The women cyclists are expected to start in South Lake Tahoe in 2017. Photo Copyright 2016 Carolyn E. Wright

By James Raia Sacramento Bee

The announcement likely will come early next week, but South Lake Tahoe officials expect to host the start of the 2017 women’s Amgen Tour of California. Sacramento is expected to be the start of the men’s race.

A four-day women’s stage race will be held May 11-14, likely from South Lake Tahoe to Sacramento. South Lake Tahoe was the start of women’s race this year and the finish for one of the men’s stages.

The men’s race will be one day shorter than in 2016, May 14-20. The men are returning to a north-south route, which will not include Lake Tahoe.

Neither the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which owns the event, nor the title sponsor would confirm the status of various cities.

But South Lake Tahoe and Sacramento officials confirmed they bid to host a stage.

Elk Grove, which has never been part of the event, has bid on a women’s stage.

Folsom, the site of the men’s individual time trial and women’s team time trial this year, did not bid for a stage in 2017.

Davis, which usually seeks a stage, won’t participate in 2017, focusing instead on the 100th anniversary of the city’s incorporation and other civic milestones.

Santa Rosa and Monterey, which hosted stages this year, won’t be involved in 2017, according to city spokespeople. Morro Bay, which hosted a stage start this year, and San Jose, which has been part of the event in nine editions, have bid for 2017.

Participating teams, key individual riders and route mileages usually are announced sporadically a few weeks before the event.

— Lake Tahoe News contributed to this report.