Amgen Tour of California races boost local tourism

This year’s Amgen Tour of California cycling race will be a significant bump in Sacramento’s tourism economy. Just the riders, teams and support staffs count for more than 2,000 hotel bookings in the city’s better properties.

The 2014 Amgen Tour of California cycling represents a significant bump in Sacramento’s tourism economy.

The race events have begun already including special appearances with cycling teams around town. An opening gala is set for Friday night at Memorial Auditorium, and the race begins Sunday in front of the Capitol.

So far, the race has accounted directly for 2,081 hotel bookings in Sacramento hotels from Wednesday to Sunday. Those are rooms booked for riders, coaches, medical staff, race workers, race photographers, team car drivers and chase car drivers.

Spectators, tourists and visitors are expected to account for another couple thousand hotel bookings in the Sacramento region, said Mike Testa, senior vice president of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The riders and teams are staying in the city’s better properties, including theDoubleTree Hotel, Hyatt Regency Capitol Plaza, Sacramento Hilton Arden West,Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel and theResidence Inn Sacramento Downtown at Capitol Park, among others.

Area hotels will have riders for at least two nights because Sacramento’s first stage Sunday is followed Monday by the second stage in Folsom.

Downtown Sacramento also should see a busy day, as the events go on for hours on Sunday.

The men’s race starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by a women’s circuit race downtown, followed by a community fun ride on the course, and then the men return to finish the race with three circuits downtown.

“We expect it to be busy all day long,” said Simon de Vere White, one of the owners of de Vere’s Irish Pub at 1521 L St., which is on the race circuit. In addition to being Mother’s Day and race day, Sunday morning is the final of the British Premier Leagues. “Usually we take reservations for brunch. This year, it is first-served.”

For the first time, the Amgen event will feature female riders, though they won’t ride together with the men.

The first stage of the men’s Amgen Tour of California starts at around 10:50 a.m. at the Capitol, with a long pedal following the Sacramento River north and then a climb to Lincoln and Auburn, followed by hills on Highway 49 to Cool and then down Salmon Falls Road to El Dorado Hills and then back to Sacramento. Race ends with three laps around the Capitol.

The women’s pro-cycling circuit race Sunday will be on the streets around the state Capitol after the men’s teams leave Sacramento on their 123-mile road race. The professional women cyclists on 20 teams will race in a 1.25-mile circuit in downtown Sacramento.

On Monday, the men and women will race time trials in Folsom from this historic district, over two bridges and near the shore of Folsom Lake.

This is the ninth running of the Amgen Tour of California men’s race. The men’s race covers more than 700 miles in eight stages through California. The women are only racing in the Sacramento and Folsom stages. The third stage for the men is from San Jose to Mount Diablo State Park. The tour ends May 18 in Thousand Oaks.

Amgen Tour of California races boost local tourism