2009 Route Information :: Stage 1
Prologue | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Stage 6 | Stage 7 | Stage 8 | Full Tour
Davis to Santa Rosa
Someone will have the honor of starting stage 1 in Davis wearing the first yellow jersey of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. It might be two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer, who would love to ride to the finish in his hometown of Santa Rosa as the race leader just as he did twice in the past. The first stage will be a new challenging and scenic route that departs Davis, the city Bicycling Magazine named the “Best Cycling Town in the United States.” Fast flat sections separated by three climbs will awaken the riders’ legs. The first climb is the short, steep trek up to Monticello Dam. After passing Lake Berryessa, the course will rise again on Howell Mountain Road before the peloton plummets quickly into Napa Valley. The riders will summit one more climb followed by the precipitous descent of Calistoga Road. The stage culminates with laps of a circuit in downtown Santa Rosa where the crowds have been amongst the largest and most boisterous of the entire tour.
Santa Rosa spectators should arrive early to watch the electrifying Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium featuring some of the fastest professional and elite female cyclists. Starting at 1 PM, the women will race laps using portions of the same finishing circuit the men will cover with $15,000 in prize money up for grabs for the ladies.
| 