Following weeks of speculation and anticipation, the host cities for the record-setting 2011 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race were announced this morning by race presenter AEG.  Consistently considered cycling's most important and successful elite road cycling stage race held in the United States, the sixth annual event will cover more than 800 miles over the eight days of racing. 

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California will travel to and through 15 Host Cities throughout the state over the course of eight days from May 15-22, 2011.  Last year's date change from February to May allowed the stage race to visit locations that would not have been possible previously, including a visit to Big Bear Lake.  Due to the incredible success, the race will remain in May. 

The race will wind through miles of beautiful California terrain, beginning with the first-ever visit to Lake Tahoe, a well known cycling destination and home of "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride."  The eight-day race will travel through some of the state's most scenic landmarks, with the overall finish taking place in title-sponsor Amgen's hometown community of Thousand Oaks.

The 15 official stage start and finish communities that have been selected for the 2011 race include: South Lake Tahoe (new for 2011), North Lake Tahoe-Northstar at Tahoe Resort (new for 2011), North Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley USA (new for 2011), Sacramento, Auburn (new for 2011), Modesto, Livermore (new for 2011), San Jose, Seaside, Paso Robles, Solvang, Claremont (new for 2011), Mt. Baldy (new for 2011), Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks.

"In 2011 we plan to continue to showcase the beautiful features the state of California has to offer, while also continuing to raise the bar for what it means to be the largest, most important cycling race in America," president of AEG Sports Andrew Messick commented.

Highlights of the 2011 route include the race's first visit to Lake Tahoe, with the first day of racing featuring a more than a lap and a half around the lake.  The riders also will summit famous Donner Pass on the way to Sacramento.  On the way to San Jose, America's largest cycling event will venture into the Diablo Mountains for the first of two challenging mountain stages for the world-class cyclists. The riders will once again take the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway down the coast through Big Sur.  Another exciting addition to the 2011 race is the final climb up to the Mt. Baldy ski area, whose steepness and switchbacks are legendary in the Southern California cycling community.

"The 2011 Amgen Tour of California route is going to result in an exciting and compelling race," Lance Armstrong of Team RadioShack commented after analyzing the 2011 Amgen Tour of California route and added "All of us at Team RadioShack are looking forward to it."

Beginning with the inaugural year in 2006, the Amgen Tour of California quickly became the most successful race in the United States with regards to economic benefits to the state, global recognition and the level of competition.  The race also continues to set records in attendance for a single sporting event in the state of California, as well as any cycling event ever held on U.S. soil, with more than 2 million spectators in previous years. 

"From the world-class riders and challenging competition, to the tremendous amount of support from the fans and Host Cities, the Amgen Tour of California has grown to become one of the most anticipated events within the international cycling community," Messick continued and added  "Making the final selection of Host Cities for the race becomes an increasingly challenging task each year."

With the 2011 Amgen Tour of California once again taking place in May, the cyclists will have more time to train, and the competition promises to be even tougher.  In previous years, the race has drawn some of the world's most renowned and respected riders, such as top Tour de France competitors, World Champions and Olympic medalists that include Lance Armstrong, Tom Boonen, Oscar Freire, Paolo Bettini, Fabian Cancellara, Carlos Sastre, Ivan Basso, George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish and Andy Schleck. 

"I was in as good of shape the past three years [when I won the Amgen Tour of California] as I am now," Levi Leipheimer, Tour of California winner from 2007-2009, commented after the 2010 race and added  "The difference this year is that you see a couple of riders on the same level.  The competition has definitely risen."   

"For our team, there's only one race more important to us than the Amgen Tour of California, and that's the Tour de France.  This is a huge result for us.  We can really walk away from the 2010 Amgen Tour of California with big smiles on our faces," Australian Michael Rogers of Team HTC-Columbia said after winning the 2010 race. 

Returning as the title sponsor for the sixth consecutive year, Amgen will continue to leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through its Breakaway from Cancer initiative.

The only American race listed on the international professional cycling calendar with a 2. HC ranking, the Amgen Tour of California has drawn the attention of both cycling enthusiasts and first-time spectators, solidifying its position as one of the most anticipated cycling events of the year. 

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California will visit 15 Host Cities for official stage starts and finishes, while other cities along the route also will have the opportunity to witness the excitement of elite professional road cycling.

Stages for the 2011 Amgen Tour of California include:
 
Stage 1: Sunday, May 15 - South Lake Tahoe to North Lake Tahoe-Northstar at Tahoe Resort
Stage 2: Monday, May 16 - North Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley  to Sacramento
Stage 3: Tuesday, May 17 - Auburn to Modesto
Stage 4: Wednesday, May 18 - Livermore to San Jose
Stage 5: Thursday, May 19 - Seaside to Paso Robles
Stage 6: Friday, May 20 - Solvang Individual Time Trial
Stage 7: Saturday, May 21 - Claremont to Mt. Baldy
Stage 8: Sunday, May 22 - Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks