Tour of California
The Amgen Tour of California is an international, Tour de France-style bicycle road race featuring elite professional cycling teams from around the world competing for the highest prize purse of any cycling race in North America. This free event attracts cycling’s top professional riders, including 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.
Where & When: Scheduled over eight consecutive days from May 16 – 23, 2010, the Amgen Tour of California is a “rolling festival” showcasing more than 750 miles of California’s scenic beauty. Stage 6 or the “Big Bear Climb” will take place on Friday, May 21, when riders will race over 100 grueling miles from Pasadena to Big Bear Lake. Other cities to host the Tour’s 1000-person entourage include: Nevada City, Sacramento, Davis, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San José, Visalia, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, and Thousand Oaks.
Size: The Amgen Tour of California continues to set attendance records and last year was the single largest live sporting event in California history with over 2 million spectators, as well as the largest cycling event in the U.S. Additionally, over 14 million fans and enthusiasts watch the event broadcast on television and over the Internet in 200 countries and 22 languages.
Impact: In it’s 5th year, the Amgen Tour of California promotes tourism on a global level and puts Big Bear Lake on the world stage. As a focal point of cultural festivals and recreational events in cities and towns across the State, last year’s event had an estimated $210 million total economic impact on the participating host cities.
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