Sonora Hoping For Amgen Return

Sonora, CA — Host city applications for next year’s Amgen Tour of California are due this Friday, and Sonora will once again throw its hat into the ring.

City Administrator Tim Miller confirms the Local Organizing Committee has decided to request that Sonora host a starting leg of the race. Miller says the application is still being finalized, and it will be filed by Wednesday or Thursday. The local committee had looked into requesting that Sonora be a “finish city”, but there were steeper contractual obligations regarding the amount of hotel and guest rooms needed.

Miller says the committee received a letter from the Amgen Tour last month inviting Sonora to submit a host city application. From all indications, the organizers were very pleased with how Sonora hosted Stage Four this past May.

“Whether we will get picked, or not, depends on a lot of factors, notably what kind of route they would like to do next year,” says Miller. “There’s no doubt in my mind that they will be back in Sonora at some point, but I can’t tell you whether it will be next year, the year after, or sometime in the future.”

Miller says host cities will likely be notified in late September, with a formal announcement in October. Miller considers Sonora’s efforts to host the Amgen Tour in May to be an overall success. The event drew thousands to the downtown area, including race fans from across the world. One common complaint from downtown businesses was that the visitors left town as soon as the race started.

The video posted shows the start of last year’s Stage Four Start in Sonora. The Tour of California is the largest bicycle race in North America.