Amgen bike tour to raise cancer research funds, help local economy

AMGEN TOUR—AEG Sports president Andrew Messick, right, and cyclist David Zabriskie attend a press conference to announce the 2010 Amgen Tour of California. The Final Stage 8 happens in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills. Billed as the largest cycling event in America, the Tour de France-style cycling road race will include the return of champion cyclist Lance Armstrong. Professional cycling teams will compete in a course that will start at the Rock Store in rural Agoura, proceed through Decker Canyon and end in Agoura Hills on May 23. The Amgen Tour of California bicycle race will finish in the Conejo Valley this year, bringing attention and an economic boost to the cities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills.

The eight-day, 800-mile race will cover 16 cities in California, including the three local host cities in the Conejo Valley.

The fifth annual race will once again focus its fundraising efforts on supporting cancer patients and their families through Amgen’s “Breakaway from Cancer” initiative.

At the Oct. 22 kickoff event at the Renaissance Hotel in Agoura Hills, Jerry Jayne, a member of the Amgen Cycling Club and a local organizer of the bicycling competition, which will be May 16 through 23, 2010, said, “Today is a great day for the Conejo Valley.”

The bicycle tour has the potential to stimulate the local economy of host cities by up to $100 million, an exciting prospect in the current depressed economy, Jayne said. Some city officials estimate that the economy will get a boost of $200 million.

Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, called the Amgen Tour of California the “greatest bike race outside of Europe.”

Running eight days, the tour will showcase more than 750 miles of scenic California. The first stage of the event will go from Nevada City to Sacramento, followed by a route from Davis to Santa Rosa.

The third leg of the race will run from San Francisco to Santa Cruz and include three “big climbs” according to Messick. The San Jose to Modesto stage will detour around Tracy, Calif., which will give bicyclists a break with 20 miles of flat land, he said.

Other legs of the long trip include rides from Visalia to Bakersfield, Pasadena to Big Bear Lake and a long climb through the Angeles Crest Highway. Cyclists will travel through the Crystal Lake area and Wrightwood—even through downtown Los Angeles by the Coliseum and Disney Concert Hall.

The last leg of the trip will be in the Conejo Valley, Messick said. Cyclists will ride from the Rock Store loop down Decker Canyon into Westlake Village. The competition will end on Agoura Road in Agoura Hills.

“It will be very difficult for someone to win the Amgen tour on the last day,” Messick said. “It’s more likely they will lose it. The champion will be decided right here.”

Thousand Oaks Mayor Tom Glancy said his city is “very thrilled” to be a host city of the tour. The world class event, he said, will bring the local landscape to “international prominence.”

“The boost to our economy will be no small feat,” Glancy said.

Agoura Hills Mayor Denis Weber joked that he was “out of breath” just thinking about all the people riding their bicycles up and down mountains and through valleys. He added that the tour of California will be a “wonderful adventure.”

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Weber said about the event. “It will help us get a little more famous.”

Westlake Village Councilmember Ned Davis said Westlake Village is home to many recreational cyclists and the event will be an excellent way to showcase healthy cities to the world.

Professional cyclist David Zabriskie was on hand to inspire would-be cyclists at the kickoff. In 2005, Zabriskie set the record for the fastest time trial in the history of the Tour de France. The record still stands. He was also the holder of the “yellow jersey” in the 2005 Tour de France, which is awarded to the winner after three successive stages. He also won the silver medal in the time trial at the 2006 UCI Road World Championship. In 2009, he won the Tour of Missouri.

It’s easier to win races than talk,” Zabriskie said. “It’s very nice to have the race come through this area,” he said.