Lodi Getting Amped For Amgen Tour Of California
LODI (CBS13) – The Tour of California is back in action, and it kicked off in San Diego on Sunday.
The City of Lodi is now eagerly awaiting their chance later this week to be center stage of the racing world for the Amgen Tour.
Lodi will transform into a route for the fastest cyclists in the world, and according to the co-chair of Lodi's organizing committee, Lodi's hotels are going to be jam-packed by mid-week.
"You could be pretty hard-pressed to find a hotel room that's available on Wednesday night in Lodi," Bob Colarossi said.
Colarossi helped create the California race a decade ago. This year Lodi won't be a finish line, but a starting line for stage five, offering longer opportunities for spectators to watch world-class riders.
"As a start city, the riders are more relaxed, the race hasn't started yet, they're really accessible to the public," Colarossi said. "You can walk up and get autographs and talk to them and really see what they're doing."
Colarossi says Lodi is making its mark on the map for top wine destinations in California.
"Lodi's been growing by leaps and bounds," Colarossi said.
The race is expected to draw tens-of-thousands of viewers to Lodi.
The race begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday in downtown Lodi, and cyclists will make their 130-mile trek to South Lake Tahoe, before riding to Sacramento at the end of the week.
