Big Bear Lake Host City

  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 10^th 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!”

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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 10^th 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.

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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.