After passing on this year’s event, Solvang will attempt to bring the Amgen Tour of California back for a fifth time in 2013, applying as a host city prior to the Aug. 17 deadline.
The Solvang city council voted 4-0 on Aug. 13 to submit the proposal, which is open-ended and includes applications for an individual time trial, as well as a stage start and finish.
Tour owner AEG Sports is asking host cities to provide all security and police for the 2013 event, as well as cover hotel rooms for more than 400 attendees. The rising costs associated with hosting the event provoked concerns from some residents and city officials, including mayor Jim Richardson.
“I support the proposal,” Richardson said. “Where the rubber meets the road is in how it will come back … I would like [tour organizers] to be a little more generous. Each year they keep wanting more.”
Richardson said he wants to avoid paying for anything out of the city’s general fund. To save money, the city is applying for a mid-week date for the stage, and will be making several changes to the route in order to satisfy locals concerned about road closures.
Solvang has hosted individual time trial stages from 2007 to 2009, and in 2011. The individual time trials allow for fundraising prior to the event, and in previous years, the city has raised more than $25,000 to offset the cost of hosting. The local organizing committee spent about $125,000 to bring the Tour to town in 2011—the city paid nothing out of its general fund.
AEG Sports is expected to issue award letters in September and announce host cities for the event the following month. The Tour will be held May 12 to May 19, 2013.
This article appears in Aug 23-30, 2012.