Today's grueling leg

MODESTO — Hundreds of people lined downtown Modesto on Wednesday to watch a pack of the world’s top cyclists leave on a 102-mile race to San Jose.

Modesto’s leg of the Amgen Tour of California drew a mix of diehard cycling fans as well as curious residents who wanted to grab a peak at elite athletes.

“We just wanted to see what it feels like,” said Bill Johnson, 62, a retired Modesto resident who watched the race from a 10th Street curb with his wife, Margaret.

Other fans knew who they wanted to see. They queued up at “autograph alley,” seeking signatures from the athletes.

“I’m here to see people you see on TV,” said racing fan Henry Briones, 52, of Tracy.

Some race fans were watching the tour unfold on a giant TV screen outside the city’s arts center.

City leaders said the turnout exceeded their expectations. They wanted to make a good impression on Amgen in hopes the tour will come back to Modesto next year.

“This is something we needed for a long time,” Mayor Jim Ridenour said. “Now we just to need to carry it through to some more exciting things.”

Today’s trek from Modesto to San Jose is expected to be the most grueling leg of the tour so far. On Monday, the tour started in Sausalito and ended in Santa Rosa. Tuesday’s leg was from Santa Rosa to Sacramento.

Seventeen cycling teams are en route to San Jose, speeding up 4,360-foot Mount Hamilton before descending into Silicon Valley. Modesto is one of 14 cities hosting a start or a finish for the 665-mile Tour of California.

Modesto nabbed a spot in the race that belonged to Stockton last year. Nonprofits and businesses dedicated $63,000 to support Modesto’s bid. More than 300 people volunteered to help, acting parks director Julie Hannon said.

In its third year, the Tour of California has become a premier cycling event in the United States. It draws an international audience of spectators and generated an estimated $100 million in revenue statewide last year.