Amgen Tour of California 2015:
Stage 1: Sacramento - Sacramento
Stage 2: Nevada City - Lodi
Stage 3: San José - San José (Sierra Road perhaps?)
Stage 4: Pismo Beach - Avila Beach
Stage 5: Santa Barbara - Santa Clarita
Stage 6: Big Bear Lake - Big Bear Lake (I.T.T.)
Stage 7: Ontario - Mount Baldy
Stage 8: LA Live (Downtown LA) - Pasadena (Rose Bowl)
This is probably the best use for Big Bear Lake: NOT as a mountaintop. San José only is mentioned for stage 3, but given there isn't anywhere else I see a climbing stage early in the race, and the format the race has taken in the last few years, I'm thinking Sierra Road is a possibility, like in 2011. It's steep enough to guarantee time gaps but short enough to make them not too decisive ahead of the key climb, this year being Mount Baldy. I guess stages 4 or 5 could be really interesting or really boring depending on what route they go.
Perhaps most interestingly, according to the
velonews article I was linked to, they have a three-day women's stage race, in addition to the traditional invitational time trial. This, however, takes an unusual and interesting format, in that it
precedes the men's race rather than running concurrently. The women will start at Lake Tahoe on the Friday before the men's race, with the final day seeing them finish in Sacramento on the Sunday which matches up to the first day of the men's race. Ideally, the women will arrive in Sacramento after the men leave, giving the crowd more reason to stick around and watch.
Tourtracker coverage for women's cycling would be pretty ridiculously cool too.