Elite cyclists crossed the Amgen Tour of California Stage 4 finish line in Morro Bay on Wednesday afternoon.
The world-class cyclists began this leg of the race at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey County, making their way down the coast on Highway 1.
There was a bit of drama in the last few miles of the race as the cyclists entered Morro Bay.
With just about five miles to go, Tejay van Garderen, who had been the overall race leader, fell off his bike when the chain snapped. A teammate gave van Garderen his bike to continue, then van Garderen missed a right-hand turn as the cyclists turned off Highway 1 onto South Bay Blvd.
Then, while passing through Morro Bay State Park, about ten cyclists were involved in a crash.
Just a few minutes later, Fabio Jakobsen of the Netherlands was first to cross the finish line on Harbor St.
He was presented with a model of a fishing boat from the Morro Bay Maritime Museum to commemorate his win in the seaside city.
The race attracted a crowd to downtown Morro Bay where Amgen hosted a Lifestyle Festival with more than 40 exhibitors. There was also a chance for cycling fans to meet some of the racers.
“It’s a really hard working sport and not so appreciated as other sports,” said Toinyai Frank, a cycling fan from Santa Maria. “Those guys don’t make as much money as you know, tennis players or I don’t know, soccer players, but they work hard.”
Their hard work isn’t over. Stage 5 of the race picks up in Pismo Beach on Thursday.
The cyclists will take off from Pomeroy Ave. at 10 a.m. They will head south along Highway 1 through Oceano and Guadalupe to Orcutt. From there, they’ll head out to Foxen Canyon and Highway 154. After climbing over the San Marcos Pass, cyclists will then take Highway 192 into Ventura County for a finish in the City of Ventura.
The Amgen Tour of California started Sunday in Sacramento and will wrap up Saturday in Pasadena.
