After much deliberation and a little luck, stage one of the Amgen Tour of California will start this afternoon at 1:15 with a shortened route. The new route, which eliminates a portion of a loop around Lake Tahoe, will take the riders from South Lake Tahoe to Northstar around the west side of Lake Tahoe. The stage will be approximately 111 kilometers shorter than the originally planned 191 kilometers at altitude.
“We have been in constant communication with all parties involved in the 2011 Amgen Tour of California – from public safety and transportation authorities to teams and all of our partners – to ensure our decision protects the safety of our riders and fans,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “We thank everyone for their tireless efforts in bringing this race together, and pledge that we still have a great day of racing ahead of us today.”
The shortened route will feature a King of the Mountains (KOM) competition at Emerald Bay approximately 21 kilometers into the stage, a sprint in Tahoe City 29 kilometers later and a final KOM just over 10 kilometers from the finish at the top of Brockway summit.