Tour of California 2010 Live Dashboard

Amgen Tour of California 2010 Route Map, Stage Details, Team Rosters,
TV Schedule, Live Video, Results and Photos

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California has a real mountain stage ~~with a mountaintop finish~~ for the first time. Update: The stage route is now official. What happened to the Onyx Summit finish for the Big Bear Stage? Stage finish is now a flat 6 miles + 400 yard hill climb to Snow Summit Resort. Money, proximity next to Bear Lake and overall stage distance were likely the deciding factors. (see map and profile links below) The 2010 Amgen Tour of California has a real mountain stage with a mountaintop finish for the first time. (Unofficial Pasadena to Big Bear Interactive Map and Profile. There are differing accounts on whether the 1st climb ascends Angeles Crest Highway/rt2 (as shown) or rt39 to Crystal Lake. rt39 past the lake is apparently narrow, in rough shape and not open to cars.)

Sunday May 16

104 mi

Nevada City → Sacramento

Monday May 17

110 mi

Davis → Santa Rosa

Tuesday May 18

114 mi

San Francisco → Santa Cruz

Wednesday May 19

122 mi

San Jose → Modesto

Thursday May 20

122 mi

Visalia → Bakersfield

Friday May 21

133 mi

Pasadena → Big Bear Lake

Saturday May 22

21 mi

Los Angeles

Sunday May 23

84 mi

Thousand Oaks (circuit race)

Total Distance

810 mi

Tour of California teams for 2010

Team Rosters and ~~Withdrawals~~
Sixteen teams are expected to partake, one fewer than 2008 with a 50/50 split between ProTour and Continental teams as required by the 2HC status. No teams have been confirmed but expect Garmin, Columbia-HTC, The Shack, Rabobank (an event sponsor), Saxo Bank, QuickStep and Liquigas to be invited. Lance Armstrong, Dave Zabriskie, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer are all confirmed.

News and Updates for Tour of California 2010

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

Official stage information for ALL stages now posted

February 10 update: Official details for stages 3 through 8 including stage maps, profiles and timetables are now posted. See the links in the race summary table (right). No major surprises in any of the stage routes as compared to our collaborative speculation. Also check out the preview links for video previews of each stage as they are released throughout the week. — Steve
February 9 update: Official stage 1 & 2 stage maps, profiles and timetables have been released. See the links in the race summary table (right). Also check out the preview links for video previews of each stage. — Steve

Bridges, mountains and history start off California tour — velonews

Team Sky opt out of Tour of California — cyclingnews

One-lap Tour finish coming to Santa Rosa in May — pressdemocrat

Tour of California releases Big Bear stage details — cyclingnews

Tour of Californias second half: hills, then mountains — velonews

February 8 update: Specific route details for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race will be revealed beginning tomorrow via individual stage videos, AEG, presenter of the fifth-annual event, announced today. The videos have been created in collaboration between the start and finish cities of each stage (designated at host cities), highlighting features of the route for the eight-day event. Two videos will be released per day throughout the week of Feb. 8. Check back... Steve

January 17 update:

Stage 3 Route Details Becoming Available — community.active
January 3 update: According to Michael Roth, a spokesperson for AEG, the 2010 Tour of California stage details (maps and profiles) will be released on Feburary 1st — Steve
November 25 update:

Old Town Auburn out? Foresthill Bridge in? Tour of California cycle route decision time — auburnjournal
November 16 update: Looks like the Nevada City-Sacramento route will be longer than the proposed 78 mi. A detour to Iowa Hill and Foresthill may be included. In-progress insight on the Nevada City-Sac route
November 13 update: Westlake Village officials discuss effects (and route) of Amgen Tour — vcstar
November 2 update: Merced Sun-Star editorial re: failed Merced-Yosemite bid: "The local group gambled with a hand they knew wasn't likely to win. Not smart."

Early preview of the stage details (unofficial)

November 2 update: Made refinements to most of the stage map drafts. You should find them generally accurate. See the links in the October 30 entry just below or the map/profile links in the race summary table, right.
October 30 update: I've now posted unofficial stage maps and profiles for stage 1, stage 3, stage 5 and stage 6. You can comment on the maps if you have feedback to share. Stages 2 and 4 should be largely unchanged. Details on stages 6 and 7 still to come. — Steve

Big Bear finish on Onyx Summit? — bigbeargrizzly
Visalia organizer's proposed route — visaliatimesdelta
Bakersfield's recommendations — bakersfield

It's Official

October 22 update: Final route is now posted. Minor changes to the Los Angeles area portion of the route as compared to our October 5th predictions. The proposed Venice individual time-trial will take place in downtown LA and Thousands Oak will also host the final stage start as well as the finish as part of a circuit race through the Santa Monica mountains. The Big Bear mountain stage will start in Pasadena. So the new host towns are Nevada City, Bakersfield, Big Bear and Downtown LA. Lance Armstrong, Dave Zabriskie, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer have all rsvp'ed. More to come. — Steve

Official Press Release

General Description — velonews

Route Overview — cyclingnews

Queen Stage Map/ Profile unofficial

Reactions to Tour of California's 2010 route announcement — cyclingnews

Armstrong to return to revamped Tour of California in 2010 — google

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

October 22 update: The official route will be "leaked" via Twitter at 8:30 AM PST by riders like Leipheimer, Hincapie, Zabriskie, the official site, and the governor of California. The organizers will then officially announce it at 10:00 AM PST press conference. — Steve

Nevada City is planning a community-wide reception this morning — theunion

Why the ATOC is not be returning to San Diego County — nctimes

October 21 update:
Yosemite Park Officials Turn Down Amgen Tour — kmph
Anouncement should confirm that Merced isn't included next year. — mercedsunstar

Official route announcement this Thursday

October 20 update: The organizers have reaffirmed Thursday, October 22nd as the new route announcement date. Check back at 10:00 AM Thursday for the official details.

Bakersfield has a home page for their Tour of California bid with links to sponsorship details, a volunteer form and course info (nothing there currently). The finish in Bakersfield will probably consist of 4 mile circuits around Bakersfield College. The town's bid has had strong local support with $160,000 being committed in just four weeks back in the spring. A news conference in Bakersfield is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Looks like Visalia will indeed host the stage 5 start that finishes in Bakersfield. Mike Camarena, a member of the Visalia organizing committee said yesterday, "The prospects are looking very good" and a news conference is scheduled for the Visalia Convention Center at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.

So far, there are no changes to our October 5th route predictions. — Steve
Amgen bike race returning to Sacramento — sacbee
Tour of California Pedaling to Kern County? ... could be stopping in Bakersfield — turnto23
Amgen cycling race to bypass Clovis — fresnobee
AMGEN Tour Returns to the Valley, Clovis Left in the Dust — abclocal.go.com

October 8 update:
It's official: Tour of California returns to Santa Rosa — pressdemocrat

Official route announcement delayed but more information is available

October 5 update: With the official route announcement pushed back several weeks, there are a few changes/updates to the news I reported at Interbike. Bruce Hildenbrand has spoken to another Tour official and has some new information which I've summerized in the race summary table (see right, note: host cities marked in gray have been confirmed by only one source). Nevada City to Sacramento is apparently the starting stage. This was speculated early on, but I was officially told the stage would start in Sacramento while at Interbike. Clearly, with two route announcement dates pushed back, not everything is in place yet. Part of the delay may have to do with The National Parks Service not permitting the Tour to enter Yosemite National Park.

I'm assuming Visalia is the stage five start for the following reasons: the town was invited to submit a proposal to host a 2010 stage, we already know the four new host towns (Visalia hosted last year) and Visalia is a logical start town for the finish in Bakersfield if the Sierra-Nevada are to be used a second time. If the stage 5 start is not Visalia then it may be Clovis who submitted a request for 2010 although it would be a very long stage from Clovis to Bakersfield.
The revised official route announcement date is now Thursday October, 22nd. — Steve
Bruce Hildenbrand's update — community.active

October 1 update: Interview: Messick's masterplan for the Tour of California — cyclingnews

From the floor at Interbike: 2010 route news

2010 starts in Sacramento; TT stage near Los Angeles after a summit finish at Big Bear the previous day

September 23 update: As previously announced, the Amgen Tour of California is moving to May for 2010. The dates are May 16-23 with the route once again moving from north to south over 8 stages with four new host towns along the way. According to Andrew Messick, President of AEG Sports, the next Tour of California "takes full advantage of the change to May with a couple stages covering ground where we couldn't go in the winter time [Feburary]." He also said the date change is permanent and there will be one mountaintop finish, a first for the race. The Sierra-Nevada will also be used for the first time with two stages slated to "kiss them" according Josh Furlow of the Amgen Tour of California. According to Furlow, the Tour is looking to expand beyond 8 days down the road.

