2018 Amgen Tour of California May 13-19 Includes Ventura to Santa Barbara Stage May 14

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Cycling fans can begin plotting their roadside viewing points along the 2018 Amgen Tour of California route.

The 13th edition of America's premier cycling stage race will cover 645 miles of roadways, highways and coastlines during seven stages from Long Beach to Sacramento May 13-19.

Three of the sport's greatest are confirmed to race this year: Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data), Marcel Kittel (Team KATUSHA ALPECIN) and "King of California" Peter Sagan (BORA-hansgrohe), cycling's first three-time consecutive World Champion, who also holds the California race record for most stage wins (16).

Sagan, who recently won his 2018 season opener, will come into the Amgen Tour of California defending his seventh California Green Jersey for dominating the race's overall Sprint competition.

The Amgen Tour of California Women's Race empowered with SRAM, showcasing the world's best women cyclists, will run concurrently May 17-19, covering upward of 187 miles over three stages.

Presented by Visit California, a visual overview of the men's and women's courses is viewable at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/2018-route-overview.

With seven new courses between them, the annual professional cycling events are the only U.S. races on the UCI WorldTour calendar and attract some of the most renowned cyclists and teams in the world. The Amgen Tour of California is designed to cover a variety of terrain, allowing different types of specialists among the field of the world's greatest cyclists to shine throughout the week. 2018 will mark the third time the race will run south to north.

Signed apparel from these all-star sprinters, along with other past Amgen Tour of California favorites, are available through an Amgen Tour of California online auction benefiting American Red Cross Disaster Relief in light of the devastation brought on by wildfires and mudslides throughout the state. Race fans - and California fans - will be able bid on exclusive items from merchandise to behind-the-scenes race experiences to help people affected by disasters. 100 percent of the proceeds from the Amgen Tour of California auction organized by STAPLES Center Foundation support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. More details soon at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

With parts of the state still impacted by wildfires and subsequent mudslides, affected portions of the route will be inspected up until race time, and race routes are subject to change to ensure fan and rider safety.

STAGE 1 PRESENTED BY AMGEN'S BREAKAWAY FROM CANCER®
SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2018
LONG BEACH CIRCUIT RACE
83 miles / 133 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Field Sprint

The 7-mile circuit will start and finish on Shoreline Drive near Shoreline Village and the Long Beach Convention Center. The 11 laps of the circuit will utilize portions of Shoreline Drive, Ocean Blvd. and Pine Avenue. Several Long Beach neighborhoods will get a ring-side seat as the peloton races through Bixby Park and Bluff Park, as well as Retro Row and Downtown.

STAGE 2 PRESENTED BY LEXUS
MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018
VENTURA TO GIBRALTAR ROAD (Santa Barbara)
97.6 miles / 155 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Select group of 2-3 riders

Gibraltar Road has been the most requested mountaintop finish since the race began. After the mountain road was paved and therefore able to be contested in the 2016 race, it became an instant fan favorite.

The City of Ventura warmly welcomed the race in 2016 as the peloton bid a quick hello passing through to Gibraltar. This year, Ventura will host its first stage - the start of the "Queen Stage" just a few feet from the Pacific Ocean near the Ventura Pier. Will the riders be relaxing and taking in the sun at the start? Probably not. Most will be thinking about the coming assault of Gibraltar Road.

After a neutral parade route through downtown Ventura, the race will head through Oxnard, Santa Paula and Ojai. The riders will climb out of Santa Paula to the first of three King of the Mountain climbs (KOMs) on the day. The 97.6-mile stage has 7,700' of elevation gain, with the journey to the top of Gibraltar featuring a 3,100' climb over the final eight miles of the stage.

UPDATE: The stage passes through the Ventura County cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Somis, Santa Paula and Ojai after beginning at the Ventura Pier at 11:15am. Here are some directions transcribed from the course map at THIS LINK:

  • Ventura Pier
  • East on Harbor Boulevard
  • Right (North) on Figueroa St
  • Left (West) on E. Santa Clara St
  • Right (North) on S. Ventura Ave
  • Right (East) on Main St
  • Right (South) on California St
  • Left (East) on E. Santa Clara St
  • Right (South) on S. Hemlock St
  • Left (East) on E. Thompson
  • Right (Southwest) on San Jon Rd
  • Left (South) on Harbor Boulevard
  • Left (East) on W. 5th St
  • Right (South) on S. Victoria Ave
  • Left (East) on W. Wooley Road
  • Left (North) on S. Rice Ave
  • Right (East) on E. 5th St
  • Left (North) on Lewis Road/Somis Road
  • Right (East) on E. Los Angeles Ave
  • Left (North) on Balcom Canyon Road
  • Left (West) on S. Mountain Rd
  • Right (North) to Highway 150 (Ojai Santa Paula Rd)
  • Then towards Santa Barbara via Ojai Rd, Ojai Ave, Baldwin Rd, Casitas Pass Rd, Foothill Rd., etc.

STAGE 3 PRESENTED BY LEXUS
TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2018
KING CITY TO LAGUNA SECA RECREATION AREA (MONTEREY COUNTY)
122.4 miles / 197 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Mass sprint of 15-20 riders

STAGE 4 PRESENTED BY TAG Heuer
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
SAN JOSE/MORGAN HILL INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL
21.6 miles / 34.7 kilometers

STAGE 5 PRESENTED BY VISIT CALIFORNIA
THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018
STOCKTON TO ELK GROVE
109.4 miles / 176 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Field Sprint

STAGE 6 PRESENTED BY VISIT CALIFORNIA
FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2018
FOLSOM TO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
122 miles / 196.5 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Mass Sprint of 10-15 riders

STAGE 7 PRESENTED BY AMGEN'S BREAKAWAY FROM HEART DISEASE
SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2018
SACRAMENTO
90.7 miles / 146 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Field Sprint