Escondido May be Startling Line for Amgen Tour

Escondido may be the "starting line" of the country's biggest bicycle race, the city's officials announced Tuesday.

Organizers of the Amgen Tour of California urged Escondido to be one of only a few host cities of the May race, according to our media partner the North County Times.

Hosting the beginning leg of the 2013 race would bring a much-needed economic boost to the city, but at cost of about $475,000.

City spokeswoman Joyce Masterson said that cost would likely be covered by donations like it was in 2009, when Escondido hosted the race.

If approved, participants would spend about 36 hours in Escondido. Though it's not known how much of a monetary impact this stay would have on the city, other hosts have seen enormous benefits.

Santa Rosa brought in an estimated $6.8 million economic boost from the event this year, Raissa de la Rosa, the city's economic development specialist, told the NC Times.

For more information on the race and its potential in Escondido, check it out on the NC Times' website.