Tour de California more than a 1-day event for Lake Tahoe
By Kathryn Reed
STATELINE – It’s not just a bike ride. It’s not just a one-day gig for the South Shore.
Carol Chaplin, executive director of Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, last week made this extremely evident about the Amgen Tour de California during her presentation to the South Lake Tahoe Lodging Association.
The plan is to have a week’s worth of events leading up to the start of the race on May 15. Chaplin and others are starting to make the rounds this month to service clubs in the area to see how they would want to participate and if they would be responsible for a day of fun.
Events on the books include a Gala on May 13 for all involved, and what’s being called the Lake Tahoe Legends Participation Ride on May 14. The latter will be for anyone.
LTVA is talking with an unnamed property about having a party for the community.
As the host area, 1,848 rooms must be provided – for free, along with 3,844 meals for staff and teams. MontBleu and Harvey’s will be providing the rooms for the teams.
The eight-day race through California – and this year part of Nevada – is touted as having a $400 million economic impact each year. Chaplin said communities have reaped $3 million to $10 million from being a host city for the tour.
“I hope each one of you can take advantage of those wallets out there,” she told the meeting attendees.
Law enforcement and transportation representatives met last week for the second time to begin coordinating efforts. The highways around Lake Tahoe (50, 89, 28) will be closed in stages as the 200 riders pedal through the area.
The start will be near Stateline, with the cyclists going the 72 miles around the lake in about two hours and then doing much of it again before finishing at Northstar-at-Tahoe. The exact route – which may include city streets – will be released in February by tour officials.
The second stage starts at Squaw Valley and ends in Sacramento.
There will be 100 support vehicles, with more than two dozen California Highway patrolmen with them.
Chaplin was asked how the Highway 50 closure over Echo Summit will affect the cycling event. Weather permitting, it is possible Caltrans could start on the rock wall replacement project the Tuesday after Easter – April 26. This would start the two-week closure of the main road into the South Shore.
If all goes according to plan, it would open two days before the international teams arrive in Tahoe.
What hasn’t been addressed publicly is what happens if there is snow or ice on the road during the race. Lake Tahoe is notorious for long winters. One only need look at the snowfall for May and June 2010.
About 300 volunteers are going to be needed on the South Shore to handle various jobs. Sean Sweeney, an avid cyclist and director of skier services at Sierra-at-Tahoe, is heading the volunteer team.
Chaplin said she hopes this is the first of many years Tahoe will be involved with the bike race.
More information about the May 15-22 cycling race is on the Amgen Tour de California website.
I wonder who is paying for all of the extra law enforcement? How was the $3-$10 million calculated and what is the forecast on where the $$ willbe spent here?
Dry…not sure of the law enforcement costs but, from what I’ve heard, the income will be generated by room nights, food, souvenirs and other shopping. Some income will come from future visitors…the ones that see Tahoe at this event (either in person or by media) and plan their next vacation here. Our community needs this shot in the arm! I’m sure LTVA can give you the formula.
30…wonder what our out of pocket exposure is? If the weather is poor and the tourists don’t come, what is our risk. I agree that we need events like these and the American Century golf deal.
In the for what it is worth category, someone pondered the effect of the world seeing how run down the hwy 50 corridor is. Maybe we could decorate the old looking buildings and businesses ala the Xmas lights.
Would be great for 100% of the town to be behind this. Can you imagine restaurants with cycling inspired food and names? Everyone wearing event TShirts and pins? Decorating store fronts as you say…lights, flowers, etc? Stores offering AmGen specials and the list goes on…They are having this as a 10 day event leading up to the event to inspire folks to come and enjoy us in our off season.
Lets hope the weather is on our side :).
I think it’s incredibly cool that this is happening in our town! May or may not get to see any of it, depending on crowds, work, etc, but I’m all for it! Hope the weather cooperates, but in the European races a little snow doesn’t slow them down. Aren’t we just as tough here in the USA?
Harvey’s Gorilla’s Golf match which went on for years,THEY finally threw in the towel because it was too early.
For years ,years, they ended up in the club house or at Harvey’s having to be comped because bad weather.
DOES THE LESSON MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU DREAMERS Of bike races with chains required?
Go back look at weather history,it tell you to wait till June.
Of Course ,no one in this town listens to anyone’s good advice, or we wouldn’t have all these Giant Holes filled with water right now.
(April,May) are when people take their families and themselves to Mexico,the islands,Caribbean,before it’s too damn hot.
“Anyway”, have a nice time in COOLER,CHILLER, TOWN, SNOW BIKE RACES TO SNOWMAN FINISH LINE,HOPE ,NO ONE GOTTEN BEATEN BY SNOW CHAINS.
THE WISE CA. PUBLIC BE AT THE LOCAL BEACHES ON THE PACFICIC OCEAN WITH A CATUS JUICE DRINK ,AS MUCH SKIN EXPOSED AS POSSIBLE ,GETTING RAY TANNED, EATING STUFFED PIG ,STEAKS. PEOPLE TEND TO THINK SUMMER,GREEN GRASS, WARM WATER,NOT COATS.
“TAHOE WON’T EVEN HAVE THE RESTROOMS AT THE BEACHES OPENED YET!!”!!!
Hard … not to critique you, but no Tahoe official set the timing for this event. This is a major bicycling event, if not the biggest in America one of the top ones. We applied to bring the opening here. The exposure in Europe where this is THE first major primer for the Tour de France is going to be HUGE.
The reason we have this event so early in the “biking season” is because all the other major bike classics take place in Europe, this is America’s or California’s only way to get the top athletes here out of Europe by having the first big event of the season.
Having said that, it is my understanding that these professionals will go out and ride regardless of the weather. These guys will come with each bike costing tens of thousands, custom built.
In short Tahoe is dang lucky to have this prestigious event here. Dividends may not pay on a more local scale, but international, it will be huge.