According to an off-the-record source, there will be an urban time-trial (update: in Los Angeles) that replaces the three year run held by Solvang. It's slated to be between 20 and 30 miles in length and ~~more hilly than the Solvang TT~~ flat. Even at the shortest distance, 20 miles would make it the longest time-trial the Tour of California has ever had. (San Jose in 2006 was 17 miles in length and Solvang was 15 miles). The feeling is the mountaintop finish will spread the GC out before the time-trial. Hopefully, we don't see the time-trial dominating the GC standings like we have in previous editions of the Tour of California and other one-week stage races. A 30 mile TT would be very long for a one week race something defending champion Levi Leipheimer would ideally prefer. (update: the Venice ITT will be 29 mi long and it follows the Big Bear summit finish the previous day, according to the November issue of Velonews)

The mountaintop finish will finish at a ski resort area at 6000 ft of elevation with approximately 12,000 ft of climbing along the way. (update: Big Bear will host the mountaintop finish). Nevada City has been contacted by Tour officials so it's possible it will be one of the host towns that "kisses" the Sierra-Nevada. Nevada City is the site of one of the longest running annual races in North America.

Stage 1 will apparently start (update: in Nevada City) and finish in Sacramento as it did in 2008, but this year will feature a road race rather than a prologue. There will also be a stage finish in the Tour's favorite host, Santa Rosa.

Sixteen teams are expected to partake, one fewer than 2008 with a 50/50 split between ProTour and Continental teams as required by the 2HC status. No teams have been confirmed but expect Garmin, Columbia-HTC, The Shack, Rabobank (an event sponsor), Saxo Bank, QuickStep and Liquigas to be invited. Liquigas, being an Italian squad that focuses on the Giro d'Italia, will be weakened by the overlapping move to May, Messick admits. The overlap is unpopular among the many North American Giro d'Italia fans who believe the fields of both races will be diluted.

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

The Tour of California will once again be broadcast live in North America on Versus and in the late evening in Europe on Eurosport.

The official route will be announced on Tuesday, October 6th, "give or take a day" according to Messick. (Oct 5 update: I'm hearing that this date could again be moved back) — Steve

July 27 update:

Lance Armstrong a favorite for 2010 Tour de France; may race Tour of California — latimes

Tour of California moves to May for 2010

May 6 update: The 2010 Tour of California dates are May 16-23 next year. The race will now have nicer weather and possibly a Sierra-Nevada stage, but it now overlaps with one of the best (if not best) race in cycling, the Giro d'Italia. Few Americans at the Giro next year? Few Italians at the Tour of California? That's not good for the viewers of either race.

Tour of California up against Giro next year — podiumcafe

Tour of California moves to May in 2010 — cyclingnews

March 9 update: Tour return is iffy for San Diego: lots of interesting scoop on the 2010 route — signonsandiego

Saturday February 14

2.4 mi

Sacramento

Sunday February 15

108 mi

Davis → Santa Rosa

Monday February 16

116 mi

Sausalito → Santa Cruz

Tuesday February 17

104 mi

San Jose → Modesto

Wednesday February 18

115 mi

Merced → Clovis

Thursday February 19

134 mi

Visalia → Paso Robles

Friday February 20

15 mi

Solvang

Saturday February 21

89 mi

Santa Clarita → Pasadena

Sunday February 22

97 mi

Rancho Bernardo → Escondido

Total Distance

780 mi

Tour of California teams for 2009

Team Rosters and ~~Withdrawals~~

2009 Wrap up

The 2009 Tour of California will be remembered for the atrocious weather at the start, lively stages and the crowds that kept getting bigger and bigger with each day

Levi Leipheimer makes it three straight overall wins thanks to his stage 2 attack on Bonny Doon Rd and his third straight TT win in Solvang (photo: mike norris, steephill.tv)

February 24 update: To say Southern California played a good host for the last two (three) stages is an under-statement; the crowds at the finish in Escondido were astounding for a race in North America and impressive by any standards. Overall, the racing was terrific and the foul weather for the first few stages made it even more interesting albeit miserable for the riders and the media. My only major complaint is every year the time-trial stage is too decisive. (That's possibly why Paris-Nice rarely has one. But, it sure makes for a great party and it has put Solvang on the cycling map.) This year, the last two stages were a foregone conclusion from the GC standpoint which made the GC battle anti-climatic once again. It was the individual stages with successful breaks and the huge crowds that made this Tour of California. Most memorable was the stage 2 finish in Santa Cruz with Levi lighting up Bonny Doon in the pouring rain (

). Honorable mention goes to the stage 7 disintegrating break that ended with a two man drag race in Pasadena. (Of course, if you were there in person you'd add your experience as one of the highlights.)

California has incredible scenery with excellent cycling roads. Hopefully, the organizers will continue to get more creative in the route selection. (The rumored date change to April for next year would open up more options.) Stage 2, Sausalito to Santa Cruz, was a terrific route. It would be good to see more stages like that.

For the second time in four years, the finish in Santa Rosa was controversial. Any changes to a course and to cycling rules should be made before a stage starts; otherwise, it creates confusion and inequity.

From a TV standpoint, the live broadcasting on Versus (weather permitting) was a great addition even if the continuity of the action was broken too frequently by commericials. I welcome the day when pay-for-view in HD accompanied by unbiased commentary becomes an option for cycling fans in North America. Also, the Velonews Velocenter online video recaps were a pretty slick and concise way to start each morning. (See the video links in the table to the right.)

Finally, a big thanks goes out to steephill.tv photo contributors Mike Norris and Ken Conley. Both of them have contributed to this dashboard every year since the Tour of California started four years ago. They are dedicated fans and excellent photographers who will stand in the rain and drive like maniacs to get the best shots.

Thanks for tuning in. — Steve

A nice wrap-up of post-event rider reactions collected by Daily Peloton: here and especially here

Stage 8 results: Frank Schleck wins the two-man break; Levi wins the overall

Stage 8 results:
1 Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank)
2 Vincent Nibali (Liquigas)
3 George Hincapie (Columbia - Highroad)
4 Rory Sutherland (Ouch)
 
General classification after stage 8
1 Levi Leipheimer (Astana)                                
2 David Zabriskie (Garmin - Slipstream)               0.36
3 Michael Rogers (Team Columbia - Highroad)           0.46

Schleck wins final stage; Leipheimer takes Tour number three — cyclingnews

Stage 8 clips — amgentourofcalifornia

Three in a row — velonews

Lance, Levi and Christian pre-stage interviews — versus

The Last Km — versus

Yahoo Stage 8 photos

Graham Watson Stage 8 photos

Stage 8 Highlights (21:06) — velonews

Daily Tour Stage 8 Podcast — the fredcast

Stage 8 preview: Rancho Bernardo → Escondido, 97 mi (mountainous)

February 20 update: From the official stage description: Often major tours end with a largely ceremonial stage, but not the Amgen Tour of California. For the second consecutive year, the final stage will be a challenging point-to-point excursion that might produce a change in the overall leadership. In addition to two sprints, the peloton will face four King of the Mountains climbs that could force the KOM jersey to change hands as well. Amgen sponsors Stage 8, which includes the mammoth climb of Palomar Mountain, the highest point ever reached at the Amgen Tour of California at 5,123 feet. The ascent unfolds over 11.7 miles and 21 switchbacks at an average gradient of 7%. There is one last climb after Palomar Mountain on which two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer expects a bevy of frantic last gasp attacks to ensue in pursuit of the yellow jersey. It will be a thrilling fight to the finish as winning the final stage of a major race is a highly coveted honor.

