| | | Route 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. Cresting the summit, the race will then head through Moorpark and up the final climb on the Norwegian Grade. Next, the route will head downhill and enter the four-mile circuit as it passes the finish line in Thousand Oaks and begins the first of five flat and fast circuits.
The winner of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California will be crowned on the award stage in Thousand Oaks, the headquarter community of the race’s title sponsor, Amgen. The winner will have survived the longest and most difficult stage race ever contested in the U.S. His team will have sacrificed every day to propel this rider closer to the golden jersey. It is going to be a truly amazing Amgen Tour of California this May 15-22.
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