Tour of California
The Tour of California (Amgen Tour of California) is an annual professional cycling stage race on the UCI America Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour. It began on February 19, 2006. The eight-day race covers 650–700 miles (1,045 - 1,126 km) through California. A typical edition might begin in Nevada City, travel through the redwoods, wine country and the Pacific Coast, and finish in a southern California city such as Escondido. The 2009 race crossed the Central Valley from Merced to Fresno, with an excursion through the Sierra Nevada foothills, before crossing to the coast. The tour is sponsored by Amgen, a large California-based biotech company.
With eight or nine of the 20 UCI ProTour teams (known as ProTeams) usually racing, the Tour of California is the most important cycling race in the United States since the demise of the Coors Classic in 1988. On November 28, 2006, the UCI upgraded it from 2.1 (category 1) to 2.HC (French: Hors categorie; English: beyond categorization), the highest rating and one of only three such stage races in the United States. Neither of the other two races, the Tour de Georgia and the Tour of Missouri, have been held since 2009, leaving the Tour of California as the United States' only UCI 2.HC race in 2010.
In 2010, the 2010 Tour of California moved from February to May (May 16–23), the same time as the Giro d'Italia.[1] It is considered likely that the number of Americans in the Giro and Italians in the Tour of California will decrease.[2] Tour of California organizers seek to make the race a preparatory event for the Tour de France, believing few riders who seek a serious position in the Tour will ride the Giro. The race remained in May in 2011.
General Classification Results
The leader and overall winner by time after each stage and at the conclusion of the race wears a Yellow Jersey. Originally the leader's jersey was gold, a reference to the California Gold Rush, but in 2009 the jersey color was changed to yellow.
Records and Jerseys
Most Stage Victories
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Most Days in Leader's Jersey
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Sprints Classification
The leader and overall winner by points from intermediate and final sprints wears the Green Jersey.
Sprint Winners
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Most Days in Green Jersey
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Mountains Classification
The leader and overall winner by points in mountain climbs is awarded the Red Jersey (Orange in the past, before 2009) and is known as the race's King of the Mountains or "KOM."
KOM Winners
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Most Days in Mountains Jersey
- Francisco Mancebo (ESP), 6 days (2009)
- Bernhard Kohl (AUT), 5 days (2006)
- Scott Nydam (USA), 5 days (2008)
- Thomas Rabou (NED), 5 days (2010)
- Pat McCarty (USA), 5 days (2011)
- Christophe Laurent (FRA), 4 days (2007)
- Levi Leipheimer (USA), 3 days (2006)
- Thomas Peterson (USA), 3 days (2007)
- Jackson Stewart (USA), 2 days (2008)
- Jason McCartney (USA), 2 days (2009)
- Ryan Anderson (CAN), 2 days (2010)
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Best Young Rider Classification
The leader and overall winner by time for riders under 23 is awarded the White Jersey. Before 2009, this jersey was silver and blue.
Best Young Rider Winners
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Most Days in Youth Jersey
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Teams Classification
Teams are classified based on the total time of the team's top three finishers in each stage.
Best Team Winners
Most Courageous Rider Classification
The Blue Jersey is given to the most courageous rider at the end of each stage. In 2008, the jersey was red. George Hincapie has won this jersey three times, after stages in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Jan Bárta won the award twice during the 2011 edition. No one else has won this jersey more than once.
References
External links
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