October 27, 2017 (Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev.) – Amgen Tour of California, presented by AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, announced today the 13th edition of America’s premier cycling stage race will return to South Lake Tahoe. Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race Empowered with SRAM and the Men’s Stage 6 finish from Folsom to South Lake Tahoe will take place at Heavenly Mountain Resort, May 18, 2018. Both competitions will conclude in Sacramento, May 19.
The Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race empowered with SRAM, showcasing the top female athletes, will run concurrently May 17-19, covering upward of 150 miles over three stages.
The annual professional cycling events carry the distinction of being the only U.S. races on the UCI WorldTour calendar and attract some of the most renowned cyclists and teams in the world. With seven new courses between them, this is the 11th consecutive year the event has featured an international platform for both men’s and women’s racing.
“These elite athletes serve as an inspiration to our community, young athletes and visitors while generating significant national and international media exposure year after year,” said Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “Tahoe South and our partners look forward to showcasing our home to cycling competitors and recreational enthusiasts as a ‘must-experience’ destination.”
2018 Race Schedule
Amgen Tour of California (Men’s Race)
– Sunday, May 13 Stage 1 Long Beach
– Monday, May 14 Stage 2 Ventura to Santa Barbara County (Gibraltar Road)
– Tuesday, May 15 Stage 3 King City to Monterey County
– Wednesday, May 16 Stage 4 San Jose (Time Trial)
– Thursday, May 17 Stage 5 Stockton to Elk Grove
– Friday, May 18 Stage 6 Folsom to South Lake Tahoe
– Saturday, May 19 Stage 7 Sacramento
Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease Women’s Race Empowered with SRAM
– Thursday, May 17 Stage 1 Elk Grove
– Friday, May 18 Stage 2 South Lake Tahoe
– Saturday, May 19 Stage 3 Sacramento
Host City information and a highlight video are available here.
The 2018 Host Cities include the return of fan and race team favorites, long-time veterans like San Jose and Sacramento, and two first-time destinations: Ventura and King City. A favored site for the women’s race, South Lake Tahoe will once again host the men for the Stage 6 finish and welcome back the women for the fourth year in a row. The peloton will revisit Stockton and Long Beach for the first time in 11 years, with the men’s overall start overlooking the beautiful Long Beach Waterfront. Folsom returns as a third-time host for an epic stage through the Sierra Nevada. The overall conclusion of both races on the same day in the State Capitol of Sacramento will provide spectators the opportunity to cheer on favorites across both fields.
“The 2018 Amgen Tour of California will captivate fans everywhere with all-star pelotons and new routes that showcase the incredible beauty of the Golden State,” said Kristin Klein, president of the Amgen Tour of California and executive vice president of AEG Sports. “With a mix of Host Cities that highlight the diversity of California – from urban to remote, ocean to desert, forests to mountains – the race continues its tradition as a dynamic and anticipated event on the international calendar.”
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. Highlights of the men’s race will include the Queen Stage from Ventura to the summit of Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara County, a challenging mountain stage with an uphill finish at 6,500 feet elevation on day six, and the highly anticipated sprinter showdowns the race has become known for on many stages. Similar to 2017, the women’s overall will be contested on the high-altitude Queen Stage in South Lake Tahoe which features one of the biggest climbs in the UCI Women’s WorldTour, while the speedy sprinters will find their opportunities on the first and last stages of the race.
Tahoe South has been recognized for scenic splendor and reputation as a leader in outdoor recreation, entertainment and dining by national media outlets including Good Morning America, Travelocity, Orbitz, USA Today, ESPN The Magazine.
South Lake Tahoe is renowned for several summer biking events, trails and a new BMX bike park that opened summer 2015. The annual America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride circumnavigates the lake in early-June. The annual Tour de Tahoe Bike Big Blue Race held in the middle of September, offers another chance to circle Tahoe’s 72-mile shoreline also described as “America’s Most Beautiful Drive.”