Stage 5: Visalia to Bakersfield

The Amgen Tour of California returns to Visalia for the start of Stage 5, a stage that will take the riders through the heart of California’s San Joaquin Valley and into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After departing Visalia, the race will head due south through the towns of Exeter and Lindsay. Just south of Porterville, the route heads further inland and tackles the narrow and twisty Old Stage Rd. into the town of Woody. Continuing on to Bakersfield, the route heads into the Kern River oil field, the fifth largest in the United States, where the riders will encounter several short, steep climbs. From atop the final climb, the cyclists will be able to look down onto the finish at Bakersfield College. The final obstacle is a 10 percent climb up China Grade, and after that the stage will come to an end with two finishing circuits in Bakersfield.