Race will start at Valencia
Town Center,
then wind through Saugus and Canyon
Country.

[view:node_ad=5]The biggest bicycle race in America is nearly two months
away, and for a third consecutive year, the city of Santa Clarita will play
host to a stage.

The race runs through 9 days beginning February 14th and
ending February 22nd.

Santa Clarita hosts the start of the second to last stage of
the race on Saturday, February 21st. Riders will start at the WestfieldValencia Town Center,
and take the following route through town:

They will ride down Town Center
Drive and use McBean
Parkway to access Newhall
Ranch Rd. From Newhall Ranch, the riders will
storm northbound on Bouquet Canyon Road,
until heading southeast on Vasquez Canyon.
Emerging on Sierra Highway,
they will jaunt over a short hilly section on Sand
Canyon Road, and then turn left on Soledad
Canyon Rd., heading up to Acton
and the Angeles Forest Highway.

Mayor Bob Kellar describes the 2009 Amgen Tour of California

The race begins at 12:00 p.m., and the roadways will be
closed temporarily while the riders are on them.

Hosting a stage start will offer a unique opportunity for
bicycling fans, as the pre-race events are different than that of a stage
conclusion.

“The start of the stage is unlike any other world class
sport in that the spectators have a chance to get close to the athletes in
autograph row and hear them interviewed on stage before the race begins,” said
Mayor Bob Kellar. “It’s a unique and special experience and one fans won’t soon
forget.”

Another new development for this year’s race that is sure to
bring out larger crowds, is that 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong
will be racing in the Tour of California, and on the stage in Santa Clarita.
Armstrong recently came out of retirement to race four major events. He hopes his
efforts will help bring awareness to cancer, of which he is a survivor. Kellar
said that the City was “absolutely thrilled” that Armstrong would be
participating.

As usual, the city will be planning community events leading
up to, and around the Amgen Tour of California. On January 24th they will be
hosting a community bike ride through the trails of Santa Clarita, ending with
a rally at Bridgeport Park.

The full schedule of the Amgen Tour of California is as
follows:

• Stage 1:  A loop of Sacramento (Saturday, Feb 14th)
• Stage 2: Davis to Santa Rosa (Feb 15th)
• Stage 3: Sausalito to Santa Cruz (Feb 16th)
• Stage 4: San Jose to Modesto (Feb 17th)
• Stage 5: Merced to Clovis (Feb 18th)
• Stage 6: Visalia to Paso Robles (Feb 19th)
• Stage 7: Individual time trial in Solvang (Feb 20th)
• Stage 8: Santa Clarita to Pasadena (Saturday, Feb 21st)
• Stage 9: Rancho Bernardo to Escondido (Feb 22nd)