(OCR)


By TOBY CARRIG
Valley Press Sports Editor and CRAIG CURRIER
Valley Press Staff Writer
PALMDALE — Lance Armstrong will sleep here. And he will ride here, too.

The city of Palmdale on Tuesday was selected to be a host city for the first time in the fifth annual Amgen Tour of California cycling race, set for May 16-23. City officials announced the news in a release Wednesday afternoon.

Palmdale will be the starting point for Stage 6 on May 21, taking the place of Pasadena after the portion of the Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains north of that city became too hazardous following winter storms.

"International eyes are going to be on Palmdale," said city communications manager John Mlynar. "It's going to be a great day.

"It's never happened in the AV before and it might never happen again, although we hope it does."
The Tour of California, the largest cycling event in the United States, consists of eight stages taking place throughout the state. The event is televised nationally by VERSUS.

Seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong, considered one of the top cyclists in history, will be riding in the event for the second straight year as preparation for France.

In its fifth year, the event never has ridden on the Antelope Valley floor. The last two years, stages from Santa Clarita to Pasadena included rides through Agua Duke, Acton and the Angeles National Forest. That route served as the final stage in 2008.

This year's Stage 6 also will head into the Angeles National Forest as part of a 135-mile ride to Big Bear.
It will include about 12,000 feet of climbing, to Millcreek Summit, and then Cloudburst, Dawson Saddle, Blue Ridge along the Angeles Crest Highway before descending into Wrightwood.

Cyclists will take off 9:30 a.m. from city hall to Avenue Q-ll, then travel south
down Sierra Highway to Pearblossom Highway. After the initial ride of 5.4 miles over about 12 minutes, the racing begins at the Angeles Forest Highway.

The end at Big Bear marks the first time the race will be completed with an alpine finish, and it is labeled by some as the most difficult stage in the history of the event.

The tour includes stages from Nevada City to Sacramento, Davis to Santa Rosa, San Francisco to Santa Cruze, San Jose to Modesto, Visalia to Bakersfield, Palmdale to Big Bear, a time trial in Los Angeles and a circuit route in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills.

After Stage 5 ends May 20 in Bakers-field, the 16 teams will come to Palmdale to spend the night, expected to occupy roughly 300 rooms.

The event on May 21 is expected to begin around 7:45 a.m. and include hospitality tents and booths before the race. More than 5,000 people are expected to watch the start.

"As the start city, it can give people the opportunity to get close to the racers," Mlynar said.
Added Andrew Messick, president of race presenter AEG Sports: "You can be five feet away from Lance Armstrong and the very, very best guys in the world."

Plans still are being finalized as to how the event will take shape in Palmdale.

Mlynar said city staff including representatives of the Parks and Recreation Department, administration, Economic Development, Public Works and

Public Safety met Tuesday with representatives of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, the California Highway Patrol and race sponsor Amgen on Tuesday with the agreement finalized.

Mlynar said the city had some discussion with tour organizers Jast year but not to this level of being a host city.
"Palmdale has been a city that has been interesting for us for a long time," Messick said. "This was a truly exceptional set of circumstances there's no way you could reasonably anticipate this when we started last October."