The greatest cycling event in North America and biggest stage race challenge is held each May in California. The Amgen Tour of California is part of the UCI WorldTour. It is a cycling competition for both men and women that attracts the best international and local cyclists and teams.
Olympic medalists, World Champions, and Tour de France contenders all come here. Top professionals from around the world compete with each other across hundreds of kilometers of California's beautiful and varied terrain.
The 8-day race runs for 700 mi (1,126 km) through the Golden State. The race usually begins in beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California, then goes through the Redwood forests, California's Wine Country. In previous years it crossed the Central Valley from Merced to Fresno. In 2019 the men's race course will go from Sacramento to Pasadena. The female race ( which is a 3-day course event) will go from Ventura to Mt. Baldy and Pasadena. The race usually finishes in Southern California next the Pacific Coast. The winner of each stage wears a Yellow Jersey. Originally the leader's jersey was gold, but in 2009 the yellow color was picked to replace the gold color.
Each year the course brings new challenges, from gorgeous coastline views and challenging mountain passes to dramatic finish lines. The varied terrain allows the athletes to show their skills in different types of cycling. Spectators get the opportunity to explore every new host city along the course. The Amgen Tour of California is often compared to Tour de France and also attracts top professional cycling teams.
