Best places to watch the Tour of California’s Sacramento finish

The 2016 Amgen Tour of California comes to a close on Sunday, May 22, in downtown Sacramento – the first time the capital hosts the overall finish.

The cyclists will depart the city from their traditional start and finish line at 11th and L street at 11:15 a.m. The race will cross the Tower Bridge and head south through West Sacramento into Yolo and Solano counties. After circling Ryer Island, the race returns to the capital along the Sacramento River before a three-lap circuit downtown.

The race is expected to conclude at 2:40 p.m. While the men’s race is in Yolo County, a women’s race will run downtown between 11:40 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.

Portions of L and 11th streets will be closed starting 8 a.m. Saturday and all-day Sunday. A number of downtown streets between 3rd and 18th streets and L to Q streets will close at 4 a.m. on the day of the race. Those closures are expected to end by midnight.

Places to watch

1. The finish line: Last year’s race was decided in part by bonus seconds on the final sprint.

2. Any circuit corner: With three loops around the downtown circuit, you’ll see the riders slow three times as they take the corners.

3. Tower Bridge: There are several parklike space near this iconic river crossing.

4. Intermediate sprint: Stage 8 sprint points were critical for Peter Sagan’s general classification victory in 2015.

5. Clarksburg: Watch the race near the river and check out local wineries.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 7:27 PM with the headline "Best places to watch the Tour of California’s Sacramento finish."