Missouri Bicycle News

The recently concluded Amgen Tour of California, an eight-day professional cycling road race, drew more than 1.3 million spectators from February 19-26, 2006, setting records in attendance for any single sporting event in California, as well as for any cycling event in the U.S. The inaugural event, which covered 600 miles of California roadway from San Francisco to Redondo Beach, received praise from its host cities, teams and sponsors, as well as from the Union Cycliste International (UCI), the international governing body of cycling.

The nation's cycling officials began their push into the mainstream with the Amgen Tour of California, which began Feb. 19 in San Francisco and concludes today south of Los Angeles.

There's more. Utahns will experience the large-scale cycling test in the U.S. when the Tour of Utah is held Aug. 7-12. Billed as "America's Hardest Bike Race," the Tour of Utah is being transformed from a small event in Utah County to a multi-stage race that attracts the top U.S. cycling teams to courses in and around Salt Lake City.

Larry Miller has increased his sponsorship of the event, which now will offer a $40,000 total purse.

Tour of Utah race director Jason Preston said the goal is to become one of three major domestic multi-stage races along with the Tour of California and the Tour of Georgia.