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

See spectator info (or the stage summary links to the right) and the Versus preview video (

) for further details. — Steve

Start Time: Sunday 12:00 AM PST ();
Live TV/Audio coverage starts: 2:00 PM PST ();
(Live video streaming is available from the start)
See all the live video, audio and text options
Approximate Finish: 4:10 PM PST ()

Current Time, Weather and Wind Direction on Palomar Mt and in Escondido
Palomar Mountain SP — parks.ca.gov
2009 Tour of California Set to Make a Big Finish — sandiego6
Escondido readies for stage finish (02:26) — sandiego6
Parking info for both start and finish areas — sandiegonorth
Rider race/bib numbers with the latest withdrawals
Stage 7 Highlights/Stage 8 Preview (12:48) — velonews

Live Video Streaming and TV Coverage

media source	tv or internet	comments/restrictions
	live video streaming	also features a ticker, gps tracking and fan chat; free worldwide
	live video streaming	free; live, as-live and highlights; United States, Australia, Canada and South Africa only
	live video streaming?? internet audio tv schedule (Europe)	live tv coverage with english commentary from David Harmon and Brian Smith
	tv schedule	live and nightly recaps; North America only; find versus in your area
	live text updates	text updates for every stage
	live text updates
	steephill text updates #atoc twitter group	short text updates from any and everyone
	fan live chat
check back at race time for more and updated links; send a comment or a new live link

February 14 update: The race will be broadcast live in more than 90 countries, which includes more than 200 million households across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania and Africa. Expanded coverage this year is due to the partnership established with the Amaury Sport Organisation (owners of the Tour de France) which has assisted AEG with the international television distribution of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Of course, VERSUS will carry entended coverage in the United States.

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

Amongst the line-up of broadcasters, Eurosport, the leader in cycling broadcast coverage in Europe, will broadcast the race live in 77 countries throughout Europe and Asia-Pacific. Abu Dhabi Sports in the Middle East, HiSports in Nigeria, J-Sports in Japan, SBS in Australia and Sky TV in New Zealand are also amongst the race's international broadcast partners. In addition to the live coverage, highlights will be made available to fans in a total of 201 countries and territories, in 22 languages by a total of 23 channels. (I'm looking into whether there is TV coverage in Canada... update cyclng.tv for Canada). More to come... If you see any other options then let me know — Steve

Stage 7: A successful break and thrilling finish won by Nocentini

Photo finish courtesy of Phoenix Sports Technology

Stage 7 results:
1 Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale)
2 Hayden Roulston (Cervélo TestTeam)
3 Pieter Weening (Rabobank)
4 Markus Zberg (BMC Racing Team)
5 Martin Elmiger (AG2R La Mondiale)
6 Chris Baldwin (Rock Racing)
7 George Hincapie (Team Columbia - Highroad)
8 Fränk Schleck (Team Saxo Bank
 
General classification after stage 7
1 Levi Leipheimer (Astana)                                
2 David Zabriskie (Garmin - Slipstream)               0.36
3 Michael Rogers (Team Columbia - Highroad)           0.46
4 Jens Voigt (Team Saxo Bank)                         1.10
5 Thomas Lövkvist (Team Columbia - Highroad)          1.29

February 21 update: Just like last year, the stage into Pasadena off of Millcreek Summit produced a successful break that disintegrated towards the line. This year, AG2R's Rinaldo Nocentini and Cervelo's Hayden Roulston setup at opposite sides of the road for a drag race with 50 m to go. Phil Liggett thought the track racer (Roulston) would take the win, but it was the cagey stage racer and Italian Rinaldo Nocentini that won a photo finish. Big result for Nocentini who finished second overall at Paris-Nice (

) last year. Huge crowds were there to see a great race. — Steve

Full Results — cyclingnews

Nocentini wins in Pasadena — velonews

Yahoo photos

Stage 7 Recap and the last km — amgentourofcalifornia

The Last Km and other clips — versus

Ken Conley Stage 7 Photos

Graham Watson Stage 7 Photos

Stage 7 Highlights/Stage 8 Preview (12:48) — velonews

Stage 7 preview: Santa Clarita → Pasadena (mountainous)

February 20 update: The crowds are sure enjoying the sight of Lance racing again and Levi standing first in GC for the third year in a row. This is a race built for Levi and nobody is more mentally and physically prepared to win it, but it's a shame that with two mountain stages still to go, most people including 2nd place David Zabriskie (

) believe Levi has this race locked up. Levi, afterall, is one of the best climbers riding for the strongest team. Team Astana is getting great exposure in California, but I wonder how many people know or care that Astana is the capital and second largest city of Kazakhstan. By the way, I just stumbled across this nice amateur video of Team Astana (less Lance Armstrong) cresting steep Pine Flat Road (

) in Sonoma while training on Saturday Feburary 7th. (The team was strung out with Contador cresting first well ahead of Levi).

From the official stage description: On the final day of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, George Hincapie sprinted to victory from a small breakaway group that escaped during a rugged new route from Santa Clarita to Pasadena. This year, the peloton will face the same difficult, hilly and technical terrain on the penultimate day of the Tour. Stage 7, sponsored by Herbalife, opens with a gradual 25-mile climb out of Santa Clarita, through Acton, to the intersection of Angeles Forest Road. Showcasing the breathtaking beauty of the San Gabriel Mountains, the course continues uphill to the massive Millcreek Summit, which at 4906 feet is the second highest elevation ever reached in the Amgen Tour of California. What goes up must come down and the riders will scream down a 15-mile trek to Angeles Crest Highway before dropping precipitously to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Surrounded by mountains and the legendary stadium, the field will conclude the stage with five challenging circuits on a rolling five-mile circuit around the picturesque Rose Bowl.

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

See spectator info (or the stage summary links to the right) and the Versus preview video (

) for further details. — Steve

Start Time: Saturday 12:00 PM PST ();
Live TV/Audio coverage starts: 2:00 PM PST ();
(Live video streaming is available from the start)
See all the live video, audio and text options
Approximate Finish: 3:30 PM PST ()

Current Time, Weather and Wind Direction in Pasadena
Large crowd expected for Amgen Tour cyclists: If you go info — pasadenastarnews
SCV & Pasadena: Where to Watch & Street Closures — laist
Everything you need to know for the Santa Clarita start — santa-clarita
Everything you need to know for the Pasadena finish — cityofpasadena.net
Rider race/bib numbers with the latest withdrawals
Stage 6 Highlights/Stage 7 Preview — velonews
... more to come ...

Stage 6 results: Levi does it again; three-peats in Solvang

Ken Conley Stage 6 Photos

Stage 6 results:
1 Levi Leipheimer (Astana)                           30.39
2 David Zabriskie (Garmin - Slipstream)              30.48
3 Gustav Larsson (Team Saxo Bank)                    30.57
4 Michael Rogers (Team Columbia - Highroad)          31.02
5 Jens Voigt (Team Saxo Bank)                        31.10
 
General classification after stage 6
1 Levi Leipheimer (Astana)                                
2 David Zabriskie (Garmin - Slipstream)               0.36
3 Michael Rogers (Team Columbia - Highroad)           0.46
4 Jens Voigt (Team Saxo Bank)                         1.10
5 Thomas Lövkvist (Team Columbia - Highroad)          1.29

Leipheimer wins the Solvang time trial — velonews

Full Results — cyclingnews

TT highlights and Levi interview — versus

Ken Conley |

Yahoo |

Graham Watson

Local TV coverage: Highlights (Early Edition) & Levi (01:57) — ksby

Local TV coverage: Thousands pack Solvang (02:07) — ksby

Local TV coverage: Highlights (Late Edition) & Lance (01:30) — ksby

David Zabriskie talks about the TT and his chances (02:15) — velonews

Tour of California 2010 considering dates with better weather — latimesblogs.latimes

Stage 6 Highlights/Stage 7 Preview — velonews

Stage 6 preview: Solvang, 15 mi (rolling)

The Solvang TT course is identical to last year's

This is the third straight year Solvang has hosted the TT and the crowds should be bigger than ever. Photos by Ken Conley

February 19 update: From the official site: While cycling is a team sport, the time trial is an individual race against the clock. Stage races are won and lost in the time trial, thus Stage 6 will be a crucial test for the true contenders for overall victory at the Amgen Tour of California. The drama shall once again take place in Solvang, the idyllic Danish enclave that hosts training camps for ProTour teams and some of the largest cycling events in the U.S. The fast and primarily flat course that includes the short, steep Ballard Canyon climb showcases the beauty of the Santa Ynez Valley as it unfolds through quaint towns, vineyards and farms. With the start and finish located only one block apart, it's an ideal stage for spectators to watch the best cyclists in the world rise to the challenge.

