Focus Shifts to Murrieta For Stage 2 of Amgen Tour

Braving record-breaking heat Monday—at least 93 degrees in Murrieta—cyclists competing in the Amgen Tour of California Bike Race left Murrieta's Town Square for the second stage of the eight-stage race.

It was a monumental day for the City of Murrieta, which hosted a kick-off festival Sunday as well as race day activities such as a free pancake breakfast cooked by Murrieta firefighters.

"This race is a world-class event and Murrieta is honored to host the stage 2 start event," said Murrieta Mayor Rick Gibbs. "Our citizens are well-educated, have good jobs but they love the outdoor lifestyle so it was clearly a natural connection to bring the Amgen Tour here."

Locals lined Murrieta streets, cheering as riders took off from Town Square, turned west onto Juniper Street, north on Washington Avenue, then headed northeast on Kalmia Street/California Oaks Road until they reached Clinton Keith Road. The route took riders east on Clinton Keith to Whitewood, then north on Whitewood, west on Baxter, north on Antelope Road and east on Scott Road.

"It's kind of cool to have the pros on the same streets that I ride every single day," said Murrieta resident Rick Winters, 44, a recreational cyclist with the Temecula VELO club.

Excitement from locals grew when actor Patrick Dempsey of TV's "Grey's Anatomy" took the Amgen stage prior to Monday's leg. Dempsey has partnered with the Amgen Tour for eight years, serving as a celebrity frontman for Amgen's nonprofit organization, Breakaway from Cancer.

Dempsey, who cycles though admittedly not at the pro level, told the crowd he has witnessed his mother battle ovarian cancer for a decade.

"The Breakaway from Cancer initiative has been a big part of my life," Dempsey said, noting the Amgen Dempsey Challenge is a 100-mile bicycle race that takes place annually in his hometown near Portland, Maine.

It was a historic day for Murrieta—and Riverside County—as the race rolled through the area for the first time in its eight-year history.

Murrieta residents and business owners were briefly affected by road closures that went off as planned, according to Murrieta police Sgt. Jim Gruwell.

With the help of volunteers and several sworn and non-sworn officers, local streets along the route were closed at 10:10 a.m. until the riders passed through.

"There were no problems," Gruwell said. "Most people were aware; there were only a few people who didn't hear about it beforehand."

After leaving Murrieta, riders headed to Hemet and East Hemet. The cyclists then climbed the San Jacinto Mountains to Idyllwild, followed by a descent on state Route 74 into the Coachella Valley where the temperature reached 110 degrees and higher.

The 124.1-mile stage passed through Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City and Palm Springs, concluding on the slopes to Tram Way, a 3.6- mile climb near the northern entrance to Coachella Valley that averages more than 9 percent gradient.

The uphill finish would catch cyclists off guard, said Timmy Duggan, the reigning U.S. champion.

"I did it in training and it was very hard," Duggan said. "Racing up it will be a beast. I think a few people may crack. I can definitely see time breaks and if you're off that day, maybe significant time. It's a big stage."

The eight-day, nearly 750-mile race officially known as the Amgen Tour of California began Sunday with a 102.6-mile stage that began and ended in Escondido. Lieuwe Westra of the Netherlands won in four hours, 31 minutes, 23 seconds, four seconds ahead of Francisco Mancebo Perez of Spain. Peter Sagan of Slovakia was third in 4:31:35.

On Monday, Janier Acevedo of Colombia, racing for Jamis-Hagens Berman won Stage 2, crossing the finish line at the base of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway just after 3 p.m. for a time of 5:07:40. In second place, BMC Racing's Tejay van Garderen was 12 seconds off Acevedo’s pace. Philip Deignan, racing for United Healthcare, was third, just 27 seconds behind the leader.

The field includes 2010 Tour de France champion Andy Schleck, 10 other riders who have won stages in the Tour de France, seven world champions and 11 current national champions.

Tour competitor Tom Soladay, an Optum team member who was in town in March as a Tour de Murrieta participant, described the Amgen as the "biggest event I've ever raced."

"This is our Tour de France, so it really is a privilege to come out here and race. Both of my parents flew out to watch and are spending the week with my girlfriend," said Soladay, who recently returned from competing throughout Europe.

This marks the first time in its eight-year history the race is being run from south to north. It will conclude in Santa Rosa Sunday.

"Taking the Amgen Tour of California from south to north is something we always knew we wanted to do," said Kristin Bachochin, the race's executive director.

"We think this will bring a whole new element to the competition for the elite cyclists who participate, not to mention some striking California scenery four our worldwide audience.

"California provides a variety of beautiful yet challenging terrain, helping us achieve our goal of creating a challenging route year after year while showcasing the very best this state has to offer."

—City News Service contributed to this report.