LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- AEG, organizers of the Amgen Tour of California, today announced the initial roster of professional cyclists submitted to the UCI (Union Cycliste International) for participation in the inaugural Amgen Tour of California (UCI 2.1), an internationally sanctioned professional cycling road race that will host 16 teams and 128 riders racing throughout California February 19-26, 2006.*
Attracting an unprecedented field of riders from more than 25 countries, the race will bring the top cycling talent in the world to compete across 600 miles of California roadway from San Francisco to Redondo Beach.
The collection of riders, considered one of the strongest fields of participants ever to race in the United States, includes Australian Michael Rogers of the T-Mobile Team, who will be the first rider to wear the world champion’s jersey on U.S. soil since Greg Lemond in 1990. Other notable riders who will begin the race in San Francisco on February 19 include:
-- Three riders who placed in the top-ten of the 2005 Tour de France -- Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), 6th -- Cadel Evans (Davitamon-Lotto), 8th -- Floyd Landis (Phonak Hearing Systems), 9th -- Three stage winners from the 2005 Tour de France: -- David Zabriskie (Team CSC), Stage 1 -- George Hincapie (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team), Stage 15 -- Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team), Stage 17 -- Two wearers of the Yellow Jersey in the 2005 Tour de France: -- David Zabriskie (Team CSC), Stages 1-3; third American rider ever to lead the Tour de France -- Jens Voight (Team CSC), Stage 9 -- Two winners of the Giro d’Italia: -- Gilberto Simoni (Prodir-Saunier Duval), 2001 and 2003 -- Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team), 2002 and 2005 -- Two World Champions (Time Trial discipline): -- Michael Rogers (T-Mobile), 2003, 2004 and 2005 -- Danny Pate (Team TIAA-CREF), 2001 U23 -- Two Medalists from ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games Time Trial: -- Viatcheslav Ekimov (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team), Silver -- Bobby Julich (Team CSC), Bronze
In addition to these athletes, the competition for the overall victory is expected to include: Chris Horner (DVL), Nathan O’Neill (HNT), Tom Danielson (DSC), Stuart O’Grady (CSC) and Saul Raisin (C.A.). Expect sprinters like Juan Jose Haedo (TUC), Gord Fraser (HNT), Robert Hunter (PHO) and California native “Fast” Freddie Rodriguez (DVL) to be in the hunt for daily stage wins. Riders with local roots, like San Jose native Ben Jacques-Maynes of KodakGallery.com/Sierra Nevada Pro Cycling, also will look to make their mark on the inaugural Amgen Tour of California.
“The Amgen Tour of California is attracting a caliber of riders in its first year that is evidence of the high esteem the race is being given by the international cycling community,” said Bob Colarossi, managing director of the Amgen Tour of California. “This field is unprecedented in the history of modern American cycling and we’re excited to host such an accomplished group of cyclists. It’s our goal to give them a first-class experience in California.”
For more information about the athletes competing in the Amgen Tour of California, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.
AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA Bib Surname, First name UCI Code CSC TEAM CSC DEN 2 JULICH Bobby USA19711118 3 BAK Lars Ytting DEN19800116 4 CANCELLARA Fabian SUI19810318 5 KROON Karsten NED19760129 6 O’GRADY Stuart AUS19730806 7 VANDEVELDE Christian USA19760522 8 VOIGT Jens GER19710917 9 ZABRISKIE David USA19790112 Directeur Sportif: RIIS Bjarne PHO PHONAK HEARING SYSTEMS SUI 11 LANDIS Floyd USA19751014 12 ELMIGER Martin SUI19780923 13 HUNTER Robert RSA19770422 14 JALABERT Nicolas FRA19730413 15 MARTIN PERDIGUERO Miguel Angel ESP19721014 16 MC CARTY Jonathan Patrick USA19820124 17 MOOS Alexandre SUI19721222 18 ZAMPIERI Steve SUI19770604 Directeur Sportif: SAVARY Rene DVL DAVITAMON-LOTTO BEL 21 EVANS Cadel AUS19770214 22 DOCKX Bart BEL19810902 23 HORNER Christopher USA19711023 24 JUFRE POU Josep ESP19750805 25 KAISEN Olivier BEL19830430 26 MERTENS Pieter BEL19800828 27 RODRIGUEZ Fred USA19730903 28 VAN HECKE Preben BEL19820709 Directeur Sportif: VAN LANCKER Eric GST GEROLSTEINER GER 31 LEIPHEIMER Levi USA19731024 32 HASELBACHER Rene AUT19770915 33 HIEKMANN Torsten GER19800317 34 HOJ Frank DEN19730104 35 KOPP David GER19790105 36 KRAUSS Sven GER19830106 37 LANG Sebastian GER19790105 38 WEGMANN Fabian GER19800620 Directeur Sportif: HOLCZER Hans-Michael SDV PRODIR - SAUNIER DUVAL ESP 41 SIMONI Gilberto ITA19710825 42 BENITEZ ROMAN Jose Alberto ESP19811114 43 DIONNE Charles CAN19790315 44 GIL PEREZ Koldo ESP19780116 45 GOMEZ MARCHANTE Jose Angel ESP19800530 46 OLSEN Aaron USA19780111 47 PINOTTI Marco ITA19760225 48 RICCO Riccardo ITA19830901 Directeur Sportif: FERNANDEZ MATXIN Joxean DSC DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM USA 51 SAVOLDELLI Paolo ITA19730507 52 BARRY Michael CAN19751218 53 BRAJKOVIC Janez SLO19831218 54 DANIELSON Thomas USA19780313 55 EKIMOV Viatcheslav RUS19660204 56 GUSEV Vladimir RUS19820704 57 HINCAPIE George USA19730629 58 MCCARTNEY Jason USA19730903 Directeur Sportif: BRUYNEEL Johan C.A CREDIT AGRICOLE FRA 61 RAISIN Saul USA19830106 62 HIVERT Jonathan FRA19850323 63 KAGGESTAD Mads NOR19770222 64 MARINO Jean Marc FRA19830815 65 PATOUR Kilian FRA19820920 66 PAURIOL Remi FRA19820404 67 PORTAL Sebastien FRA19820604 68 VOGONDY Nicolas FRA19770808 Directeur Sportif: LEGEAY Roger TMO T-MOBILE TEAM GER 71 ROGERS Michael AUS19791220 72 DAVIS Scott AUS19790422 73 GILING Bastiaan NED19821104 74 GREIPEL Andre GER19820716 75 KOHL Bernhard AUT19820104 76 KORFF Andre GER19730604 77 POLLACK Olaf GER19730920 78 RABON Frantisek CZE19830926 Directeur Sportif: HOLM Brian HNM HEALTH NET PRESENTED BY MAXXIS USA 81 FRASER Gordon CAN19681119 82 HENDERSON Gregory NZL19760910 83 JOHNSON Timothy USA19770805 84 JONES Michael USA19780119 85 MONINGER Scott USA19661020 86 O’NEILL Nathan AUS19741123 87 ROULSTON Hayden NZL19810110 88 SAYERS Mike USA19700112 Directeur Sportif: Corbett Jeff NIC NAVIGATORS INSURANCE CYCLING TEAM USA 91 BROOKS Benjamin AUS19790321 92 CHADWICK Glen Alan AUS19761017 93 DAVIDENKO Vassili RUS19700317 94 GRISHKINE Oleg RUS19750210 95 KOBZARENKO Valery UKR19770205 96 LAGUTIN Sergey UZB19810114 97 O’LOUGHLIN David IRL19780429 98 ZAJICEK Phil USA19790320 Directeur Sportif: BEAMON Edward KBH KB Home Mexican National Team MEX 101 ALDAPE Antonio MEX19781120 102 ESPARZA Fausto MEX19740602 103 GARCIA Jose MEX19721201 104 GONZALEZ Domingo MEX19700130 105 HERNANDEZ Manuel MEX19760612 106 LAM