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

See spectator info (or the stage summary links to the right) and the Versus preview video (

) for further details. — Steve

Start Time: Friday 12:00 AM PST ();
Live TV/Audio coverage starts: 1:00 PM PST ();
(Live video streaming is available from the start)
See all the live video, audio and text options
Approximate Finish: 2:30 PM PST ()

Current Time, Weather and Wind Direction in Solvang
Printable Start List for Stage 6 Time Trial in Solvang — steephill
Solvang Official Site for the latest news — tourofcalifornia-solvang
Solvang: Visitor, Road Closures, Places to Watch Info — podiumcafe
Armstrong: Leipheimer will be a minute faster in the TT — velonews
Same course: Photo Preview using 2008— ken conley
Riders to Watch/Predications — podiumcafe
Rider race/bib numbers with the latest withdrawals
Stage 5 Highlights/Stage 6 Preview (18:57) — velonews

Current Situation: Stage 6 leader board — live.cyclingnews

Stage 5 results: Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen 1-2 again in Paso Robles

Ken Conley Stage 5 Photos

high-res victory salute | high-res finish photo

Lance Armstrong prior to stage 5.
Photo by Ken Conley

Stage 5 results:
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia 5.07.29
2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
3 Pedro Horillo (Spa) Rabobank
4 Francisco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
5 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo TestTeam

General classification stage 5
1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana (
2 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia  :24
3 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin        :27

Cavendish delivers the double deuce — cyclingnews

Cav' gallops to 2nd victory — velonews

The Last Km and other clips — amgentourofcalifornia

Ken Conley |

Yahoo |

Graham Watson

The Last Km — versus

Local TV coverage: start in Visalia (04:00) — abc30

Local TV coverage: finish in Paso Robles (02:30) — ksby

Daily Tour Stage 5 Podcast — the fredcast

Stage 4 Highlights/Stage 5 Preview (18:57) — velonews

...more, reports, photos and video to come..

Stage 5 preview: Visalia → Paso Robles, 134 mi (flat)

2:55 PM PST The peloton crossing the flat Central Valley under nice blue skies

February 18 update: After spending a day in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the riders head back to the flats of the Central Valley on their way back to the coast. At 130 miles, this new course is the longest of the race and includes two sprints along the way. Starting with parade laps through downtown Visalia, the peloton will then pedal across the San Joaquin Valley floor. The riders will be without shelter from the wind which should make the first 100 miles difficult. After passing expansive cattle ranches, horse farms and vineyards, the final 30 miles of the route winds back to the coast over rolling hills that lead to a likely field sprint in Paso Robles.

As a travelogue side-note, in the opposite direction from Visalia is one of the best rides in North America. The Tour of California will never do this ride unless they change their spot on the race calendar but you can to the great ride up Generals Highway through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks ( ) during the summer.

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

See spectator info (or the stage summary links to the right) and the versus preview video (

) for further details. — Steve

Start Time: Thursday 10:00 AM PST ();
Live TV/Audio coverage starts: 1:00 PM PST ();
(Live video streaming is available from the start)
See all the live video, audio and text options
Approximate Finish: 3:20 PM PST ()

Current Time, Weather and Wind Direction in Paso Robles
Paso Robles ToC Events and Road Closures — pasoroblespress
Top 7 View Spots Around Paso Robles: Paso Robles Official Site — prcity
Tour officials expect thousands of fans for Stage 5 in Visalia — visaliatimesdelta
Rider race/bib numbers with the latest withdrawals
Paso Robles prepares for Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California — ksby
Stage 4 Highlights/Stage 5 Preview (13:00) — velonews

Stage 4 results: Mark Cavendish holds off Tom Boonen in a photo finish

high-res victory salute... almost a premature mistake

Stage 4 results:
1 Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia - Highroad) 
2 Tom Boonen (Quick Step) 
3 J.J. Haedo (Saxo Bank)
4 Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam)
5 Tylar Farrar (Garmin)

General classification stage 4
1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana (
2 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia  :24
3 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin        :27

February 18 update:

Full Results: Sprinters have their day in Clovis — cyclingnews

Cav' clips Boonen, Leipheimer keeps lead — velonews

Early attacks and KOMs — versus

The Last Km — versus

The Last Km — amgentourofcalifornia

Lance Armstrong's stolen bike turned into police — cyclelicio.us

Crash takes out Oscar Freire, Kim Kirchen — latimesblogs.latimes
Stage 4 Photos by:

Mike Norris |

Ken Conley |

Graham Watson

Tour of California News — cyclingnews

Lance et al video stage 3 San Jose start — cyclefilm

As-Live coverage in Merced and Clovis (08:26) — abc30

As-Live coverage of the finish in Clovis (09:51) — abc30

Stage 4 Recap (09:20) — abc30

Daily Tour Stage 4 Podcast — the fredcast

Chris Horner talks about his injuries pre-stage 4 — velonews

Stage 4 Highlights/Stage 5 Preview (13:00) — velonews

Stage 4 preview: Merced → Clovis, 115 mi (hilly)

February 18 update: This brand new stage introduces Merced and Clovis as Amgen Tour of California host cities and introduces the peloton to the Sierra Nevada foothills. Although Stage 4 has a few sprints to contest, the climbers (and descenders) will assume the starring role while battling over four KOMs ("King of the Mountains" points competition) on the consistently hilly and technical terrain while enjoying(?) the mountain scenery. But, it may not difficult enough to shed all of the sprinters or any of the all-purpose guys like George Hincapie. Spectators can enjoy the action from Highway 140, twice on Highway 49 or on Crane Valley Road. The finish is in old town Clovis, an important of Central California town. Looks like we are done with the atrocious weather with slightly warmer temperatures and, more importantly, clear skies forecasted. There will be snow on the ground at the higher points of stage 4 as reminder of the bad weather over the last couple of days.

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

See spectator info (or the stage summary links to the right) and the versus preview video (

) for further details. — Steve

Start Time: Wednesday 11:00 AM PST ();
Live TV/Audio coverage starts: 1:00 PM PST ();
(Live video streaming is available from the start)
See all the live video, audio and text options
Approximate Finish: 3:40 PM PST ()

Current Time, Weather and Wind Direction in Clovis
From rain to snow? — velonews
The official site for the stage 4 finish in Clovis — tourofcalifornia-clovis
Race prompts road closures as it rolls into Valley — fresnobee
  Stage 3 Recap/Stage 4 Merced Start Info (03:25) — abc30
Rider race/bib numbers
  Velonews Tour of California '09 Preview
Cali-climb-ication: Preview of the climbs — cyclingnews
  Stage 3 Highlights/Stage 4 Preview (12:02) — velonews

Stage 3 results: A great Cervelo leadout delivers Thor Hushovd to the line for an easy win; another wet, cold day for the riders

More Mike Norris photos:

Start/Patterson Pass |

Modesto finish sequence | |

Podium

Stage 3 results:
1 Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam)
2 Oscar Freire (Rabobank) 
3 Mark Renshaw (Team Columbia - Highroad) 
4 Tylar Farrar (Garmin)

General classification stage 3
1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana (
2 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia  :24
3 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin        :27

Full Results and Report — cyclingnews

Yahoo/AP Photos

Viking In Modesto — cyclelicio.us

Hushovd wins stage 3 in Modesto — velonews
Mike Norris photos:

Start/Patterson Pass |

Modesto finish |

Podium
Other Photos by:

Ken Conley |

Graham Watson

The Last Km — versus

Thor Hushovd Interview: talks about his team's great leadout — versus

Pre-Race Interview w/ Thor Hushovd — velonews

Race Recap — nbc bay area

Stage 3 Recap/Stage 4 Merced Preview — abc30
360 panoramic views of the San Jose Start:

pan 1 |

pan 2 |

pan 3 — mercurynews

Daily Tour Podcast — the fredcast

Stage 3 Hilites/Stage 4 Preview (12:02) — velonews

Lance et al video stage 3 San Jose start — cyclefilm

— the fredcast

Crash Sequence — velonews

Stage 3 Preview San Jose → Modesto, 105 mi (mountainous then flat)

