Amgen Tour of California's Nevada City start excites Sierra foothills cyclists

By Inga Aksamit, Inga’s Adventures

Cycling enthusiasts and businesses in the Sierra foothills are thrilled about the start of the Amgen Tour of California’s announced start in Nevada City, but are on pins and needles about the route the Tour might take between Nevada City and the next host city, Sacramento.

Preliminary information released by the Tour owners, AEG Sports, in October listed the start and finish cities of each of the eight stages, but not the specific routes between the host cities. The final route of the highly anticipated 800 mile cycling race will not be announced until mid-January. Organizers have been working with local cyclists in the area to test different routes based on specific criteria, such as degree of climbing and difficulty. Duane Strawser, the organizer of the annual Nevada City Bicycle Classic race, held on Father’s Day, has been a tireless champion of the area to race organizers.

Strawser and other local cyclists have been pre-running courses that go through Colfax and Auburn, which are likely candidates and Grass Valley, which is possible.

A big change in the TOC schedule for this year is the position on the calendar. The race, usually held in February is being moved to May 16-23, 2009, which opens up a great deal more terrain in the foothills that will be snow-free at that time of year. The degree of difficulty can be expected to go up as two new potentially arduous mountain stages are being added. In addition to the Nevada City start, the race will pass through Big Bear Lake in Southern California.

The race start being later in the year also places the race in a better position for contenders for the crown jewel of cycling, the Tour De France in July, as riders will be in good form as they get in shape for both races.

The Amgen Tour of California, started in 2006, has been gaining momentum each year as a significant race on the International Cycling Union calendar, and raised the profile of American racing on the international scene. This year is sure to be a sizzling race since cycling legend Lance Armstrong, seven time winner of the Tour de France announced he was going to compete. Local California hero, Levi Leipheimer, born and raised in Santa Rosa and three time winner of the Tour of California will be competing as well.

Armstrong and Leipheimer will be competing on the same team, the hotly anticipated Team Radio Shack, which is being assembled this year from scratch. Armstrong, who returned to competitive cycling last year after a four year hiatus, came in 3rd in the Tour de France, silencing naysayers who were doubtful about his ability to return to top form. He ignited the cycling world when he announced the formation of Team Radio Shack after the conclusion of the Tour de France. It is widely anticipated that Team Radio Shack will compete in the Tour de France in 2010 in addition to the Amgen Tour of California.  So far the roster of Team Radio Shack consists of the following cyclists (and their previous team affiliations):

• Lance Armstrong (Astana)
• Fumiyuki Beppu (Skil Shimano)
• Sam Bewley (Trek Livestrong)
• Jani Brajkovic (Astana)
• Matthew Busche (Kelly Benefit)
• Ben Hermans (Topsport)
• Chris Horner (Astana)
• Daryl Impey (Barloworld)
• Markel Irizar (Euskaltel-Euskakdi)
• Andreas Klöden (Astana)
• Levi Leipheimer (Astana)
• Geoffroy Lequatre (Agritubel)
• Fuyu Li (Trek Marco Polo)
• Tiago Machado (Madeinox)
• Jason McCartney (Saxo Bank)
• Dmitrij Murawjew (Astana)
• Sérgio Paulinho (Astana)
• Jaros?aw Popowycz (Astana)
• Gregory Rast (Astana)
• Sébastien Rosseler (Quick Step)
• Iwan Rowny (Katiusza)
• José Luis Rubiera (Astana)
• Bjorn Selander (Trek Livestrong)
• Gert Steegmans (Katiusza)
• Tomas Vaitkus (Astana)
• Haimar Zubeldia (Astana)