Roller Coaster Finish Added For 2010 Amgen Tour of California

Stage 3 of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will finish in the shadow of the century old wooden roller coaster at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.  The stage will likely be decided along the winding West Cliff Drive overlooking local surf spot Steamer Lane and the Monterey Bay.  
The SF to Santa Cruz stage, scheduled for May 18, will start along the ocean at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco at 11:15 AM and head south along a 113 mile course that takes riders through Daly City to Half Moon Bay, up the mountains behind Woodside and back to the coast through Pescadero.  
The route down Highway 1 from Pescadero to Bonny Doon Road provides one of the most scenic rides in all of America.
The race leaves the coast for a final, grueling 2000 foot ascent through the Redwoods to Bonny Doon in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  From there it's a fast downhill that passes the University of California at Santa Cruz before returning to the water's edge and what should be a winding and wild finish.