Amy Vickery: Turning Modesto into a ‘Cycle City’ as the Amgen Tour returns

May is National Bike Month, a coast-to-coast celebration of bicycling. Our beautiful Modesto spring weather allows us to play outdoors much of the year, but May could be the nicest month for a bike ride.

On May 18, hundreds of visitors will descend upon our city. Hotels will be brimming, restaurants will fill and service industries of all sorts will see increased business. Our city will host the athletes of the Amgen Tour of California – an important role in one of the world’s premier bicycle races. There will be hundreds of people to welcome – riders, pit crews, families of participants, spectators, race groupies, media, highway patrol and more. During their stay, the riders will be here with their full entourages, taking in Modesto and investing in our economy.

We are a welcoming city, with an opportunity to show our guests the hospitality that only a City of Great Neighbors can. A city is only as memorable as its residents, and Modesto residents are great, fun-loving, kindhearted, warm and generous. We can be the best stop on the tour!

City staff has been working to raise sponsorship support and offset costs through in-kind donations. We have also requested partnership support from race operator AEG to accommodate riders and were pleased to hear that AEG will provide $22,000 toward hotel room costs to spare us some expense. In addition, the tour has booked $9,000 in additional room nights in Modesto to accommodate their staff. All good news!

Our array of May cycling events will offer locals the chance to bask in the cycling lifestyle. It all jumps off with the Amgen Tour of California visit on May 18. Local enthusiasts and families are encouraged to come downtown for the Tour of California: Modesto Cycling Expo Kick-off Party at the DoubleTree Hotel parking lot (11th Street). Join us for an all-access, behind the scenes look at the action on a race stop. Pit crews will set up bike wash stations and busy themselves sprucing up and tuning up road-weary bicycles, offering cycling demos and more.

The fun factor will be amplified by live broadcast radio, food trucks, giveaways and a chance to hang out with celebrity cyclists.

Leave the car in the driveway and cycle to work on May 19 – Bike to Work Day. Get your exercise in early and meet up downtown with other riders. Ride to work alone, with colleagues or Bike to Work with Mayor Ted Brandvold starting at Village Baking Co. in McHenry Village. Enjoy a light breakfast and mini vendor fair at the downtown Tenth Street Plaza at 8 a.m. T-shirts will be provided to participants.

Finally, on May 21 bring your brood to the Family Cycling Festival, which will transform 11th Street. There will be vendor booths, helmet giveaways, BMX bike demonstrations, races and other family fun starting at 10 a.m. This year you can ride bikes to the festival and park them in our bike corral. Kick off the festival with a Community Bike Ride, also at 10 a.m. Stanislaus Bike Club, one of the largest bicycle clubs in the state, will lead the way as we break in the new route from Modesto Junior College’s east to west campuses and finish downtown at the Family Cycling Festival.

Air up your tires and mark your calendars. A week of great cycling events is rolling in soon.

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 10:19 AM with the headline "Amy Vickery: Turning Modesto into a ‘Cycle City’ as the Amgen Tour returns."