Twenty-two years ago, a group of seven cyclists from the cities of Murrieta and Temecula had a vision of establishing an organized cycling club in the Inland Empire. The region was rapidly growing and not too many cyclists were gathering for organized club rides, though the beautiful countryside and picturesque grape vineyards make cycling in the area a special experience. What started as a vision quickly grew to a large cycling club, fast forward to 2024, and the group of seven has now grown to over 100 members of what is now known as the Stage 2 Cycling (S2C)/BOSCH presented by ELIEL cycling team!
The S2C cycling team has been active in the local community, so much so, that between 2002 to present date, they have held community safety bicycle rodeos for youth, organized weekly bicycle rides in the area, and held bicycle races sanctioned by the United States of America Cycling (USAC)-America’s governing body for professional, amateur and olympic athletes, in the cities of Temecula and Murrieta.
Currently, the race now known as the Tour de Murrieta, a 2-day bicycle race and festival, has taken place for 19 consecutive years in downtown and surrounding areas of the city of Murrieta. This year’s event will take place April 6-7, 2024. The event includes professional cyclists, an expo, food, music, live announcers, event livestreaming, and the ever so popular kids’ race that attracts hundreds of local riders, 12 years of age and younger. The race is free for youth, all participants receive a medal, and they are encouraged to donate a non-perishable canned food item that benefits the local food pantry. The kids’ race promotes safe riding, and in cooperation with the local police department, the California Highway Patrol and S2C cycling team, a bicycle rodeo is organized which includes a bicycle safety inspection and proper helmet fitting station.
As time has passed, new club members have asked what S2C stands for and the “old-school” club members take a lot of pride in their response. In 2013, the organization of the Amgen Tour of California (ATOC) approached the city of Murrieta and in cooperation with members of the local cycling club, helped bring the ATOC, Stage 2 to the city of Murrieta. Specifically, on May 13, 2013, a 100+ mile cycling leg of the event left the city of Murrieta, riding through the heart of the city before hitting Wine Country on their way to the city of Palm Springs. Proud of its accomplishments, the president of the cycling team opened a local bicycle shop in Murrieta, and named it Stage 2 Cyclery!
Over the years, the team has evolved and at times added new sponsor names to its title, however, the title name of Stage 2, in honor of the ATOC Stage 2, visiting the area in 2013 will forever remain at the forefront of the club’s name!
