Sprint to Capitol expected in today’s leg of Tour de California
By John Schumacher, Sacramento Bee
After the climb up Donner Summit, the long descent toward Sacramento strongly suggests a familiar finish today in the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California.
Get ready for another field sprint in front of the state Capitol.
That’s the consensus among riders and team directors asked about the 133.2-mile trek from Squaw Valley to downtown Sacramento on Day 2 of the sixth annual pro cycling race.
A 2.3-mile ascent on Donner Pass Road early in the stage includes 829 feet of elevation gain, giving ambitious riders plenty of opportunity to stage a breakaway.
But the course drops 7,000 feet from there, heading down Interstate 80 and Highway 20 before going through Nevada City, Grass Valley, Beale Air Force Base and Wheatland.
