Race president Kristin Klein explained: "To better accommodate a variety of logistical elements, the scheduling needs of participating teams and broadcast networks as well as rider requests, we have made the decision to schedule the 2017 Amgen Tour of California May 14-20 as a seven day stage race."
The 2.HC Baloise Belgium Tour begins on May 24 and could be a possible motivator for the move.
The women's California WorldTour stage race, now dubbed the "Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease Women's Race empowerd with SRAM", is scheduled to begin three days prior to the Tour of California, from May 11-14, overlapping only on the first day of the men's event.
The Sacramento suburb Elk Grove has put in a bid to host a stage of the women's race on May 13, as reported by the Sacramento Business Journal last month. The race organisers AEG have traditionally shared host cities between the finish of the women's event and the men's race, hinting at a North to South direction for the Tour of California next year.
Bayern Rundfahrt cancelled again in 2017
The Bayern Rundfahrt will not be held in 2017, after also having to skip 2016. The German stage race continues to have financial difficulties.
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"Since we have still not found a new main sponsor, as things stand now, we will not be able to carry out the Bayern Rundfahrt in 2017,” race organizer Ewald Strohmeier told radsport-news.com.
The race was first held, for senior riders, in 1980, and then for pro teams as of 1989. The last edition of the race in 2015 was won by Alex Dowsett of Movistar
Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen moves to one-day format
On the newly published UCI Europe Tour calendar, the former Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen has been changed from a 2.1-ranked stage race to a 1.1-ranked single day race.
The race traditionally consisted of a prologue and two sprinter-friendly road stages. In 2016 it was won by Lotto Soudal's Sean De Bie. The race website confirms that the event will now be dubbed Dwars door West-Vlaanderen Johan Museeuw Classic.
The race is not to be confused with Flanders Classic's Dwars door Vlaanderen, which moves up from a 1.HC-ranked race to the UCI WorldTour.
Volta ao Algarve, Ruta del Sol, G.P. Industria & Artigianato upgraded
Three races in the UCI Europe Tour have been upgraded to 'hors categorie' (HC) status in 2017. Two are stage races in the early season, the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal and the Vuelta a Andalucia-Ruta Ciclista del Sol in Spain, which take place on the same dates, from February 15-19, 2017.
Many of the WorldTour riders eschewed the Tour of Oman this year in favour of the European events. Geraint Thomas topped Jon Izaguirre and Alberto Contador to win the Volta ao Algarve, while Alejandro Valverde beat Tejay van Garderen and Bauke Mollema in Andalucia.
The GP Industria & Artigianato in Larciano was also upgraded to a 1.HC one-day event. The Italian race will take place the day after Strade Bianche, which moved up to the WorldTour, and three days before the start of Tirreno-Adriatico. Simon Clarke won the race this season.
