Murrieta is well versed in hosting cycling races. It has been the host city for the popular Tour of Murrieta for several years. This stage will incorporate an entirely new part of California for the race. We will head south through Murrieta's sister city of Temecula and its famous wine country. The riders will then tackle the climb up the San Jacinto Mountains to the small hamlet of Idyllwild (one of the most well known mountain biking towns in the USA). The race descends into Coachella Valley and the towns of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City and Palm Springs. The finale of the stage will be contested on the slopes of Tram Way, a 3.6 mile climb near the Northern entrance to the Coachella Valley that averages over 9% gradient. This intermediate length climb is expected to produce the first shakeup in the general classification.
Stage Map
