The first stage of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California will follow much of the main route of the popular King Ridge Gran Fondo, organizers announced today. The course, which begins and ends in downtown Santa Rosa, will take the pro riders along the same Sonoma County roads as Fondo-participants travel every October.
The complete Stage One route is almost 116 miles and includes a ride out to the small town of Cazadero. King Ridge Road is one of the spurs that run into the hills to the north and west, up onto the summit overlooking the Pacific. ToC riders will take Fort Ross Road instead of King Ridge, which cuts away to the west before joining up with Meyer's Grade - a fast, memorable descent for riders of the Gran Fondo.
Both Fort Ross Road and King Ridge Road feature stiff, sustained climbs up narrow switchbacks before depositing riders in the remote countryside on top of the ridge. At Meyer's Grade, Stage One delivers riders onto scenic Route 1 for a fast, technical descent to the coast. This portion of the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most enjoyable segments of the Gran Fondo, taking riders south past jaw-dropping views over the secluded bays of the Sonoma coast.
Gran Fondo, which is organized and heavily promoted by Bike Monkey and carries the name of beloved Sonoma resident Levi Leipheimer, takes participants all the way down Route 1 past the mouth of the Russian River and on towards Bodega Bay. This stage of the ToC will direct the pro riders onto Coleman Valley Road, a brutal climb back up into the coastal hills. After featuring this route for several years, the organizers of the Gran Fondo now offer an alternative inland route for riders who are not fond of Coleman Valley Road's difficult ascent.
Beyond the tiny settlement of Occidental, the pro riders will continue back to Santa Rosa for a long sprint finish, which Levi Leipheimer will be extremely keen to win, having lost the Santa Rosa stage the last two times it was contested. Leipheimer has won the Tour of California overall three times, from 2007 to 2009.
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