Pro Cycling Tour to Cruise Through Pacifica

Elite cyclists from around the world will zip , climb into the Santa Cruz Mountains then fly down into Aptos for a big finish in front of Cabrillo College on Soquel Drive this spring.

The AMGEN Tour of California announced the details of its eight-stage race Wednesday morning.

Here's part of the official description of the San Francisco-to-Santa Cruz stage, slated for Monday, May 13.

Cycling fans who love the electric feel of race starts will be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Stage 2 start of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California in San Francisco. Beginning at Marina Green in San Francisco’s Marina District, the start line will run right to the break wall of San Francisco Bay. The backdrop? Breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the Marin Headlands. However, the riders’ stay in the great city of San Francisco will be short-lived because within a few minutes, the race will have passed through the Presidio with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. From here, Stage 2 will continue south on Highway 1 through the San Francisco suburbs of Pacifica and Daly City.

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, which, in previous editions of the race, has determined the winner of the stage.

For more on this race, head to .