Tour of California 2017: Preview

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(Image credit: Amgen Tour of California)

Now in its 12th year, the Amgen Tour of California has reached the pinnacle of the sport with a WorldTour designation on the UCI calendar, and the race is ready to roll out of Sacramento on May 14 for seven stages to decide the winner. Along the way, the race will visit iconic southern California beach towns, spend a day or two in the mountains and then storm into downtown Pasadena on May 20 for the finish and ensuing celebrations.

Of the top three finishers in 2016, only Brent Bookwalter of BMC returns this year. Rohan Dennis, who was second in 2016, was racing the Giro until injuries suffered in a crash forced him to abandon. BMC's GC hopes are in good hands with Bookwalter, however, as the American has been riding well recently, finishing second to Thibaut Pinot during the Queen stage at Tour of the Alps and placing fourth overall at the Tour de Yorkshire.

Boswell's fellow American, Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Drapac), has a big X marked on the race this year after disappointing performances here in the past, including having to abandon the 2015 race on the opening day because of breathing issues. He earned his best finish in California last year with second in the time trial and fourth overall, then went on to finish fifth at the Vuelta. The resurgent Talansky hasn't raced since dropping out of Pais Vasco in April, but the rider who lives in California will no doubt be well-prepared for his 'home' race.

The out-of-category climb, which averages 8.7 per cent gradient over 7km, peaks out 97km into the day and so leaves plenty of room for things to come back together before the final climb to the finish. In 2015, Sagan won the field sprint for second head of Alaphilippe, but it was Toms Skujins who soloed to the stage win after dropping his breakaway companions. Although not likely to affect the GC, the stage is quite lumpy with four other categorised climbs on Del Puerto Canyon Road, San Antonio Valley Road and Quimby Road.

After a difficult day of climbing toward San Jose, the sprinters will have another opportunity during this day that starts and finishes on the Pacific Coast. Morro Bay and Pismo beach are only 38km apart as the crow flies, so the stage will actually head inland far south of Pismo Beach, then turn back toward the coast after tackling the only categorised climb of the day, the third-category Tepusquet Road that comes 84km into the day. Many riders will recognise the majority of this stage from 2015 when it started a few kilometres down the coast in Avila Beach.

This stage is also a throwback to 2015, when Cavendish took a wet field sprint ahead of Zico Waeytens and Sagan. The route is not all about the sprinters, however, as it includes four categorised climbs, including Casitas Pass 1 (cat. 2), Casitas Pass 2 (cat. 3), Dennison Grade (cat. 3), and Balcom Canyon (cat. 2). Several more uncategorised climbs lead to the long, slightly uphill 40km drag to the finish. Expect another bunch gallop here.

Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake. He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009, as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America. Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland, Oregon, with his imaginary dog Rusty.