The 2019 Amgen Tour of California will be the longest and most challenging in its 14-year history, with details announced on Jan. 31 by AEG, owner and presenter of America’s only UCI WorldTour race.
Throughout seven stages over seven days (May 12 – 18, 2019), the world’s elite professional cyclists will contest mountain roads, highways and coastlines from Sacramento to Pasadena. The 773-mile course through 13 Host Cities will ante up 14 Sprints, more than 68,000 feet of elevation gain and 25 King of the Mountain (KOM) climbs, the most in race history, and a fan-favorite Mt. Baldy summit finish. More than half of the seven stages feature 120+-mile courses.
With seven new courses between them, the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race empowered with SRAM will run concurrently May 16 – 18, using many of the same routes as the men’s course. Also the longest women’s race in event history, the 177.8-mile, three-stage road race course will see the athletes climb more than 20,800 feet, including eight QOMs.
The Amgen Tour of California is designed to cover varied terrain, with opportunities for sprinters, climbers and general classification riders to shine throughout the week. Presented by Visit California, a visual overview of the men’s and women’s courses is viewable at amgentourofcalifornia.com.
“The Amgen Tour of California is the pinnacle of cycling in America. The 2019 race course is incredibly demanding – theres more climbing and more long road days than ever before. With the best of the best in cycling coming to California to contest it, we are in for another memorable race,” said Kristin Klein, president of the Amgen Tour of California and executive vice president of AEG Sports. “We look forward to shining a spotlight on the beauty of California and the dedication of these athletes for fans, in person and via the worldwide broadcast, in what will be one of the most exciting sporting events in the country this year.”
“We are thrilled the Amgen Tour of California overall finish will occur in Pasadena,” said Michael Ross, chief executive officer of the Pasadena Center Operating Company, “This signature event attracts top cyclists from around the world and brings international awareness to our historic and world-class city. It is a tremendous privilege that Pasadena will once again get to play a part in such a storied sporting event for the sixth time.”
Covering part of the 2019 Amgen Tour of California course on the steep hills of Mt. Baldy near Los Angeles, the annual L’Etape California by Le Tour de France public ride will return to Southern California this spring to take cycling enthusiasts on a mountain adventure. Riders of all levels can experience the essence of the Tour de France one month before the watching the professionals attack the Alps. Participants can expect spectacular views, peaceful twisting roads, and an abundance of climbing in this year’s edition. Save the date of Sunday, June 9, 2019 and stay tuned for more details on registration opening on Feb. 20, 2019. Visit the websiteletapecalifornia.com to sign up for the mailing list and be notified of event details as they are released.