Arquimides MEX19780902 107 LUGO Edgardo MEX19760327 108 MEZA Miguel MEX19770519 Directeur Sportif: GOMEZ Alfredo COL COLAVITA OLIVE OIL - SUTTER HOME WINES USA 111 RAPINSKI Viktor BLR19810617 112 ARTACHO Gustavo ARG19670915 113 FRATTINI Davide ITA19780806 114 GRABOWSKI Zachary USA19850226 115 HERRIOT Todd USA19690506 116 MCCORMACK Mark USA19700915 117 WAMSLEY Kyle USA19800103 118 WREN Tyler USA19810304 Directeur Sportif: MCCORMACK Frank UPC TOYOTA - UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM USA 121 BALDWIN Christopher USA19751015 122 BLACKGROVE Heath NZL19801205 123 CRUZ Antonio USA19711031 124 DOMINGUEZ Ivan CUB19760528 125 ENGLAND Justin USA19780717 126 HAEDO Juan Jose ARG19810126 127 FRIEDICK Mariano USA19750109 128 GARCIA Jose-Manuel MEX19721201 Directeur Sportif: ANDREU Frankie TIA TEAM TIAA - CREF USA 131 PATE Danny USA19790324 132 CREED Michael USA19810108 133 EUSER Lucas USA19831205 134 FRIEDMAN Michael USA19820919 135 HUFF Charles Bradley USA19790205 136 PARISIEN Francois CAN19820427 137 PETERSON Thomas USA19861224 138 TOLLESON Taylor USA19850713 Directeur Sportif: VAUGHTERS Jonathan OSN KODAKGALLERY.COM - SIERRA NEVADA PRO USA 141 PERRAS Dominique CAN19740211 142 ALLEN Jason NZL19810817 143 DIETRICH Michael USA19810529 144 GILBERT Martin CAN19821030 145 JACQUES-MAYNES Ben USA19780922 146 LOPINTO Peter USA19800109 147 STEWART Jackson USA19800630 148 ZWIZANSKI Scott USA19770529 Directeur Sportif: ZELLNER Robin JBC JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM USA 151 ALBERS Kirk USA19690206 152 BAJADALI Andrew USA19730501 153 CANDELARIO Alex USA19750226 154 JENSEN Brian USA19760413 155 JONES Brice USA19790109 156 MANION Caleb AUS19810130 157 REISTAD Nick USA19830420 158 RICE Matthew AUS19790429 Directeur Sportif: VAN HAUTE Danny ABOUT AMGEN
Amgen discovers, develops and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science’s promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses. With a broad and deep pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people’s lives. To learn more about our pioneering science and our vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.
ABOUT AEG
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Toyota Sports Center, NOKIA Theater Times Square, NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie and London’s Manchester Evening News Arena; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Manchester Monarchs (AHL), Reading Royals (ECHL), Chicago Fire, Los Angeles Galaxy, Metrostars and San Jose Earthquakes (MLS), three hockey franchises operated in Europe, the Hammarby (Sweden) Futbol Club and management of shares of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) owned by Philip Anschutz; AEG Marketing, a sponsorship, sales, naming rights and consulting company; AEG Merchandising, a multi-faceted merchandising company; and AEG Creative, a full-service marketing and advertising agency. AEG LIVE, one of the world’s leading promoters of live concerts and other special events is also owned by AEG which is headquartered in Los Angeles.
*Team rosters are subject to change. Media Contacts: AEG GolinHarris Michael Roth Michael Henson (213) 742-7155 (917) 902-0767 mroth@aeg-la.commehenson@golinharris.com
AEG
CONTACT: Michael Roth of AEG, +1-213-742-7155, mroth@aeg-la.com; orMichael Henson of GolinHarris, +1-917-902-0767, mehenson@golinharris.com,for AEG
