Photos By Camas Frank
Central Coast residents once again got the thrill of seeing world-class bicycle racers tear on up the coast through their little towns with Stage Four of the AMGEN race kicking off at the Morro Rock, May 18.
The same stage was held in Avila Beach in 2015 and in Downtown San Luis Obispo in 2008.
Sections of several Morro Bay thoroughfares were temporarily closed for the event, making it difficult to both see the riders start and watch them pass on their way up Highway One, but a few enterprising mountain bikers did manage to zip up the State Beach and intercept the racers for a second view.
Sometimes referred to as the “California version of the Tour de France,” this was the 11th Amgen Tour of California race spanning most of the state. The eight-stage race went 782-miles starting in San Diego on May 15 and ending in Sacramento on May 22.
Morro Bay’s temperate climate this time of year was hailed as one of the advantages to Stage Four being the longest single stretch of the event. And the public relations folks over at Visit SLO, the tourism tax (TBID) funded County promoters were quick to cash in, painting Morro Bay as a “Gateway to the North Coast” for outdoor enthusiasts.
Along with the City of SLO, Morro Bay is one of 325 American cities that have earned designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community, certified by the League of American Bicyclists. SLO was recently awarded the slightly more illustrious Gold Status, to Morro Bay’s Bronze.
