SPORTS | By Bret Bradigan

Tour of California to Breeze Through Ojai

America’s biggest bicycle race, Amgen’s Tour of California, whizzed through Ojai early afternoon Monday, April 14 for Stage 2 of the epic 645-mile, 7-day race.

Photos by Joe Sohm; taken May 14, 2018 in Ojai, California as cyclists pass through town for the Amgen Tour of California.

The race begins in Long Beach and ends in Sacramento and stars three of the greatest cycling champions — Mark Cavendish of Team Dimension Data, Marcel Kittel of Team Katusha Alpecin and “King of California” Peter Sagan, who is the first three-time consecutive World Champion.

The three are known for their sprinting showdowns and superb athleticism.

Stage 2 starts 11:15 a.m. at Ventura Harbor, circles through Oxnard and Camarillo, before heading over Balcom Canyon Road through Santa Paula and on to Highway 150 through upper Ojai and down through town. The route then winds over Casitas Pass Road, through Highway 192 through Carpinteria and Montecito before ending about 3:45 p.m. with a steep climb up Gibraltar Road. The route is 98 miles with 7,700 feet of elevation gains along the way.

The closely packed peloton can be expected to come through downtown Ojai between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. About 645 men and 187 women will average about 24 miles per hour. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Top cyclist Peter Sagan will be among the hundreds of cyclists whizzing through Ojai on April 14.