1:10 PM PST The brave fans at the top of the Sierra Rd

#ATOC The four man break. Photo by Neal Rogers. on TwitPic

1:40 PM PST The four man break (photo: @neilrogers)

February 17 update: Today's stage is the reverse of last year's stage 3 so the steep Sierra Rd and Patterson Rd will be climbed at the start followed by 50 flat miles to the

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

finish. Sierra Road is a cat 1 climb with 1930 feet of climbing in just five miles, a highlight for many spectators in previous years. The stage concludes with two laps around a downtown circuit in Modesto where the fastest sprinters in the race (Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen and JJ Haedo) are expected to decide the final outcome. See spectator info (or the stage summary links to the right) and the versus preview video for further details. — Steve

Start Time: Tuesday 12:00 PM PST ();
Live TV/Audio coverage starts: 2:00 PM PST ();
(Live video streaming is available from the start)
See all the live video, audio and text options
Approximate Finish: 4:10 PM PST ()

Current Time, Weather and Wind Direction in Modesto
Modesto Bee Tour of California Home Page — modbee
  Preview of the Modesto Circuit> — modbee
The official Modesto Tour of California site — tourofcalifornia-modesto
Rider race/bib numbers
  Velonews Tour of California '09 Preview
Cali-climb-ication: Preview of the climbs — cyclingnews
  Stage 2 Highlights/Stage 3 Preview (9:57) — velonews

Stage 2 results: Garmin's Tom Peterson hangs onto Levi's wheel coming off Bonny Doon then pips him at the line. A great win after riding in the main break all day; Levi Leipheimer now in the gold jersey

A nice photo of riders crossing the Golden Gate bridge but not the weather the organizers were hoping for

More of Mike Norris' Bonny Doon Rd Photos

Stage 2 results:
1 Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin        
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana        :00 
3 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia  :20     
4 Christopher Horner (USA) Astana     :20 
5 Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing     :20

General classification stage 2
1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana (
2 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia  :24
3 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin        :27

Full Results and Report: Leipheimer asserts his authority — cyclingnews

Amgen race clips — amgentourofcalifornia

Leipheimer seizes lead at AToC — velonews

Pre-Race Interviews, Race Clips — versus
Photos by:

Ken Conley (Golden Gate Bridge, Tunitas Creek, final corner) |

Mike Norris (Bonny Doon KOM) |

Yahoo/AP (finish) |

Richard Masoner (podium) |

Graham Watson (entire route)

Finish Line Video in Santa Cruz — cyclefilm

Meet the Tour of California Podium Girls — cyclefilm

Peterson heeds Garmin's call with win — sports.espn.go (bonnie ford)

Daily Tour Podcast w/Recap and Interviews — the fredcast

Stage 2 Highlights/Stage 3 Preview (9:57) — velonews

Interviews: Lance Armstrong | Floyd Landis | Johan Bruyneel — velonews

Armstrong Racing through Golden Gate to Santa Cruz — abc7news

Lance Armstrong: "Levi was amazing today. Proved he's by far the strongest man in the race. Nobody close."
More photos, video and reports to come...

Stage 2 preview: Sausalito → Santa Cruz, 115 mi (mountainous)

The race director's decision to shorten stage 1 mid-race for safety reasons inadvertantly gave Francisco Mancebo a big advantage. Pulling back 1:07 on someone who has 5 times finished in the top 10 at the Tour de France will not be easy. (photo Ken Conley)

Crowd is gathering at finish line in dowtown Santa Cruz. #ATOC on TwitPic

12:00 PM PST Crowds at finish line in downtown Santa Cruz should expect the riders to arrive in 1.5 hours
(photo @sabinedukes)

Crowds are even up in the parking garage on TwitPic

1:45 PM PST Huge crowds at the finish... even up on the parking garage
(photo @sabinedukes)

February 16 update: Starting on the northern side of San Francisco Bay, Stage 2 will cover more than 100 miles from Sausalito to Santa Cruz. The stage will start on the Sausalito waterfront, heads south over one of the most iconic structures in the country, the Golden Gate Bridge, and then through the streets of San Francisco. The route will then take the riders west down the California coastline on Highway 1, flanked by the picturesque backdrops of the Pacific Ocean on one side and Redwood forests on the other. This coastal stage will include two long, but moderate climbs on Tunitas Creek Road and Bonny Doon Road, which will be followed by lengthy and fast descents. Problem is the weather is going to be awful again. Even without the bad weather, a break would likely succeed after cresting Bonny Doon because it's mostly downhill to the finish line in Santa Cruz. Look for a sprint finish from a small break. See spectator info (or the stage summary links to the right) and the versus preview video for further details. Note: the early start time for this stage which European viewers will appreciate. — Steve

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

Start Time: Monday 8:30 AM PST ();
Live TV/Audio coverage starts: 9:30 AM PST ();
(Live video streaming is available from the start)
See all the live video, audio and text options
Approximate Finish: 1:30 PM PST ()

Current Time, Weather and Wind Direction in San Francisco
Viewing The Tour Of California In Santa Cruz? Don't Drive! — cyclelicio.us
(Santa Cruz) Locals get pumped for Tour of California — santacruzsentinel
Rider race/bib numbers
Velonews Tour of California '09 Preview
Cali-climb-ication: Preview of the climbs — cyclingnews
Stage 1 Highlights/Stage 2 Preview (11:34) — velonews

Stage 1 results: Today's most aggressive rider, Francisco Mancebo, is caught before the line but still wins the three man sprint(?)

high-res victory salute

Stage 1 results:
1 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Rock Racing     
2 Jurgen van de Walle (Bel) Quick Step    
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas

Lance Armstrong: "Holy hell. That was terrible. Maybe one of the toughest days I've had on a bike, purely based on the conditions"

Full (Controversial) Results and Report — cyclingnews

Pre-Race Interviews, Race Clips — versus

Rock Racing's Francisco Mancebo wins after a long soggy day — vn
Photos by:

Mike Norris (Davis and Napa) |

Carson Blume (Howell Mtn) |

Ken Conley (finish)

Casey Gibson |

Graham Watson

Unedited race clips — amgentourofcalifornia

Bob Stapleton, GM of Columbia-Highroad, talks about the official ruling (02:32) — velonews

Dr. Allen Lim talks about how to treat cold, wet riders (02:01) — velonews

Stage 1 Highlights/Stage 2 Preview (11:34) — velonews

Women's Santa Rosa Crit Photos — ken conley

Womens Tour of California Santa Rosa Crit — cyclefilm

Stage 1 preview: Davis to Santa Rosa, 108 mi (hilly then flat)

Rain, rain and more rain at the start in Davis

Rain has not stopped crowds from coming out in Davis for ATOC on TwitPic

... but the rain hasn't stopped the crowds

Bob Roll asks Landis wtf happened yesterday.

