The Amgen Tour of California announced the courses for the May 2017 women’s and men’s stage races. The women’s four stage race begins Thursday, May 11, 2017 in South Lake Tahoe, and ends Sunday, May 14, 2017 in Sacramento, immediately followed in Sacramento by the start of the men’s seven stage race.

The host city highlights video showcases the routes for both women’s and men’s races.

I’ll decide in the next week or two which stages I’ll cover. I’ll for sure cover a portion of the Men’s Stage 2 race from Modesto to San Jose on Monday, May 15. The Mount Hamilton summit is always a favorite viewing spot, though I see other promising areas on the stage map.

In the women’s race, I’ll likely cover Stage 1 and Stage 2, both of which begin and end in South Lake Tahoe.

Pro tip: hang out on steep uphill segments, because you can actually see them riding. For flat stages (like the Sacramento circuit), go to sharp turns. They’re slowing down as they enter the turn, then standing up to accelerate out of the turn.

Full details are available at the Amgen Tour of California 2017 Stages page.