[KHTS] – Santa Clarita is serving as a host city for two stages of the 2014 Amgen Tour of California, and several major road closures are planned beginning on Thursday and ending Saturday, city of Santa Clarita officials announced.

Mark Canvendish’s Stage One win was the closest finish in the tour’s nine-year history.

The stage six start of the race is scheduled to impact Old Town Newhall on Thursday and Friday, while the stage seven start of the race will impact Valencia near Westfield Valencia Town Center on Saturday. 

City officials are strongly encouraging Santa Clarita residents and businesses to plan ahead by checking online for detailed traffic information to minimize any commuting inconvenience where delays are expected, according to a city of Santa Clarita news release.

The stage six start will showcase Old Town Newhall on Friday at the corner of Market Street and Main Street, with hard closures expected on Main Street between Lyons Avenue and 6th Street as cyclists prepare to leave at 11:35 a.m.

Closures are scheduled to occur between midday Thursday through Friday afternoon, with all lanes reopening as the cyclists race toward Mountain High North. Residents who live near Placerita Canyon and Sand Canyon should expect a 40-minute delay in their commute, according to the news release.

The stage seven start is planned to begin on Saturday at Westfield Valencia Town Center, and the northbound lanes of McBean Parkway and the westbound lanes of Newhall Ranch Road are scheduled to begin closing about 10 to 15 minutes before the start of the race.

Riders are expected to depart from Town Center Drive at 11:40 a.m. with lanes reopening as cyclists race toward Pasadena.

Amgen Tour of California

Delays are expected for motorists traveling in Santa Clarita during the time of the event due to the rolling closures, as well as the need for emergency response vehicles to have unimpeded access to the entire Santa Clarita Valley for the duration of the event, city officials said.

Santa Clarita Transit local service will also be affected. Residents can check updated bus route information by clicking here or looking for rider alerts at @SCTBus on Twitter.

City officials are planning to post up-to-the-minute details as roads are closed and reopened on Facebook and Twitter. Residents can find more information regarding traffic impacts, including projected closure times, by calling 661-250-3787 orclicking here.

About the 2014 Amgen Tour of California

Presented by Crunchies Natural Snacks, the ninth annual Amgen Tour of California is a professional cycling race featuring 16 world-class teams competing across more than 720 miles of California.

Every year, cyclists race across the state’s most scenic highways, roadways and coastlines over the course of eight days, officials said.

Breakaway from Cancer, a national initiative founded by Amgen in 2005, will be supporting the riders and honoring local cancer survivors from tour communities throughout the race.

The goal of the initiative is to increase awareness of important resources available to people affected by cancer, from prevention through survivorship. Breakaway from Cancer officials are scheduled to appear at every stage of the race for activities and celebrations of inspirational cancer survivors across California, officials said.

For more information about Breakaway from Cancer, click here. For more information about the Amgen Tour of California, click here.