February 15 update: The 108 mile route from Davis to Santa Rosa starts out and finishes flat. In between are three modest categorized climbs. Santa Rosa has hosted a stage finish in every Tour of California with each ending in a field sprint. Expect the same on Sunday, although the riders may be confronted with cold, driving rain so anything could happen today if the

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

forecasted atrocious weather pans out. See spectator info (or the stage summary links to the right) and the versus preview video for stage 1 details. — Steve

Start Time: Sunday 12:00 PM PST ();
Live TV/Audio coverage starts: 3:00 PM PST ();
(Live video streaming is available from the start)
See all the live video, audio and text options
Approximate Finish: 4:15 PM PST ()

Current Time, Weather and Wind Direction in Santa Rosa
Rider race/bib numbers
Prologue Highlights/Stage 1 Preview (07:29) — velonews
Velonews Tour of California '09 Preview

The rain won't bother a guy (Boonen) from Belgium

Spartacus (Fabian) ready for battle

Photo by Ken Conley

Prologue Results: Cancellara dominates the prologue; Lance finishes a respectable 10th

1 Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank)             4.32.90
2 Levi Leipheimer (Astana)                   @ 1.20
3 David Zabriskie (Garmin - Slipstream)        2.65
4 Michael Rogers (Team Columbia - Highroad)    2.79
5 Thor Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam)              3.13
6 George Hincapie (Team Columbia - Highroad)   3.34
7 Tom Boonen (Quick Step)                      3.43
8 Mark Renshaw (Team Columbia - Highroad)      4.53
9 Svein Tuft (Garmin - Slipstream)             4.15
10 Lance Armstrong (Astana)                    4.26

Full Results and Report: Spartacus rules again in California prologue — cyclingnews

Cancellara wins the Sacramento prologue — velonews

Prologue Highlights and Interviews — versus
Photos by:

Ken Conley |

Carson Blume |

Mike Norris |

Graham Watson |

Richard Masoner

Quotes from the 2009 Prologue — amgentourofcalifornia

Prologue Highlights/Stage 1 Preview (07:29) — velonews

Interviews: Chris Horner | Lance Armstrong | Svein Tuft | Dave Zabriskie | Tim Johnson — velonews

Prologue Start House (05:00): a cool close-up of riders in the gate — cyclefilm

The Positive Impact on Sacramento — cbs13

#ATOC. The Garmin-Slipstream set up in Sacramento. Photo by N... on TwitPic

The Garmin work area near the start of the prologue course

#ATOC. Boonen in California. Part of a Casey Gibson gallery. ... on TwitPic

Tom Boonen getting some last minute adjustments to his TT bike

Prologue start ramp

Prologue Preview: Downtown Sacramento

February 14 update: See spectator info (or the stage summary links to the right) and the versus preview video for details on the flat, technical 4 km prologue. As Ken Conley notes, "the final 15 riders on the start list tomorrow is going to be incredible: Armstrong, Landis, Hamilton, Zabriskie, Cancellara, Hushovd, Levi." Depending on the weather, one of the early riders, like Svein Tuft, could surprise the heavy favorites...

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

that's what JV was probably thinking by making Tuft the first Garmin rider down the ramp. — Steve

Start Time: Saturday 1:30 PM PST ();
Live TV/Audio coverage starts: 2:00 PM PST ();
See all the live video, audio and text options
Approximate Finish: 3:50 PM PST ()

Current Time, Weather and Wind Direction in Sacramento
Rider race/bib numbers are now (there are about 8 line-up changes)
Prologue Start Order (thanks to @jmdillon and @broomwagon)
The Sacramento Bee ATOC home page — sacbee
Levi Leipheimer talks about the prologue and other key stages — neilbrowne/roadmagazine
On Tap at AToC: The Prologue — velonews

Pre-Race Press Conference report

February 13 update: This year's press conference had about three times more media coverage as last year with Lance Armstrong being the star of the show of course. The skinny: Phil Liggett says Mark Cavendish has only one shot at a stage win this year... Floyd Landis crashed in training today. Ouch! Literally. He was injured but not enough to keep him from starting on Saturday. Levi had him picked as one of the favorites...

Lance's arch-enemy, Paul Kimmage, was here and he asked Lance a couple doping questions. There was a heated exchange surrounding the very critical article Kimmage published several months ago. Juliet Macur from the New York Times argued with Lance as well regarding her article about the end of Lance's drug testing programme before it started. In general, the media here weren't as cooperative as Armstrong's comeback in Australia... Christian Vande Velde jokingly lamented he had to train in cold, snowy Chicago this winter while others were training in more exotic locales... I'm heading back from Sacramento now; video and more photos ~~to come later this evening~~ below. — Steve

Leipheimer confident; Armstrong under fire at pre-race press conference — velonews

Tour of California: Pre-race press conference — cyclingnews

Press Conference Photos — mike norris

Quotes from the Press Conference — amgentourofcalifornia

Lance adds confusion to doping fight — sports.espn.go (bonnie ford)

2009 Tour of California Press Conference Photos and Video

February 13 update:
(Santa Cruz) Locals get pumped for Tour of California — santacruzsentinel
Forecasters say this year's Tour of California could be just as wet as last year's — velonews

February 12 update:
Lance Armstrong: "The goal is to get Levi the victory": The guys I know are racing like it's May. — velonews
Armstrongs Drug Testing Plan Ends Before it Begins After Great Fanfare — nytimes
A list of ToC public events for Sac. and Davis — sacbee
The Sacramento Bee ATOC home page — sacbee

Video Previews

Race Preview

Riders to Watch

The Favorites

The Route

February 11 update: Versus clips (above) from last Saturday's Tour of California TV Preview on Versus. Also, check out the video previews (or prevues) for each stage located in the stage table in the upper-right corner of this page.

Spectator information recap

February 11 update: If you are new to this page and you plan on attending one or more of the stages then here's the info you need — Steve

New Feature: Group riders by team or native country

February 11 update: Here's a new Team Roster feature that is available for the Tour of California and all future race dashboards. Normally, rider names are statically grouped by team name, well now you have the ability to group riders by their native country sorted in descending order by country rider count. For example, you'll see the United States has 44 riders slated for this year's Tour of California. — Steve

> February 10 update:

Canadian Rider Has Made Unorthodox Climb to the Top — nytimes

Tour of California on Cycling TV: Free online video for the United States, Australia and South Africa — cycling.tv

Tour of California: Santa Cruz Viewing Locations — cyclelicio.us

Preview: The Sprinters to Watch For — podiumcafe

Solvang Information: Eats, Roads, and Whatnot — podiumcafe

Tour of California on Eurosport for the first time

February 2 update: Eurosport has officially announced they will have live TV coverage of the Amgen Tour of California. This marks the first time the Tour of California will be broadcast on TV in Europe. — Steve

Tour of California LIVE on Eurosport (time schedule) — dailypeloton

Video preview of the Tour of California climbing stages

January 29 update: Detailed video and analysis of the climbs:

January 29 update:

Colavita Squad Announced — dailypeloton
January 27 update:

Rabobank announces 2009 ToC roster — news.prnewswire

VERSUS on-air schedule for the Amgen Tour of California

steephill is now on Twitter with all the latest race updates

January 23 update: For those following the Tour of California from the United States, here is the TV schedule from VERSUS. Those at a remote work location can watch using their home cable service via the internet with this device: Sling Media Slingbox SOLO or watch online (details forthcoming). — Steve

Feb 7	Preview Show	5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)
Feb 14	Prologue - Sacramento (live/same-day delay)	5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)
Feb 15	Stage 1, Davis to Santa Rosa (live/same-day delay)	6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT)
Feb 16	Stage 2, Sausalito to Santa Cruz (live)	12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT)
Feb 17	Stage 3, San Jose to Modesto (live)	5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)
Feb 18	Stage 4, Merced to Clovis (live)	4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT)
Feb 19	Stage 5, Visalia to Paso Robles (live)	4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT)
Feb 20	Stage 6, Solvang time trial (live)	4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT)
Feb 21	Stage 7, Santa Clarita to Pasadena (live/same-day delay)	5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)
Feb 22	Stage 8, Rancho Bernardo to Escondido (live/same-day delay)	5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)

Versus nightly/recap schedule and other viewing options — teamouch
* Times subject to change

Final Teams Announced For The 2009 Amgen Tour Of California

January 22 update: The 2009 Amgen Tour of California will feature the following 17 professional cycling teams (the eight ProTour teams where previously announced):

Ag2r-La Mondiale (FRA)
Astana (KAZ)
Bissell Pro Cycling Team (USA)*
BMC Racing Team (USA)*
Cervelo Test Team (SUI)*
Colavita/Sutter Home Presented by Cooking Light (USA)*
Fly V Australia presented by Successful Living Foundation Team (AUS)*
Garmin-Chipotle (USA)
Jelly Belly Cycling Team (USA)*
Liquigas (ITA)
Ouch Presented by Maxxis (USA)*
Quick Step (BEL)
Rabobank (Netherlands)
Rock Racing (USA)*
Saxo Bank (DEN)
Team Columbia (USA)
Team Type 1 (USA)*

*Newly announced

"These 17 teams represent the strongest field we have had at the Amgen Tour of California and the greatest collection of riders ever assembled on American soil," said Andrew Messick, President of AEG Sports. "Besides Lance Armstrong, we are expecting a generation's worth of great American riders in Levi Leipheimer, Christian van de Velde, Floyd Landis, current national champion Tyler Hamilton and four-time stage winner George Hincapie. International riders include current Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre, Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso, Fabian Cancellara, Tom Boonen, Thor Hushvold and the fastest man in the world, Mark Cavendish."

