Sacramento will be the starting city for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race.
The race begins Feb. 14 with a road stage that starts and finishes on the streets of Sacramento. The 2009 event will feature stops in 16 cities over the course of nine days from Feb. 14-22.
This marks the first time in four years that the Amgen Tour will begin with a road stage rather than a prologue. In 2007 and 2008, Sacramento served as the finish for the second stage of the race, drawing thousands of spectators to the finishing circuit around the state capitol.
Sacramento Sports Commission Executive Director John McCasey said having the event on a Saturday is a big upgrade. The previous Sacramento finishes took place on Tuesday, requiring a massive coordination effort from law enforcement, light rail and city and county officials.
"Saturday is definitely more attractive," McCasey said. "The city can show what it's capable of presenting without the traffic issues. We're going to make this an all-day festival, and more people will be able to experience the atmosphere of this great race."
For the first time, cyclists will cross the Golden Gate Bridge, during the third stage from Sausalito to Santa Cruz. The 2009 race includes eight new cities: Davis, Santa Cruz, Merced, Clovis, Visalia, Paso Robles, Rancho Bernardo and Escondido. The 2009 race will be expanded to cover more than 800 miles.
The race attracts some of the world's top riders. Last year's event featured two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer, Tom Boonen, Paolo Bettini, Fabian Cancellara, George Hincapie, Oscar Freire and Bobby Julich.
Cross country
Drew Wartenburg has been named the coach of the men's and women's teams at UC Davis. He most recently was an assistant coach at Oregon State. Wartenburg takes over for Chris Puppione, who resigned in June.
– Bee Sports staff
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