San Jose

On Friday, May 17, San Jose, the Capital of Silicon Valley, will host a Time Trial Stage of the 2013 Amgen Tour of California—welcoming back, for the eighth year in a row, the world's elite cyclists.

May 17 will help add another page to San Jose's long cycling history. With its population of more than one million, San Jose has grown over its 236 year existence to the 10th largest city in the U.S., the largest city in Northern California and the world's leading center of innovation. The City has been vital to the sport of cycling ever since one of the world's first pedal bicycles was engineered there; its first local bicycle club was formed back in 1884. 38,000 bike commuters utilize more than 150 miles of on-street bikeways, which led the city to garnering a National Bicycle Friendly Community Award from the League of American Bicyclists. Home to one of only 19 velodromes in the U.S., San Jose is an epicenter of cycling in the San Francisco Bay Area and thus part of the largest cycling community in North America.

With San Jose Sports Authority Executive Director Patricia Ernstrom and Carl Guardino, President & CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group serving as Local Organizing Committee Co-Chairs, the 2013 Amgen Tour of California, provides a platform to raise awareness about green mobility, San Jose’s Green Vision, and the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle. Cycling plays a significant part in making this happen. San Jose offers ongoing bike commuting classes to ensure all have access to key safety training and help transition commuters from cars to bikes. The City is in the midst of expanding its bikeways, including a network of trail systems, allowing residents to travel more easily by bicycle, as well as encourage exploration and education about our natural habitat so residents better understand the benefits of a healthy environment and value its preservation.

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a public policy association with more than 375-member Silicon Valley companies, believes that bicycling is a key component to solving our region's transportation problems, as well as increasing the health and quality of life of the residents in its communities. The Leadership Group promotes bike commuting among Silicon Valley employers, advocates for bike-friendly infrastructure and policies locally, statewide and at the federal level, and works to facilitate biking through cultural change. For more information, visit, www.svlg.org .

Planning a visit to San Jose to experience the Amgen Tour of California? Our convention and visitors bureau is here to help. www.sanjose.org

For more information about cycling in San Jose and throughout the region, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition has handy information about a wide array of bike trails and programs.
www.bikesiliconvalley.org

Want to learn more about San Jose's exciting plans to expand cycling accessibility for all? Check out the San Jose Department of Transportation's Bicycle and Pedestrian site to find out why this city is a perfect cycling destination.
www.sanjoseca.gov/transportation/bikeped/bikeped_program.asp


The 8th Annual Silicon Valley Time Trial Charity Challenge presented by Splunk, SunPower, Suffolk Construction and Silicon Valley Leadership Group

Come and join 400 amateur cyclists, including Valley CEOs and elected leaders, as they take to the hills for a 19.6 mile charity ride in south San Jose along the same course as the Amgen Tour of California Time Trial.

Date: Friday, May 17
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: South San Jose (19.6 miles from IBM Santa Teresa Research Facility at 555 Bailey Avenue to the Santa Clara County Motorcycle Park at 300 Metcalf Road)

The charity beneficiary for this event is the Santa Clara Office of Education’s “Fit For Learning” Program, which funds anti-obesity programs for children in grades K-8. Visit www.svlg.org for more registration details.



As a founding sponsor, Visit California is pleased to be a part of the 2013 Amgen Tour of California. For insider trip ideas, cruise over to visitcalifornia.com.

SAN JOSE / STAGE 6, May 17

• San Jose is Ground Zero for the Computer Age. Nicknamed “Silicon Valley” it’s home to influential high-tech companies including Google, Facebook and Intel.
• San Jose is the third-largest city in California (and the 10th largest in the U.S.).
• Explore the Spirit of Silicon Valley in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations.
• Despite the development of other high-tech economic centers throughout the United States and the world, Silicon Valley continues to be the leading hub for high-tech innovation and development.
• San José consistently wins awards for its livability and appeal.
• Winner of a National Bicycle Friendly Community award from the League of American Bicyclists, San Jose is home to an ever-growing network of cycling trails.
• Dine at San Pedro Bistro & Wine, located at the heart of San Jose, for urban ambiance with an international flavor.
• Get hands-on at The Tech Museum. Explore the Spirit of Silicon Valley at this dynamic museum devoted to technology.
• The Winchester Mystery House, built over the course of 38 years beginning in 1884, is seriously spooky, with bizarre architectural features such as stairways to nowhere and windows opening onto walls – constructed to confuse the spirits that haunt it.
• San José has an appealingly eclectic feel, partly because of its immigrants, partly because of the variety of museums and other cultural attractions scattered around town. Home to the biggest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam, San José has the nation’s first Vietnamese Heritage Garden and Historical Museum.
• Museums range from the ultra-kid-friendly Children’s Discovery Museum with over 150 interactive exhibits, to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium, with the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in the Western U.S.
• If you want to see San José’s glitterati – the “Digerati” – in their natural habitat, head to Santana Row, the city’s answer to Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive. Find everything from high-end boutiques such as Gucci to trendy al fresco eateries and sexy wine bars.

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