News
FREE Lifestyle Festival in Solvang During Amgen Tour of California
~New Features for 2011 are Michelob Ultra Beer Garden with Live Music AND Taste 6 Wine Garden
Solvang, California— On Friday, May 20, 2011, the individual time trial (stage 6) of the Amgen Tour of California will be held in Solvang for the fourth time in the six-year history of this professional cycling race. After hosting the time trial in 2007, 2008 and 2009, the city is proud to welcome the Tour back to the “Danish Capital of America.” One of the popular activities of Race Day is the FREE Lifestyle Festival, which gives cycling enthusiasts a place to experience race-day festivities within steps of the Solvang Time Trial Start Line on Mission Drive and First Street and the Finish Line just one block away on Copenhagen Drive and First Street.
FREE Santa Ynez Valley Transit Shuttle Service
FREE Shuttle service provided by Santa Ynez Valley Transit for those attending the Amgen Tour of California Stage 6 Time Trial in downtown Solvang. (Regular bus schedules and Santa Ynez Valley Transit Dial-A-Ride services will not run on May 20 only.)
Solvang Race-Related Events on May 20, 2011
2011 Solvang Time Trial Student Essay Contest
One winner from 4th grade, 5th grade and 6th grade will be chosen and receive official Amgen Tour of California t-shirt and pin. The Grand Prize winner will receive a Specialized Mountain Bike & Helmet from Dr. J’s Bicycle Shop in Solvang valued at $350.00. Grand Prize Winner will be honored on Stage during the Solvang Time Trial on May 20, 2011
First Ever Woman's Time Trial Challenge
LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2011) – AEG has announced details of the inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women's International Time Trial Challenge presented by Specialized and SRAM, which will take place in Solvang during Stage 6 of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California on Friday, May 20. Using the same course as the Stage 6 men’s individual time trial in Solvang, the women’s event will be a 12-person invitation, showcasing some of the best women athletes in the world racing for a $10,000 prize pool.
Nineteen Elite Teams Announced
LOS ANGELES (March 17, 2011) – A world-class field of professional cycling teams, rivaling every other stage race in 2011, has once again been assembled for the upcoming Amgen Tour of California, the largest cycling event in America, which will travel nearly 800 miles throughout California from May 15 – 22, 2011. Announced today by AEG, presenter of the race, the lineup of teams includes 19 elite international and domestic squads, ensuring a spectacular racing competition for the sixth-annual event.
Pro-Cycling Team to Visit Solvang School
Lance Armstrong's Trek-Livestrong Pro-Cycling Team to Visit Solvang School at 10am, Wednesday March 2nd 2011 for a Special Assembly. Solvang area schoolchildren grades 3rd-5th with members of the Trek- Livestrong U23 pro-cycling team discussing their training camp here Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley this week and preparations for the 2011 racing season.
Locals get to ‘Ride the Route’
Photo by Len WoodBy Julian J. Ramos/Staff Writer
February 11, 2011
As Solvang prepares for its brief return to the center of the cycling world, local organizers on Thursday unveiled the 15-mile individual time trial route for the Amgen Tour of California.
Read More at the Santa Maria Times Website
Plans unveiled for Solvang stage of cycling race : Tour of California racers face fast 15-mile route
NORA K. WALLACE, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
February 11, 2011
Most weekends, the rolling rural roads of the Santa Ynez Valley are filled with casual bike riders out for a bit of exercise or to see the countryside.
But in mid-May, those roads will be teeming with some of the world's elite cyclists, out to claim the crown as winner of the Amgen Tour of California's Stage 6 Time Trial.
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Chris Carmichael Is Solvang's Gala Guest Speaker
Please plan on joining us at the beautiful Root 246 at the Hotel Corque for a fun evening of celebration with Wine Reception sponsored by The Solvang Wine Experience with live music, followed by a 3 course meal prepared by celebrity chef Bradley Ogden. The evening continues with special guest speaker Chris Carmichael well known cycling coach, former Tour de France rider and founder of Carmichael Training Systems, Inc. There will be a live and silent auction and raffle drawing for a road bike. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to our Gala page. See you there!
Chris Carmichael's Website
Order Gala Tickets
Stage 7, Presented by Nissan: Claremont to Mt. Baldy (Saturday, May 21)
Start Location: Claremont (Harvard and 1st St.)
Finish Location: Mt. Baldy Ski Resort
If the Stage 6 individual time trial creates some separation between the contenders and the chasers, Stage 7 will be the ultimate test of the rider’s resolve to capture the golden jersey. Did they leave it all on the road in Solvang or did they hold back enough to survive one of the most difficult stages in the history of bicycle racing in the U.S.? It has been compared to the epic stages of the European Grand Tours. This is the training ground for many of the local racers in southern California, but only a handful has done the entire route, and none have done it after six days of racing over 800 miles! The winner of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California will almost certainly be decided on the final switchbacks to the finish on Mt. Baldy.
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Stage 8, Presented by Amgen: Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks (Sunday, May 22)
Start Location: Santa Clarita – Towne Center Shopping Center (McBean Pkwy. and Magic Mtn.)
Finish Location: Thousand Oaks – City Hall (Thousand Oaks Blvd. and Conejo School Rd.)
The Amgen Tour of California returns to one of its favorite Host Cities for the start of the final stage of the 2011 race. One of California’s up and coming cities, Santa Clarita boasts miles of bike paths and is home to many large events throughout the year. Leaving Santa Clarita, the race will head out on a flat 13-mile stretch of Hwy 126. A left turn near Piru will work the riders towards the coast and to the base of the final KOM of the race, Balcolm Canyon. This is a wicked climb that is relatively short but painfully steep. The riders can expect a solid mass of fans that will part as the riders approach.
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