Amgen Tour Of California Sets '12 Route; Some Cities Back Out Due To Strained Finances

The Amgen Tour of California will return next year with the eight-day cycling race beginning May 13 in Santa Rosa and ending May 20 in downtown L.A., according to Elliott Almond of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Now that AEG, the event's owner, “has named the 13 host cities, it will create a 750-mile course over the next two months.” San Jose is “the only city to have played a role in every tour since the inception of the event” in ‘06. In a departure from the past, “the city is not helping pay for the event.” Some cities, “including Claremont, Lompoc, Solvang and Thousand Oaks, that have participated in previous races decided against bidding for the 2012 race because of strained finances.” The Silicon Valley Leadership Group and the San Jose Sports Authority “will cover the costs estimated to range from $150,000 to $200,000.” Santa Cruz organizers also are doing it “without public moneys at a time local governments are cash starved because of the weak economy” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 11/4). In Sacramento, Kasler & Kawahara in a front-page piece note the city "was left off the route map" for the cycling event. AEG said that Sacramento "has been a prime location and is certain to return to the route in the future." It is being "skipped for 2012  because AEG wants to get different cities involved." Sacramento Sports Commission Exec Dir John McCasey said that AEG officials "have indicated the city could get back on the map" in '13 (SACRAMENTO BEE, 11/4). In Santa Rosa, Bob Padecky notes the race is “a work under construction, as is evidenced by this fact: 31 California cities have either hosted the start or the finish of the race in the Tour’s first six years.” Two new ones -- Ontario and Sonoro -- “made the roster” for ’12. Padecky: “Make a bet that not all of the 13 Host Cities in 2012 will return" for '13 (Santa Rosa PRESS DEMOCRAT, 11/4).