I just love this race. Every year when the detailed route is revealed I get so excited to see which roads will be used to highlight my home state of California. I also wait in anticipation to foresee the obvious mistakes (can you say Bakersfield?). This year I am looking forward to the changes and especially the return to some of the most magnificent tourist cities (can you say Santa Barbara?) and mountain climbs (how about Mt Diablo?) California has to offer.
This year the race starts in southern California and heads north to finish across the bay in Santa Rosa. The race also begins on a Sunday and ends on a Sunday this year, taking advantage of better TV coverage and weekend crowds. That mean 8 stages in this year's Amgen Tour of California. I'm going!
Race information:
Dates: May 12-19, 2013 Website: www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amgentourofcali
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmgenTourofCalifornia
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8 stages, 750-mile race, 16 teams, 128 riders
Start: Escondido, CA (San Diego County) - southern California
Finish: Santa Rosa, CA (Sonoma County) - northern California
Race Maps by Strava and google
2013 Amgen Tour of California route map
Stage
Stage 1 Sunday, May 12 Escondido ( City Tour Site)
Stage 2 Monday, May 13 Murrieta to Greater Palm Springs
Stage 3 Tuesday, May 14 Palmdale to Santa Clarita
Stage 4 Wednesday, May 15 Santa Clarita to Santa Barbara
Stage 5 Thursday, May 16 Santa Barbara to Avila Beach
Stage 6 Friday, May 17 San Jose (Individual Time Trial) (M & W)
Stage 7 Saturday, May 18 Livermore to Mt. Diablo
Stage 8 Sunday, May 19 San Francisco to Santa Rosa
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| Tour of California, south to north in 2013 - Download Detailed Map (PDF) |
Stage 1, Presented by Nissan: Sunday, May 12 – Escondido
2013 ATOC Stage 1: route map, profile, and stage information
Start/Finish Location: Broadway and Grand Ave.
Start Time: 11:15 a.m.
Stage Length: 104.3 miles
KEY FEATURES: Climbing begins on day 1 at mile 12, climb of Mt Palomar (from the eastern slope) summits by mile 50, followed by a fast descent and a final sprint in town. Start and finish are from the same city of Escondido.
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| Stage 1 ATOC 2013, (zoom in on route map and profile) |
2013 ATOC Stage 2: route map, profile, and stage information
Start Location: Murrieta City Hall/Town Square Park
Finish Location: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (short hilltop finish)
Start Time: 10:20 a.m.
Stage Length: 126.1 miles
KEY FEATURES: Rides through Temecula Valley wine country, climbs up the San Jacinto Mountains to the hamlet of Idyllwild, stage will finish up Tramway Road climb to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway parking lot. The last 3.8 miles gains 1,880 feet of elevation (average over 9%) – "one of the toughest climbs anywhere".
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| Stage 2 ATOC 2013, (zoom in on route map and profile) |
2013 ATOC Stage 3: route map, profile, and stage information
Start Location: Marie Kerr Park
Finish Location: Magic Mountain Parkway
Start Time: 11:20 a.m.
Stage Length: 111.8 miles
KEY FEATURES: Enters San Francisquito Canyon, with a 22-mile climb up Lake Hughes Road and a gradual 18-mile descent down Spunky Canyon and Bouquet Road, with a field sprint expected into Santa Clarita.
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| Stage 3 ATOC 2013, (zoom in on route map and profile) |
2013 ATOC Stage 4: route map, profile, and stage information
Start Location: Theater Drive and Town Center
Finish Location: Cabrillo Blvd.
Start Time: 12:35 p.m.
Stage Length: 84.7 miles
KEY FEATURES: This route was done previously in reverse, the first 33 miles are basically downhill, followed by a 9-mile climb to a KOM and a technical descent of Dennison Grade, followed by a sprint in Ojai, a climb up Casitas Pass and a flat fast finish along the beach into beautiful Santa Barbara.
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| Stage 4 ATOC 2013, (zoom in on route map and profile) |
2013 ATOC Stage 5: route map, profile, and stage information
Start Location: Cabrillo Blvd.
Finish Location: Front St.
Start Time 11 a.m.
Stage Length: 116.4 miles
KEY FEATURES: Rise and shine, the climb starts at mile 7.77 today over San Marcos Pass, it then skirts the town of Solvang through Los Olivos and up Foxten Canyon (a wonderful bike ride through wine county) across agricultural lands arriving into the quaint beach town of Avila Beach.
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| Stage 5 ATOC 2013, (zoom in on route map and profile) |
2013 ATOC Stage 6: route map, profile, and stage information
Start Location: Bailey Ave.
Finish Location: Metcalf Road – Metcalf Motorcycle Park (short hilltop finish)
Start Time: 12:50 p.m.
Stage Length: 19.6 miles
KEY FEATURES: I hope you got in your car and drove because suddenly we are in northern California (south of San Francisco). Returning to the town of San Jose for a 20-mile semi-loop/uphill individual time trial. The route is south of downtown SJ with a start near Calero Reservoir and a finish up Metcalf Rd at the motorcycle park. (3km of nearly 10%).
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| Stage 6 ATOC 2013, (zoom in on route map and profile) |
2013 ATOC Stage 7: route map, profile, and stage information
Start Location: 3rd St./Carnegie Park
Finish Location: Mount Diablo – summit parking lot (mountain top finish)
Start Time: 11:35 a.m.
Stage Length: 93 miles
KEY FEATURES: Departing Livermore the peloton will ride out Morgan Territory Road, Patterson Pass Rd, looping back through Livermore for a sprint (this town is always an excellent host), and finally up famous Mt Diablo. For 2013 an additional 4.5 miles of climbing was added for a longer mountain top finish (11m climb).
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| Stage 7 ATOC 2013, (zoom in on route map and profile) |
ATOC Stage 8: route map, profile, and stage information
Location: Marina Green
Finish Location: 3rd Street and Santa Rosa Ave.
Start Time: 8:15 a.m.
Stage Length: 86.2 miles
KEY FEATURES: San Francisco, departing across the bay with a rolling traffic break over the Golden Gate Bridge (the bridge sidewalk will be open to spectators), into Sausalito, up beautiful Highway 1, Point Reyes National Seashore, Occidental and ending with two finishing circuits in Santa Rosa. Done.
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| Stage 8 ATOC 2013, (zoom in on route map and profile) |
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| Robert Gesink won the 2012 Tour of California ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer® |
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| Jersey winners (and podium girls Joanna and Allison) of the 2012 Tour of California ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer® |
See Pedal Dancer Posts from the 2012 Amgen Tour of California: TOUR OF CALIFORNIA