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2010 Amgen Tour of California to include Big Bear stage

Oct 23, 2009

 

Levi Leipheimer, shown here in the 2009 race, is the three-time defending champion of the Tour of California. Leipheimer and Lance Armstrong have committed to participating in the 2010 race in May, which includes a leg in Big Bear Valley.(Photo courtesy of Amgen Tour of California)
Published: Thursday, October 22, 2009 2:26 PM PDT

The Tour of California bicycle race will make a stop in Big Bear Lake in 2010.

Sixteen host cities for the Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race were unveiled Oct. 22 including the tour’s first-ever mountaintop finish. The Stage 6 ride on May 21 will begin in Pasadena and wind its way along mountain roads to finish in Big Bear Lake.

The eight-day race will take place May 16-23 beginning in Nevada City, Calif., and ending in Agoura Hills. Other cities involved in the event include Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Davis, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Modesto and Visalia.

“For the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, we had the unique opportunity to move our race to a part of the year when we are almost guaranteed great weather in California,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “This timing will help us to better showcase the beautiful features the state of California has to offer, while allowing us to travel to parts of the state that just weren’t feasible in previous years.” Previous tours were in February.

The Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, and is the largest cycling event in America. Soon after the 2010 tour stages were announced on Oct. 22, Lance Armstrong committed to competing in the event, along with three-time Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and George Hincapie.

“Our community is pleased to be selected as the first-ever mountaintop finish for this awesome cycling event,” said Big Bear Lake mayor Rick Herrick. “Event spectators and visitors alike will be able to stay in our quaint Alpine town, view a world-class event and take in the warmth and hospitality of Southern California’s only four-season resort.”

For more on this story, pick up a copy of the Oct. 28 issue of The Grizzly.
Article Courtesy of the Big Bear Grizzly News Paper