Bakersfield -- The Amgen Tour of California is popularly regarded as the second biggest cycling race in the world, second only to the Tour de France.

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and the world's top cyclists will be pedaling thru Kern County May 20th, 2010 after Bakersfield was awarded a "finish stop" for the next year's Tour of California.

Bakersfield was chosen as one of 16 cities to earn a stop in this race, and will be part of the Fifth Stage.

The exact route of the race continues to be ironed out, but Bakersfield Sports Foundation president Kerry Ryan believes there's a good chance the Fifth Stage will begin in Visalia, drop down thru the Greenville area, and finish on the bluffs near Bakersfield College. Ryan is in discussions with Tour of California officials to finalize the exact route and hopes to have the route mapped out by November.

The 2008 Tour of California quickly crossed through the northern tip of Kern County en route to the Coast.