In it’s tenth year, the Amgen Tour of California has introduced a three-stage women’s race, attracting a field of 84 riders from 14 teams.
Teams include Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours, featuring Dame Sarah Storey, Velocio-SRAM, with World TT Champion Lisa Brennauer, and UnitedHealthcare professional who are taking British rider and 2014 Nocturne winner, Hannah Barnes.
Stage one begins today, with a 75 mile road race from South Lake, Tahoe, and ends atop a 15% climb back up to (the not so) Heavenly Mountain.
It’s going to be a race for a breakaway, or a climber – our friends at Voxwomen have been checking out the course with UnitedHealthcare riders already:
Stage two, tomorrow, is just under 50 miles and heads through the forest, up the switchbacks of Apache Avenue, with more climbing on the way back to the Heavenly Mountain Resort.
The final stage is a chance for the sprinters to show their cards, in a 34 mile crit race around the State Capitol Building in Sacramento – with the overall winner being crowned at the finale.
On May 15, there will also be an individual time trial, over 15 miles, just under 7,000 feet above sea level – but this is a stand alone event for 23 riders and does not contribute towards the GC.
