South Lake Tahoe route set for the Amgen 2019 men's race

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The 2019 Amgen Tour of California will be the longest and most challenging in its 14-year history, including a Men’s Stage 2 race from Rancho Cordova to South Lake Tahoe on May 13. This marks the fifth straight year South Lake Tahoe has hosted an Amgen Tour of California event.

The route has changed this year. While it still finishes at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe, the stage starts at sea level in first-time host City Rancho Cordova, then follows White Rock Road through El Dorado Hills, connects with the Stage 6 course from 2018. Once again, racers will enjoy the huge crowds and warm hospitality in Placerville before heading onto the picturesque Mormon Emigrant Trail and SR88.

They will also encounter some serious elevation along the 120.90-mile route. The King of the Mountain at Carson Pass tops out at 8,620 feet, the highest point the race has ever reached in its 14 years. A long descent will allow the riders a short rest, but a left turn onto SR89 will take them to the top of Luther Pass through Christmas Valley and into South Lake Tahoe. For those that have followed the race into South Lake Tahoe in previous years, they know that a brutal finish up the steep roads to the Heavenly ski area finish looms ahead.

They'll be skipping Kingsbury Grade this year and come into Lake Tahoe through Meyers. Riders will move off of SR89, go behind the Lake Valley Fire Station and onto Apache, behind the golf course, then take Mandan to Pioneer Trail. Riders will then turn right up the last hill on Ski Run Boulevard, make a left on Needle Peak, right on Wildwood and finish in front of the California Lodge at Heavenly.

This route gives those in Meyers and South Lake Tahoe a great spot to watch the cyclers.

The event’s legacy as an international platform for both men’s and women’s racing will hold a special significance this year as Olympic hopefuls gear up for Tokyo 2020.

“This marks the sixth consecutive year, and it will be another heart-pumping, grueling climb to the finish line at Heavenly’s California Base Lodge for these elite athletes,” said Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “We invite community members and businesses to come out and cheer on Olympians as well as Olympic hopefuls.”

“The Amgen Tour of California is the pinnacle of cycling in America. The 2019 race course is incredibly demanding – there’s more climbing and more long road days than ever before. With the best of the best in cycling coming to California to contest it, we are in for another memorable race,” said Kristin Klein, president of the Amgen Tour of California and executive vice president of AEG Sports. “We look forward to shining a spotlight on the beauty of California and the dedication of these athletes for fans, in person and via the worldwide broadcast, in what will be one of the most exciting sporting events in the country this year.”

Volunteer registration is available at amgentourofcalifornia.com. For sponsorship or expo opportunities: amgentourofcalifornia.com/sponsorship.

Video of the route - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=bHrSAFPbkUA