Rancho Cordova To Host Start Of Amgen Tour, Hopes For Image Boost
RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) — The Amgen Tour of California has announced its race schedule for next year and a few local cities made the cut.
The tour will start its first leg in Sacramento on May 12th. And the following day, move onto Rancho Cordova — for the very first time.
It's America's version of the Tour de France, but seeing some of the world's top cyclists isn't the only appeal of hosting the Amgen Tour of California.
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"Any event, even small, will affect business so, such a big event I'm sure will bring much more business to all of us," said Iman Askari.
Iman Askari is the owner of the Famous Burgers and Brew in Rancho Cordova.
"You get exposed forever. People remember your name they try it once," he said.
He can't quite put a price tag on what the Amgen bike race will do for business, but he's not just fired up about the tourism boost.
"This will get us on the map," said Mark Sapoznik, Executive Director of Rancho Cordova's Travel and Tourism Agency.
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Sapoznik says the community is excited to see how the world-famous cycling event helps the city's image transform from an employment hub that mostly caters to business people to a destination attracting leisure travelers with a love for the outdoors.
"Yeah, one of the things a lot of visitors don't know right away is we're so close to the river. We have great access summer or winter time. We have six miles of trail along the American River Parkway," Sapoznik said.
Overlooking this bike-friendly city will be hard to do when cyclists and visitors swarm the streets. But building a reputation out of a race will be a challenge, locals can't wait to be a part of.
