Tour of California

The Tour de California is a cycling race stage that is held annually ever since February 2006. The competition is part of two bigger events which are the UCI America Tour and the USA Cycling Professional Tour. The Tour of California is intended for professional riders and it takes place during 8 days and covers about 700 miles. The race usually starts in Nevada City and goes through the redwoods, wine country and the Pacific Coast. Its finish is in Escondido. The tour is sponsored by Amgen and this is why it is sometimes referred to as the Amgen Tour of California.

In 2010 the Tour of California was moved to May, on the same time as the Tour of Italy, one of the largest cycling competitions in Europe and in the world. This meant that fewer American riders competed in the Giro d’Italia, as well as the number of Italians in the Tour of California.