Carlo Sastre says he'll be at this year's Tour of California

January 9 update: Cervélo must be one of the teams to be officially announced because their new rider and last year's Tour de France champion, Carlo's Sastre, says "I will start at the Tour of California, then I will race the Tour of the Basque Country and some of the classics. Later I will decide if I race the Giro or not. If I don't, I will have the Vuelta instead."

Sastre to debut at Tour of California — velonews

Columbia announces Tour of California roster

January 5 update: Bob Stapleton says the Tour of California is "rapidly becoming a top-three worldwide cycling event" and as such has selected a strong Team Columbia roster lead by the world's fastest sprinter, Mark Cavendish and American George Hincapie. Cyclingnews reports the rest of the roster "includes former World time trial Champion Michael Rogers, Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Kim Kirchen, Tour de France best young rider jersey wearer Thomas Lövkvist, Australian national time trial champion Adam Hansen, Mark Renshaw, and Canadian Michael Barry, Tour of Missouri stage winner in 2008." — Steve

Lance Says Tour of Cali will be shown Live on Vs. — podiumcafe

ProTour Teams Announced For 2009 Amgen Tour of California

December 18 update: Eight ProTour teams were announced for the next Tour of California: Ag2r-La Mondiale (FRA), Astana (LUX), Garmin-Slipstream (USA), Liquigas (ITA), Quick Step (BEL), Rabobank (Netherlands), Columbia Highroad (USA), Team Saxo Bank (DEN).

"The success of the Amgen Tour of California has created a very positive reputation among the professional cycling community, which has helped to ensure the high level of competition that people have come to expect from our race," said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. "We have invited the best teams that the world has to offer to compete on an outstanding course. The success of the race, combined with an updated, world-class route will ensure a level of competition that is unprecedented in the United States."

The full list of teams will be announced in January, with final rosters due in February. — Steve

Stage Maps, Profiles and Descriptions are now up...

December 4 update: Details from today's route details press release are summerized below and in the stage details table (upper-right). There are two significant changes from the original plans. The out-and-back road stage in Sacramento is now an opening 2.4 mi prologue and the last stage was suppose to end in the first Tour of California mountaintop finish (Palomar Mountain). Instead, the race will finish with a flat run into Escondido. Palomar Mountain will still be featured, but the summit is now 45 miles from the finish. In any case, 2009 be the first time the Tour ventures into San Diego county. — Steve

Also see: Longer, higher and stronger for 2009 Tour of California — cyclingnews

Tour of California to stop in Santa Cruz — tourofcalifornia-santacruz

Sacramento opening stage is now a prologue; Santa Rosa course details unofficially released

December 2 update:

Stage 1 (Santa Rosa) route set for 2009 Amgen Tour — pressdemocrat

November 12 update: Rabobank Signs 3 Year Agreement as Founding Partner of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California — dailypeloton

Stage 3 Sausalito to Santa Cruz Route Details

October 29 update: ... Stage 3 will begin in Sausalito. It will cross over the Golden Gate Bridge and wind through San Francisco before heading south along the coast on Highway 1. Just south of Half Moon Bay, [Steve] Johnson said the course is expected to veer from the highway onto Tunitas Creek Road, where the riders will face their first climb, of about 2,600 feet. After connecting with Skyline Boulevard and La Honda Road, they will likely return to the highway via Pescadero Road. Daunting Bonny Doon Road could be the cyclists' next climb. They'll ascend roughly 2,250 feet in 7.5 miles before flying down the crooks and crannies of Empire Grade Road into Santa Cruz. Both Johnson and [Matt] Twisselman said they are looking at possibly routing the race through the streets of UC Santa Cruz before sending it to the downtown finish... The official route will be released in late November.
source:

2009 Tour of California: Stage 3 will finish at Town Clock in Santa Cruz — mercurynews

photo courtesy of cyclelicio.us | full-size image
September 25 update: This morning at a press conference at Interbike, Lance Armstrong confirmed that he will be participating in the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Also see, Armstrong addresses industry, LeMond crashes party
September 9 update:

Lance Armstrong Confirms Comeback For 2009 — cyclingweekly.co.uk

Armstrong coming out of retirement for Tour — AP

What will Lance gain if he returns? That's a loaded question — sports.espn.go

2009 Tour of California Host Cities Announced

July 23 update: Beginning with a road stage (a first for the race), which both starts and ends in Sacramento, through the grand finale in Escondido, the 2009 race will visit 16 host cities including 8 new ones (Davis, Santa Cruz, Merced, Clovis, Visalia, Paso Robles, Rancho Bernardo and Escondido). Stages for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California include:

* Stage 1: Saturday, Feb. 14 - Sacramento
* Stage 2: Sunday, Feb. 15 - Davis to Santa Rosa
* Stage 3: Monday, Feb. 16 - Sausalito to Santa Cruz
* Stage 4: Tuesday, Feb. 17 - San Jose to Modesto
* Stage 5: Wednesday, Feb. 18 - Merced to Clovis
* Stage 6: Thursday, Feb. 19 - Visalia to Paso Robles
* Stage 7: Friday, Feb. 20 - Solvang (individual time trial)
* Stage 8: Saturday, Feb. 21 - Santa Clarita to Pasadena
* Stage 9: Sunday, Feb. 22 - Rancho Bernardo to Escondido
(no prologue, one more day (stage), finishes in San Diego county with a mountaintop finish on Palomar Mountain)

The nine-day event once again includes a time trial in Solvang and for the first time a crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge during Stage 3 from Sausalito to Santa Cruz. Also a first, the riders will cycle the foothills of the western Sierra Nevada.

One of the aspects left off the press release announcement is that the final stage near San Diego will actually be a mountain top finish, another first for the race. "The final stage is planned to be a mountain stage up Mt. Palomar. Whoever wins the race will have to have legs on the final day!"... read more — cyclingnews

Press Release
LOS ANGELES (July 23, 2008) - The record-setting Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race will be expanded in 2009, race presenter AEG announced today through a series of press conferences throughout the state. The 2009 race will include stops in 16 host cities over the course of nine days from February 14-22. Already considered cycling's most important and successful road race in the United States , the event's fourth running will be expanded to cover more than 800 miles over the nine days. Traveling almost the entire length of California , the race will begin in the state's capital, Sacramento , and end in San Diego County (a new addition to the race) with a finish in Escondido on February 22. Also for the first time, the riders will cross the Golden Gate Bridge at the beginning of Stage 3. The 16 official stage start and finish cities that have been selected for the 2009 race include eight new locales - Davis, Santa Cruz, Merced, Clovis, Visalia, Paso Robles, Rancho Bernardo and Escondido - that will join Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Sausalito, San Jose, Modesto, Solvang, Santa Clarita and Pasadena as host cities along the route.

"Each year, we strive to make the Amgen Tour of California better," said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. "And after getting input from riders and fans last year, we decided to expand the race to better showcase the great state of California . We are delighted to have such a great overall mix of cities partnering with us for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California and are pleased to include the eight new stops, along with so many of our old friends."

In its first three years, the Amgen Tour of California has become the most successful race in the United States with regards to attendance, economic benefits to the state, global recognition and the caliber of the cyclists participating. In 2008, the race drew 1.6 million spectators, continuing to set records for a single sporting event in the state of California , as well as any cycling event ever held on U.S. soil. Each year the race has generated $100 million in economic growth for the state.

"This year is a year of exciting firsts for us," Messick continued. "For the first time, the Amgen Tour of California will take place over nine days, we will make our first visit to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and visit San Diego County for what promises to be another exciting conclusion to the race." The Amgen Tour of California kicks off the professional road cycling season each year and continues to draw some of the world's most renowned and respected riders, such as top Tour de France competitors, World Champions and Olympic medalists that include Tom Boonen, Paolo Bettini, Fabian Cancellara, George Hincapie, Oscar Freire and Bobby Julich. Winner of the 2007 and 2008 Amgen Tour of California, Santa Rosa resident Levi Leipheimer of the Astana team has had a strong season since his Amgen Tour of California victory earlier in the year and will next be representing the United States in the Olympic Games. "Winning the Amgen Tour of California has been a goal of mine from the beginning; no matter which races I compete in," said Levi Leipheimer. "This has always been a top priority for me."

Last month AEG, presenter of the race, formed a multi-dimensional marketing partnership with the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), owner of the Tour de France, to grow and develop each other's events. Beginning with the 2008 Tour de France and 2009 Amgen Tour of California, the multi-year agreement calls for the organizations to develop and initiate comprehensive cross-promotional platforms for the world's most prestigious cycling event and America's most successful cycling race, as well as provide assistance with media and sponsorship sales for the races in their respective regions.

Returning for the fourth consecutive year as the title sponsor of the Amgen Tour of California, Amgen, a leading global biotechnology company with headquarters in Thousand Oaks , Calif. , will continue to leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through the Breakaway from CancerTM initiative. Amgen's invaluable support of the Amgen Tour of California has helped to ensure the race's continued success and impact beyond the sporting arena.

"Sponsorship of the Amgen Tour of California has given Amgen the opportunity to educate people about the great advances in medicine made possible by biotechnology, and to strengthen our relationships with local communities, cancer support organizations and cancer survivors through our Breakaway from Cancer initiative," said George Morrow, Amgen's executive vice president, Global Commercial Operations. "We look forward to another great race in 2009 and the opportunity to again lead the Breakaway from Cancer initiative to increase awareness of the support and educational resources available to help people living with cancer."

Having been sanctioned by the UCI (Union Cycliste International) and USA Cycling, the Amgen Tour of California has drawn the attention of both cycling enthusiasts and first-time spectators, making it one of the most anticipated events on the international cycling calendar.

June 16 update: TdF, Amgen Tour partner on promotions — velonews
and Tour of California to partner with Tour de France organizer — usatoday
June 7 update: Palo Alto may host Tour of California race again — paloaltodailynews

Tour of California 2009 Dates

Feburary 26th update: At the post-race press conference, Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, was asked if the Tour of California might be looking for a spot on the calendar that might be a bit warmer, drier and influenza-resistant than February. "That's one of the issues we're starting to think about," says Messick. "We need to start thinking strategically about becoming a Grand Tour. Part of that thinking involves finding the right place on the calendar." In any case, the numbers of stages will continue to grow. According to race director Jim Birrell, "we'll possibly consider a nine day event next year. We have 52 different packages that we're considering as far south as below San Diego and as far north as Chico. And so if it works out logistically, we could seriously consider growing to a weekend to weekend event." — Steve

Tour of California 2008 Archived Coverage (2008 Results, Photos and Video)

Tour of California 2010 Live Dashboard

Amgen Tour of California 2010 Route Map, Stage Details, Team Rosters, TV Schedule, Live Video, Results and Photos

News and Updates for Tour of California 2010

Official stage information for ALL stages now posted

Early preview of the stage details (unofficial)

It's Official

Official route announcement this Thursday

Official route announcement delayed but more information is available

From the floor at Interbike: 2010 route news

Tour of California moves to May for 2010

2009 Wrap up

Stage 8 results: Frank Schleck wins the two-man break; Levi wins the overall permalink("#stage-8-results-2009");

Stage 8 preview: Rancho Bernardo → Escondido, 97 mi (mountainous) permalink("#stage-8-results-2009");

Live Video Streaming and TV Coverage permalink("#live");

Stage 7: A successful break and thrilling finish won by Nocentinipermalink("#stage-7-results-2009");

Stage 7 preview: Santa Clarita → Pasadena (mountainous)permalink("#stage-7-results-2009");

Stage 6 results: Levi does it again; three-peats in Solvangpermalink("#stage-6-results-2009");

Stage 6 preview: Solvang, 15 mi (rolling) permalink("#stage-6-results-2009");

Stage 5 results: Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen 1-2 again in Paso Robles permalink("#stage-5-results-2009");

Stage 5 preview: Visalia → Paso Robles, 134 mi (flat) permalink("#stage-5-results-2009");

Stage 4 results: Mark Cavendish holds off Tom Boonen in a photo finishpermalink("#stage-4-results-2009");

Stage 4 preview: Merced → Clovis, 115 mi (hilly) permalink("#stage-4-results-2009");

Stage 3 results: A great Cervelo leadout delivers Thor Hushovd to the line for an easy win; another wet, cold day for the riders permalink("results-stage-3-2009");

Stage 3 Preview San Jose → Modesto, 105 mi (mountainous then flat) permalink("#stage-3-results-2009");

Stage 2 results: Garmin's Tom Peterson hangs onto Levi's wheel coming off Bonny Doon then pips him at the line. A great win after riding in the main break all day; Levi Leipheimer now in the gold jerseypermalink("#stage-2-results-2009");

Stage 2 preview: Sausalito → Santa Cruz, 115 mi (mountainous) permalink("#stage-2-results-2009");

Stage 1 results: Today's most aggressive rider, Francisco Mancebo, is caught before the line but still wins the three man sprint(?) permalink("#results-stage-1-2009");

Stage 1 preview: Davis to Santa Rosa, 108 mi (hilly then flat) permalink("results-stage-1-2009");

Prologue Results: Cancellara dominates the prologue; Lance finishes a respectable 10thpermalink("#prologue-2009");

Prologue Preview: Downtown Sacramentopermalink("#prologue-2009");

Pre-Race Press Conference reportpermalink("#press-conference");

Video Previewspermalink("#video-previews");

Spectator information recappermalink("#spectator-info");

New Feature: Group riders by team or native countrypermalink("#group-by-country");

Tour of California on Eurosport for the first time

Video preview of the Tour of California climbing stages

VERSUS on-air schedule for the Amgen Tour of California

Final Teams Announced For The 2009 Amgen Tour Of California

Carlo Sastre says he'll be at this year's Tour of California

Columbia announces Tour of California roster

ProTour Teams Announced For 2009 Amgen Tour of California

Stage Maps, Profiles and Descriptions are now up...permalink("#spectator-info");

Sacramento opening stage is now a prologue; Santa Rosa course details unofficially released

Stage 3 Sausalito to Santa Cruz Route Details

2009 Tour of California Host Cities Announced permalink("#2009-host-cities-announced");

Tour of California 2009 Dates

Amgen Tour of California 2010 Route Map, Stage Details, Team Rosters,
TV Schedule, Live Video, Results and Photos

Stage 8 results: Frank Schleck wins the two-man break; Levi wins the overall

Stage 8 preview: Rancho Bernardo → Escondido, 97 mi (mountainous)

Live Video Streaming and TV Coverage

Stage 7: A successful break and thrilling finish won by Nocentini

Stage 7 preview: Santa Clarita → Pasadena (mountainous)

Stage 6 results: Levi does it again; three-peats in Solvang

Stage 6 preview: Solvang, 15 mi (rolling)

Stage 5 results: Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen 1-2 again in Paso Robles

Stage 5 preview: Visalia → Paso Robles, 134 mi (flat)

Stage 4 results: Mark Cavendish holds off Tom Boonen in a photo finish

Stage 4 preview: Merced → Clovis, 115 mi (hilly)

Stage 3 results: A great Cervelo leadout delivers Thor Hushovd to the line for an easy win; another wet, cold day for the riders

Stage 3 Preview San Jose → Modesto, 105 mi (mountainous then flat)

Stage 2 results: Garmin's Tom Peterson hangs onto Levi's wheel coming off Bonny Doon then pips him at the line. A great win after riding in the main break all day; Levi Leipheimer now in the gold jersey

Stage 2 preview: Sausalito → Santa Cruz, 115 mi (mountainous)

Stage 1 results: Today's most aggressive rider, Francisco Mancebo, is caught before the line but still wins the three man sprint(?)

Stage 1 preview: Davis to Santa Rosa, 108 mi (hilly then flat)

Prologue Results: Cancellara dominates the prologue; Lance finishes a respectable 10th

Prologue Preview: Downtown Sacramento

Pre-Race Press Conference report

Video Previews

Spectator information recap

New Feature: Group riders by team or native country

VERSUS on-air schedule for the Amgen Tour of California

Stage Maps, Profiles and Descriptions are now up...

2009 Tour of California Host Cities Announced