Specific route details for the 2013 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race were revealed today by AEG, presenter of the eighth annual event which will once again feature top professional teams and athletes from around the world.  Already considered cycling’s most important and successful stage race in the United States, the 2013 Amgen Tour of California will be expanded to cover more than 750 miles over eight days.  For the first time in race history, the race will travel the entire length of California on a demanding course from south to north beginning in Escondido and working its way up to San Francisco with the final stage ending in Santa Rosa.

Scheduled over eight consecutive days from May 12-19, 2013, the race will visit 13 host cities for official stage starts and finishes, with communities along the route getting the chance to see firsthand a lineup of some of the top cyclists in the world.  The race has continually drawn previous winners of the Tour de France and World Champions.  Santa Clarita joins a list of host cities for the prologue and eight stages which include: Escondido, Murrieta, Greater Palm Springs, Palmdale, Santa Barbara, Avila Beach, San Jose, Livermore, Mt. Diablo, San Francisco and Santa Rosa.

The City of Santa Clarita will return as a host city for the Amgen Tour of California for the fifth time and 2013 will mark the second time the City has hosted both a start and finish.

“The City of Santa Clarita is proud of our association with the Amgen Tour of California and honored to return as a host city for the fifth time in race history,” said Mayor Bob Kellar.  “With over 60 miles of off street trails, Santa Clarita is a very cycling friendly community, and we are looking forward to providing a world class welcome for cycling fans and riders alike.”

Santa Clarita will host the Finish of Stage 3, one of the longest lengths of the race at 111.8 miles, on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, with the race starting from Marie Kerr Park in Palmdale and ending on Magic Mountain Parkway.  The stage will feature a 22-mile climb up Lake Hughes Road and follow the route of the famous Furnace Creek 508, the ultra-endurance race through Santa Clarita.  The peloton will likely break apart on the massive climb, but an 18 mile descent to the finish will give riders a chance to regroup and mount a large field sprint toward the finish line.

On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, Santa Clarita will kick off Stage 4, starting on Town Center Drive in Santa Clarita and riders will travel north to the finish location on Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara.  Veteran Amgen Tour of California racers will recognize this stage from past races, but they will be riding in reverse.  After the desert terrain of Stage 3, riders will welcome ocean breezes as they descend to the finish in Coastal Santa Barbara.

The Amgen Tour of California is expected to bring a significant positive economic impact to Santa Clarita. Stages 3 and 4 of the 2013 race are the only stages to take place in Los Angeles County.  Economic impact studies from previous years indicate the race has generated a million dollars locally.

A series of events including a family ride and lifestyle festival will lead up to the race.  For more information on the Amgen Tour of California, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, as well as events, visit Santa-Clarita.com/TourofCA.

The largest cycling event in America, the Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France style cycling road race, presented by AEG that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course.

About Amgen

Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics.  A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science’s promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient.  Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses.  With a broad and deep pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people’s lives.

To learn more about Amgen’s pioneering science and vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.  To learn more about Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative, visit www.breakawayfromcancer.com.

About AEG

AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world.  AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Sprint Center, The O2, NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE and NOKIA Theatre Times Square; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), two Major League Soccer franchises, a Major League Lacrosse team, two hockey franchises operated in Europe, management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, the ING Bay to Breakers foot race and the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race; AEG LIVE, the organization’s live-entertainment division, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production.  For more information, visit AEG today at www.aegworldwide.com.