tour of California announced its 13 host cities for the 10th
Anniversary Amgen Tour of California
professional cycling race today. Big
Bear Lake has been selected as the tour’s first ever high-altitude Individual Time Trial for its Stage 6 ride
on Friday, May 15, 2015. This gives cycling fans an opportunity to see each and
every cyclist compete against the clock on a course that will challenge
cyclists to a heart-pounding, lung-scorching Stage 6 Time Trial.
“We’re
looking forward to bringing the Amgen Tour of California back to Big Bear
Lake,” said Kristin Bachochin, executive director of the Amgen Tour of
California and senior vice president of AEG Sports. “The mountains and lake
will make this year’s route one of the most picturesque. It will also be the
first time in race history where the Individual Time Trial will be set at a
high altitude, so it will absolutely be a challenging competition.”
The
eight-day stage race will travel a north-to-south route and span nearly 700
miles through many of California’s most breathtaking roads and sceneries.
Regarded as the largest and most prestigious cycling event in America, 52
California cities have hosted the race throughout the past nine editions. For
the 10th anniversary, the start of the 2015 Amgen Tour of California will take
place in Sacramento, the state’s capital, and travel through 12 additional host
cities during the eight day event including Nevada City, Lodi (first-time host
city), San Jose (10-time host city), Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Santa Barbara,
Santa Clarita, Big Bear Lake, Ontario, Mt. Baldy, L.A. LIVE (Downtown Los
Angeles) and Pasadena.
“Big
Bear is honored to serve as the Time Trial for the 2015 Amgen Tour of
California.
In
2010 and 2012, Big Bear Lake served as a mountaintop finish and the Tour helped
put Big
Bear Lake on the international map for cycling,” said City of Big Bear Lake
Mayor Jay Obernolte. “Road
cycling continues to grow into the cornerstone of our signature outdoor
sporting and athletic events. Our unique location and environment make Big Bear
the ideal high-altitude venue for training and competition!”
Amgen Tour of California
– Host Cities Announcement 2-2-2-2-2
The
Amgen Tour of California is also
proud to announce a first of its kind, three-day professional women’s cycling
race on May 8-10, 2015, as well as an invitational Time Trial on May 15, 2015
in Big Bear Lake. As with previous years, the world’s top-ranked women’s time
trialists will be invited to race against the clock during invitational Time
Trial preceding the men’s Individual Time Trial at Stage 6 in Big Bear Lake.
“Since
we launched the Amgen Tour of California nine years ago, we have strived to
host the world’s top cyclists in a race that will not only challenge them as
professionals, but will also provide a stunning backdrop,” said Kristin
Bachochin, executive director of the Amgen Tour of California and senior vice
president of AEG Sports. “As we look ahead to our 10th edition of
the race, we’re certain the worldwide audience will be on the edge of their
seats watching as the sport’s best cyclists compete against each other in what
is likely to be our most challenging and picturesque course ever.”
Stage
1 of
the race commences on May 10, 2015 in the state’s capital of Sacramento, which marks the seventh time
the city has hosted the race and the third time as the overall start. After
eight days of racing, cyclists will conclude the race in the city referred to
fondly as the “City of Roses,” Pasadena.
Stage
2 of
the race will find the peloton traveling through historic Nevada City to first-time host city Lodi,
known as the “Zinfandel Capital of the World.”
Stage
3 will
see the cyclists start and finish in the only city to have participated in all
10 editions of the race, San Jose.
As
the peloton continues its journey south, Stage 4 will take the race from
one ocean side community to another when the peloton traverses from Pismo Beach to Avila
Beach. This year marks the second time each city has served as a
host city.
Stage
5 of
the race will commence in the “American Riviera” known as Santa
Barbara, where cyclists will have the chance to take in picturesque
views of the California coast and Pacific Ocean. From Santa Barbara, cyclists
will land in Santa Clarita, with both
cities sharing the distinction of serving as host cities six times since the race
began.
Third-time
host city Big Bear Lake will host this
year’s Individual Time Trial Stage 6, where cyclists will compete
against the clock while taking in stunning mountain and lake views.
During
Stage 7, Ontario, referred to as the
“Gateway to Southern California,” will host cyclists for the second time as
they make their way to a mountain top finish at Mt.
Baldy, a third-time host city.
Amgen Tour of California
– Host Cities Announcement 3-3-3-3-3
As
the race draws to a conclusion, the peloton will travel from L.A. LIVE in the
heart of Downtown Los Angeles
to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
This marks the third time Los Angeles has served as a host city after hosting
the overall finish of the race in 2012, also at L.A. LIVE. Pasadena has hosted
the race four times, including the overall finish in 2008.
For
ten consecutive years, biotechnology company Amgen has served as the title
sponsor of the race and will continue to activate Breakaway from Cancer® leading up to and during the
race. Founded in 2005 by Amgen, Breakaway from Cancer aims to increase
awareness of important resource available to people affected by cancer, from
prevention to survivorship.