Amgen bike race returns to Sacramento — but skips Sierra Foothills

The Amgen Tour of California will return to Sacramento for the start of the ninth edition of the race, organizer AEG announced.

Stage 1 will begin and finish in the state’s capital, which previously hosted the prologue in 2009 as well as stage finishes in 2007-2011.

An individual time trial is planned for stage 2 in Folsom.

For stage 3, the peloton will return to San Jose, the only city to have participated in all nine editions of the race. Leaving the city, the field will travel north, gaining in elevation to a summit finish atop Mount Diablo.

Stage 4 will begin in Monterey, then travel south to Cambria.

Stage 5 will depart from Pismo Beach, continuing south before a finish in Santa Barbara.

Santa Clarita will host the start of stage 6, with a second mountaintop finish, in Mountain High.

The peloton will return to Santa Clarita for the start of stage 7, before finishing in Pasadena.

The final stage of the Amgen Tour will start and finish in Thousand Oaks, home to the title sponsor, which previously hosted finishes in 2010 and 2011.

2014 Amgen Tour of California:
Sunday May 11: Stage 1, Sacramento
Monday May 12: Stage 2, Folsom (ITT)
Tuesday May 13: Stage 3, San Jose to Mount Diablo
Wednesday May 14: Stage 4, Monterey to Cambria
Thursday May 15: Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara
Friday May 16: Santa Clarita to Mountain High
Saturday May 17: Santa Clarita to Pasadena
Sunday May 18: Thousand Oaks

(photo: Randy Pench/SacBee.com)