Amgen bike race speeds through Santa Paula

The 10th Annual Amgen Tour of California cycling race wound its way through Santa Paula Thursday. Stage 5 of the race brought the riders from Santa Barbara, through Ojai to Santa Paula and through Balcom Canyon to Moorpark, finally culminating in Santa Clarita.

Mark Cavendish of Great Britain won his third stage win and Latvia’s Tom Skujins held on to the overall lead. Race presenter AEG increased the field over last year to include 18 international and domestic teams to compete on a picturesque but grueling eight-day route that will cover nearly 700 miles of California's most beautiful roadways, highways and coastlines from May 10 through May 17. "The 10th anniversary of the Amgen Tour of California is a momentous occasion, and that will be reflected in a bigger-than-ever competition with the highest caliber of teams yet for 2015," said Kristin Bachochin Klein, executive director of the Amgen Tour of California and senior vice president of AEG Sports. "Over the past 10 years, this race has developed into the most well regarded cycling event in the nation, and beyond that, something really special that resonates with fans around the world. Year after year, we're proud to raise the bar and deliver an even more exciting race to our supporters, partners and participants." Since its inception in 2006, the Amgen Tour of California has become one of the most important races on the international cycling calendar, showcasing the most accomplished cyclists from around the world on American soil. In addition, the event provides cyclists the chance to preview their prospective competition at the subsequent Tour de France. This year's nearly 700-mile course wound through 13 host cities, including Sacramento, Nevada City, Lodi, San Jose, Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita, Big Bear Lake, Ontario, Mt. Baldy, L.A. LIVE (Downtown Los Angeles) and Pasadena.