Registration Open for Bike Ride, the Slow Coast Green Fondo, April 29

Register now for the Slow Coast Green Fondo, the official Pre- Amgen Tour of California event for Santa Cruz County. The Slow Coast Green Fondo is themed around local green solutions for everyday living, from food choices to transportation & energy choices. The event will feature a 56-mile ride through Santa Cruz County and conclude with a Multi-Course Slow Food Dinner at the Main Street Garden & Cafe.  This charity bike ride will contribute funds to Ecology Action’s BikeSmart! Youth Safety Education program as the Diabetic Youth Foundation, Food What?!, Save Our Shores & SCCCC. There is a $500 Fundraising commitment per cyclist.

Register through Active.com here.

Karen Kefauver is a freelance writer based in Santa Cruz, California. Visit her website to see more cycling stories and photos here: www.karenkefauver.com

3 Fun-Raising Events for Amgen Tour of California Santa Cruz Finish

Mark your calendars!

Here are 3 fundraisers coming up for the Amgen Tour of California Santa Cruz Finish. Tuesday, April 17, 5 p.m. Shadowbrook Restaurant will host a silent aucion and dinner. Besides cool raffle items, a portion of the restaurant’s proceeds of the day will go to the TOC. Details: http://www.tourofcalifornia-santacruz.com/content/silent-auction-shadowbrook Sunday, April 22, 4 p.m. Michael’s on Main Restaurant in Soquel hosts a silent auction. Details: http://www.tourofcalifornia-santacruz.com/content/silent-auction-michaels-main Sunday, April 29, 8 a.m. The Green Fondo, an all-day bike ride begins at 8 a.m. Details: http://www.tourofcalifornia-santacruz.com/content/slow-coast-green-fondo-0 Learn more about all three events:  http://www.tourofcalifornia-santacruz.com/events   Amgen Tour of California Stage 2 Route Making its way down the Devil’s Slide, north of Half Moon Bay, the peloton will enjoy the most spectacular coastline in the world. The stage will then turn inward and start the assault up Bonny Doon Road, which, in previous editions of the race, has determined the winner of the stage. There will be two King of the Mountains (KOM) during Stage 2, the first being atop Bonny Doon Road and Empire Grade. Once on Empire Grade, the riders will turn left and continue upward until turning right onto Jamison Creek Road for a sure-to-be-hair-raising descent. From Jamison Creek it will be onto Highway 236 then Highway 9 for another attack up Bear Creek Road and the second KOM. Then it will be over to Summit Road and down Old San Jose Road. The last several miles of the stage are downhill, followed by a short run down Soquel Drive to the finish on Cabrillo College Road. Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California will certainly be a long and difficult stage, but it won’t be a surprise to see a large pack of riders contest the finish in an exciting Sprint.