• Tweet

Lake Tahoe has long been a training ground for some of the world’s best skiers and snowboarders, but its mountains have also provided professional cyclists with challenging terrain to better prepare themselves for the country’s most prestigious races, including the 2011 Amgen Tour of California.

Amid the parka-wearing, ski-toting residents and visitors, Lake Tahoe is home to an avid group of competitive cyclists who train year-round, both indoors and out. The go-to place for cyclists to improve athletic performance, especially during the winter months, is Performance JM in Truckee, owned by Olympic gold and silver medalist Julia Mancuso. 

“Our cycling instructors are all competitive road racers, triathletes or mountain bike racers, who specifically work with Olympic athletes, professionals, as well as aspiring athletes,” said Fitness Director Chris Cloyd. 

Cyclists here have the advantage of training at altitude, 6,200 feet, which helps provide endurance athletes with a training advantage. The facility is equipped with all the latest technological advances to take athletes to that next level of competition.

To get riders in the saddle and out on the open road among the region’s renowned alpine lakes and forested setting, Lake Tahoe’s cycling gurus have a long list of the best routes that get the nod from the professionals.

According to Gary Bell, owner of Sierra Ski and Cycle Works in South Lake Tahoe, anyone who rides a bike should take to the 72-mile course around Tahoe’s lakeshore, part of the race’s Stage 1, at least once in a lifetime.

As recently as last summer, local cyclists reported sightings of American professional cyclist Levi Leipheimer, a three-time winner of the Amgen Tour of California, training along the lake’s picturesque West Shore.

Paco Lindsay of Paco’s Truckee Bike and Ski in Truckee recommends adding an additional leg to the Lake Tahoe-lake loop.

“Blackwood Canyon on the West Shore is a fantastic add-on to the around-Tahoe excursion,” said Lindsay. “The turn off is three miles south of Tahoe City at Kaspian Campground. The road is paved and winds all the way up to Barker Pass, gaining approximately 1,300 feet in elevation from lake level.”

But Leipheimer isn’t the first professional cyclist to train Lake Tahoe, nor will he be the last. According to Rich Staley, owner of Great Basin Bicycles in Reno, Nevada, Greg LeMond, three-time Tour of France winner and Reno native, included Tahoe as part of his rigorous training regime.

“LeMond would ride from Washoe to Virginia City to Carson City (Nevada), then up Highway 50 to Spooner Summit (7,200 feet), onto Mount Rose along Highway 431 (8,260 feet) and back to his house in Washoe.”

According to Staley, this loop is also one of the most popular rides in the area.

Another classic training ride incorporates a Lake Tahoe icon – Rainbow Bridge.

“Hands down one of the best rides is from Truckee to Cisco Grove (California),” said Hardy Bullock, the Elijah Bleu’s race team captain. One of Truckee’s newest coffee shops, Elijah Bleu’s is just as serious about cycling as they are about their java.

“The climb along Old Highway 40 is famous for Rainbow Bridge built back in 1926, its spectacular views of Donner Lake and the 1,000-foot + climb,” said Bullock. It’s also part of the Stage 2 route for the Amgen Tour of California.

Dean Schaecher, another of Lake Tahoe’s avid cyclists and owner of The Pour House, a Truckee-based hip wine shop and tasting bar, agrees.

“This is a classic training route that all the racers use as a benchmark of their fitness,” said Schaecher. “They can quote you their best time on the course on any given year. There are many great rides in Lake Tahoe, but Donner is THE one.”

Bullock also recommends Martis Peak on Highway 267, an out-and-back from Truckee, as an ideal route. It also happens to be his own personal favorite, and is the toughest ride his team trains on. The professional cyclists competing in the Amgen Tour of California will also hit Brockway Summit, but will be coming from Kings Beach, California, the last significant hill climb before the Stage 1 finish at Northstar-at-Tahoe.

“The ride is approximately 40 miles roundtrip, with the first 10 miles flat across Truckee’s Martis Valley then moving into a steep 10-mile climb to Brockway Summit, at approximately 7,200 feet” said Bullock. 

Cycling enthusiasts new to the area or those that enjoy the camaraderie of riding in a group can also take to the road in the Start at the Top – Lake Tahoe Legends Ride.

The ride, part of Lake Tahoe’s 10-Day Countdown and held just prior to the kick-off of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, is scheduled for Saturday, May 14. It explores the majority of the first lap of Stage 1, and gives riders a chance to rub elbows with cycling legends, such as Bobby Julich, Sky ProCycling Race Coach and 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist.

Whatever training ride undertaken, recreational or competitive, the pros tend to end the day at one of Lake Tahoe’s many watering holes with the traditional Tahoe cycling, post-ride beverage of choice: beer, of course.

Find the best viewing points, where to catch the riders up close, a complete list of events and lodging accommodations online.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. For details about the Tour and information about volunteering, visit online.