Amgen Tour of California reveals 2015 host cities

America’s largest cycling race, the Amgen Tour of California, announced its host cities for the 2015 race. The eight-stage race will start on May 10 in Sacramento, and the final stage, on May 17, will run from L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles to a finish in Pasadena.

For the 10th anniversary of the tour, the roughly north-to-south route will cover almost 700 miles of the state.

“We’re certain the worldwide audience will be on the edge of their seats watching as the sport’s best men and women cyclists compete against each other in what is likely to be our most challenging and picturesque course ever,” said Kristin Bachochin, the tour’s executive director.

From Sacramento, the peloton will travel through wine country, into an urban stage in San Jose, the only city to host a stage in all 10 editions, then up the coast and into the mountains before the finish in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles has hosted a stage two times in the past, including the overall finish in 2012.

The three-stage women’s race will start May 8 in South Lake Tahoe and finish in Sacramento on May 10, the same day the men’s race begins. There will also be an invitational time trial on May 15, or stage six of the men’s race.

Here is the full schedule for the men’s race:

Stage 1: Sunday, May 10 – Sacramento

Stage 2: Monday, May 11 – Nevada City to Lodi

Stage 3: Tuesday, May 12 – San Jose

Stage 4: Wednesday, May 13 – Pismo Beach to Avila Beach

Stage 5: Thursday, May 14 – Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita

Stage 6: Friday, May 15 – Big Bear Lake (Individual Time Trial)

Stage 7: Saturday, May 16 – Ontario to Mt. Baldy

Stage 8: Sunday, May 17 – L.A. LIVE (Downtown Los Angeles) to Pasadena

zach.helfand@latimes.com