Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Tour of California will award equal prize money to female cyclists
Kristin Klein, President of the Amgen Tour of California poses with the peloton prior to stage one of the Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease Women's Race in this May 19, 2016 file photo taken in South Lake Tahoe. Women will be awarded equal prize money starting with the 2018 race.
(
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
)
Katie Hall riding for UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling crosses the finish line to win stage one of the 2015 Amgen Tour of California women's race at the Heavenly Mountain Resort on May 8, 2015 in South Lake Tahoe, California.
(
Harry How/Getty Images
)
The Amgen Tour of California is doing away with the so-called "podium girls," pictured here alongside Megan Guarnier of the United States, who was awarded the women's UCI World Tour points leader jersey for the 2016 race.
(
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
)
The Amgen Tour of California kicked off in Long Beach Sunday, and for the first time the state's equivalent to the Tour de France will offer equal prize money to male and female cyclists.
To be more precise, the men's race started Sunday. The women will compete on a shorter, three-stage course beginning later in the week. The lack of parity in the length of men's and women's rides in professional cycling is a matter of contention for some, and that will not change this year, but the purse will be the same for men and women.
The decision was announced at a pre-race press conference on Friday by Kristin Klein, Tour president and executive vice president of AEG Sports.
In addition to awarding equal prize money, the Tour will do away with podium hostesses — the women who stand next to the winners as a kind of stage decoration — and will also drop the tradition of the winner's kiss, Klein said.
Support for LAist comes from
SACRAMENTO, CA - MAY 22: Megan Guarnier of the United States riding for Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team is awarded the women's UCI World Tour points leader jersey following the Amgen Breakaway From Heart Disease Women's Race on May 22, 2016 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
)
These customs have become increasingly unpopular in the cycling world as the #MeToo movement brings intense scrutiny to the mistreatment and objectification of women, and as female cycling begins to attract more fans and media attention in its own right.
The Tour of California, which for the men runs May 13-19 across 645 miles from Long Beach to Sacramento, is the only race in the U.S. included in the UCI WorldTour, putting it in the same company as the prestigious Tour de France, which starts later this summer.
It's not alone in taking a stand on prize money or "podium girls," though. Australia's Santos Tour Down Under and its parallel women's event will dole out equal prizes starting in 2019. The Tour de France announced it will no longer use podium girls, following in the footsteps of La Vuelta a España, according to The Sunday Times. The Tour de France is notably still a men's-only race.
The Tour of California will feature 17 teams of cyclists from across 30 countries. The three-stage women's race covers 188 miles, beginning Thursday in Elk Grove and following alongside the men's race, with a second stage in South Lake Tahoe and a Saturday finish in Sacramento.
The Sacramento Bee put together a list of seven riders to watch. Among the women:
- Megan Guarnier, who hails from San Mateo and rides for USA Cycling's national team
- Katie Hall, from Saratoga, whose team is UnitedHealthcare
- Coryn Rivera, from Tustin, who's riding with Team Sunweb
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA - MAY 08: Katie Hall riding for UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling crosses the finish line to win stage one of the 2015 Amgen Tour of California women's race at the Heavenly Mountain Resort on May 8, 2015 in South Lake Tahoe, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(
Harry How/Getty Images
)
Support for LAist comes from
Men to watch include cycling's No. 1-ranked Peter Sagan of Slovakia, who rides for Team Bora-Hansgrophe; veteran racer Mark Cavendish of Great Britain; and two California riders, Evan Huffman and Peter Stetina.
The Long Beach course covers 83.6 miles, and the race starts at 12:40 p.m. on Mother's Day.
You can get more race details, including how to watch on TV or stream online, on the Tour's website, and Long Beach traffic closures are listed here.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist