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2009 Amgen Tour of California QUOTES
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger On the race overall: RIDER QUOTES
Levi Leipheimer (USA), Three-Time Defending Champion “I’ve been trying to think about how to articulate this and it’s tough. To win it once, that was huge. To win it twice, that was almost a little bit of a surprise and almost felt like luck. But now, to have won the Amgen Tour of California three times, it’s the sweetest victory of all. It’s hard to describe. The crowds everywhere were amazing. It’s just this awesome environment in which to race. The riders feed off of it and race harder and more aggressive; everyone comes with their ‘A’ game. The crowds really motivate us a lot.” Michael Rogers (AUS), Third Place Overall “I’m stoked to have finished third overall in this race. The caliber of the field is pretty much like the Tour de France. Looking back at the time trial in Solvang, you’ve got five or six of the world’s best time trialists. It was a star-studded field for sure, so I’m very happy with my position. Lots of people have asked me what it’s like to ride in the Tour de France, and to that I say, ‘it’s not much different than this.’ You won’t see many more people at the Tour de France than you see here. The crowds just make this race that much more enjoyable for the riders.” Lance Armstrong (USA), Seventh Place Overall “I was very impressed with the event, and I think I speak on behalf of the other riders in the field when I say that everybody enjoyed the race. It’s really good to be back racing again. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that this was a great race. I’m excited to be back and I had a hell of a good time. The crowds all week have been amazing.”
Mark Cavendish (GBR), Herbalife Sprint Jersey Winner & First Place, Stage 5 “It seems like they’ve replicated the Tour de France with the speed and the parcours. It has been incredibly hard. This stage win is massively important. Any stage in the Amgen Tour of California is big. It’s big for the team and it’s big for the sponsors, but it’s a bit more personal when it’s close to home.” Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA), Stage 7 Winner “I have definitely been very impressed by the Amgen Tour of California. This is our team’s first victory of the year, so we are happy about that. I’ve had other victories before, but I think the field is much better here, so looking back, I think this victory will be more important because all the top riders are here.” Floyd Landis (USA), Inaugural Amgen Tour of California Winner On the Amgen Tour of California: “I think every year since the first year in 2006, this race has grown. I’ve always been impressed with the dedication of the fans.” Christian Vande Velde (USA) “Every year they make comparisons, and I don’t think this race has been given the credit it deserves. I personally that it has been world-class from the start in 2006, so I’m not sure what needs to happen for it to become a great race because it already is. If you look at the top-60 general classification, the names that you see, even the guys in the groupetto, it’s amazing. I mean, you have the reining Tour de France champion, Carlos (Sastre) racing here. They take really good care of us in this race. There are great fans and great racing, so I’m not sure what else it can do to become a better race.” Tyler Hamilton (USA) “I can’t tell you how excited we are to be here at the Amgen Tour of California, one of the biggest races in the world. This is the fourth or fifth largest race in world and that’s pretty incredible. Hopefully one day it will become a Grand Tour.” Juan Jose “JJ” Haedo (ARG) “Everyone knows this is one of the most important races; harder than some races in Europe. When I won my first stage at the Amgen Tour of California, it was my ticket to Europe, because of the attention I received, so it’s always special to race here. I always feel welcome in America.” Jeff Louder (USA) “It’s still really important for me to do well in the Amgen Tour of California. Just to have the opportunity to get to start in this race with my team is great to begin with. To be in this race with the high level of competitors is really an honor for me. It has been an amazing experience already and there is still a lot to come.” TEAM QUOTES
Johan Bruyneel, Team Director, Astana (winner of the team competition) “We won this race the last three years with Levi, and we all know that, for Levi, this was an important race. Everyone comes to this race with the best possible line-up. This is probably one of the most competitive races compared to the Grand Tours. We are very happy with his win. It was definitely the first big goal of the year, so to have Levi win, and for the team to take the team classification, is a great feeling.”
Bob Stapleton, Owner, Team Columbia-HighRoad “I think this could become the world’s next Grand Tour. You saw the crowds throughout the race, and I’m sure the television and Internet audience is high as well. There was also a tremendous amount of international interest. The athletes love to come here, and I think this race has unlimited potential to be a major event that represents the U.S. and California.”
Cycling ORGANIZATION Quotes
Pat McQuaid, President, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) “I’m very pleased to be here at the Amgen Tour of California. I think in the Amgen Tour of California, you can see a race which is growing and it’s definitely being embedded into the public’s minds. The past couple of days haven’t been easy, but today the sun came out, and although I believe the crowds were equally as big during the rainy days, the crowds were huge today. It was a spectacular day for racing and the course provided a great day of racing from that point of view. I think everything has been going really well.” Steve Johnson, CEO, USA Cycling “This is one of the biggest cycling events in the world. Frankly, the Amgen Tour of California puts the sport of cycling in the awareness of millions of spectators, not only in California, but across the country. The Amgen Tour of California has a profound impact on the sport of cycling, and the commitment to promote healthy lifestyles is everywhere you look during this race.”
Phil Liggett, VERSUS Announcer “The race is going to be broadcast live every day; the first time that VERSUS has attempted something like this, apart from the Tour de France. You can happily call the Amgen Tour of California the fourth or fifth biggest race in the world. It is the best field that has ever raced in the U.S. The Amgen Tour of California has a big part to play in the world of cycling now. The teams have honored that by sending very good riders here. This is the next big race. The elements in this course will create a very big race.”
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