04 May 2012

Nissan Ride Before the Pros

Citizens event ride before Stage 8 of Amgen Tour of California
Date: Sunday, May, 20, 2012 
Location: L.A. LIVE (Staples Center) 11th & Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA 
Time: 8:00-9:30am 
Cost: Free (but you must register ahead of time) 
Who can ride: anyone!, all experience levels 
Distance: 5-miles 

If you missed the recent l'Etape du California allowing citizens to ride (race) a complete stage (Stage 7) of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California, don't worry, you'll have another chance to ride a small section of a stage on Sunday, May 20th, as all citizens are invited to ride the final circuit loop of Stage 8 in Los Angeles. The distance is only 5-miles, everyone is invited to participate (who owns a bike), and the ride is FREE. Come join in the fun!
The 'Nissan Ride Before the Pros,' taking place in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday May 20, 2012 from 8-9:30 a.m., will allow cyclists of all levels to ride on a 5-mile, closed-circuit course that will be part of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California's eighth and final stage taking place that same day. Free to participants of all experience levels, the 'Nissan Ride Before the Pros' will begin and end at the official finish line where the professional riders competing in the 2012 Amgen Tour of California will cross to complete the 42.6-mile stage they started in Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive earlier in the day.  

Read more on the official Amgen Tour of California website: Nissan Ride Before the Pros.
Route of 2012 Nissan Ride Before the Pros
Bring the kids and family - the next Dave Zabriskie (who happens to live locally in Los Angeles) could be in the crowd, waiting to be inspired. Note that the VIP area in Los Angeles opens at 8:30am, so you will have time to participate in this fun event, then grab a nice cool drink and a snack. Also getting there early will ensure you have a good place along the street to watch the real race, which begins at 10:10am. 

Stage 8: Start in Beverly Hills, on Rodeo Dr at 10:10am, 5 loops begin *(map above) in Los Angeles at 11:01am, the Finish will be between 11:42am and 11:58am (depending on the speed of the racers) at the Finish area on 11th and Figueroa.

Los Angeles, Stage 8, Amgen Tour of Califronia route maps and timetables:  
Stage 8 Stage Map 
Stage 8 Stage Profile 
Stage 8 Stage Log

If 5-miles is not enough, you could be one of the select few citizens who will be joining the Chris Carmichael "Going Pro" team and riding prior to the pros at every stage of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California. How this will work out logistically still baffles my mind, but you can read more about it here, (keep in mind it'll cost you $11,500): 2012 CTS Amgen Tour of California Race Experience. This same experience will be offered at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado in August 2012.