AMGEN TOUR BIKE RACE SET TO GO THROUGH SANTA CLARITA.Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, -- More than 100,000 people are expected this weekend to line the streets of Santa Clarita's town center for the nation's premier bicycle race. The eight-day, 650-mile Amgen Tour of California The Amgen Tour of California is a professional cycling stage race on the UCI America Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that made its debut on February 19, 2006. Sponsored by the biotechnology company Amgen, the eight-day race covers between 650-700 miles (1,045 - 1,126 km). is scheduled to roll into Santa Clarita on Saturday and leave Sunday in the last two legs of the trek from the Bay Area to Pasadena. There are 167 bicyclists on 17 teams competing in this third annual tour, with the star defending champion defending champion n (SPORT) → defensor/a m/f del título defending champion n (Sport) → champion(ne) en titre Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa Santa Rosa, city, Argentina Santa Rosa, city (1991 pop. 80,629), capital of La Pampa prov., central Argentina. It is a modern city and road junction surrounded by a rich agricultural and cattle-raising area. . The tour is expected to hit the region about 2:30 p.m. in the race from Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. . Once in town, teams will head east on state Route 126, continue on Newhall Ranch Road, head south on McBean Parkway, then run a circuit from McBean to Tourney Road to Magic Mountain Parkway and back, three times. The finish line is near the pedestrian bridge crossing McBean north of Valencia Boulevard. Teams will start at noon Sunday from that point for the final leg. The route will take cyclists along Newhall Ranch Road, then north through Bouquet Canyon, Vasquez Canyon, Soledad Canyon and finally to Angeles Crest Highway The Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane (one lane of travel in each direction) segment of California State Route 2 in the United States. The road is 66 miles in length, with its western terminus at the intersection at Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge and its eastern . That final leg to Pasadena could be the toughest as riders scale the 4,900-foot Millcreek Summit in the San Gabriel Mountains San Gabriel Mountains, S Calif., E and NE of Los Angeles, running c.50 mi (80 km) westward from Cajon Pass. San Antonio Peak (10,080 ft/3,072 m) is the highest of the range. Citrus fruits are raised on the southern foothills. . Race officials said the last stretch often is one of the easiest, but this time it could create some surprises. "The most challenging part is the hill climbs and having these climbs on the very last day on the way to Pasadena really ups the stakes," said Evan Thomason, a spokesman for the city of Santa Clarita. ROAD CLOSURES Motorists are advised to expect rolling road closures through the weekend, most of them no more than an hour. Saturday: State Route 150 Grimes Canyon Road State Route 126 Newhall Ranch Road McBean Parkway (10 p.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Saturday) Valencia Boulevard Magic Mountain Parkway Tourney Road Sunday: Newhall Ranch Road Bouquet Canyon Road Vasquez Canyon Road Sierra Highway Sand Canyon Road Soledad Canyon Road Aliso Canyon Road Angeles Forest Highway The Angeles Forest Highway traverses the Angeles National Forest and connects the Los Angeles basin to the Antelope Valley by going up and over the San Gabriel Mountains. The highway is variously known as County Road N-3 or FH-59 or the Palmdale cutoff. It is about 25 miles long. Angeles Crest Highway CAPTION(S): box Box: ROAD CLOSURES (see text) |
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