March 30, 2010. High Road Sports News Announcement – Team HTC-Columbia will focus on both the General Classification and stage wins at the Amgen Tour of California in May with top riders Michael Rogers and Mark Cavendish. Cavendish won three stages and the green jersey at the 2009 edition of the race and Rogers placed third overall.

“Mark had a slower start to the 2010 season due to an infection resulting from dental work in the off season,” said Team Owner Bob Stapleton, “but he is back racing at full speed and won his first race last week in Spain. The Tour of California will be a big focus for him in the lead up to the Tour de France.

“Rogers was third overall last year and he is having an excellent season this year including winning the Tour of Andalusia and coming second overall in Criterium International last week. We are excited to see what we can do in as a team in California.”

“The Tour of California is a fantastic race that has grown in prestige every year since its inception in 2006. It’s become one of America’s premier sporting events and a top race worldwide,” added Stapleton. “With the Giro d’Italia taking place at the same time we had to plan the roster carefully, but we have the depth in the team and two of the fastest sprinters in the world, and can send strong line-ups to both of these great events.”

The team will arrive in California a week before the start of the race to do some reconnaissance of the course and adjust to the time zone. A complete roster will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information about Team HTC-Columbia, please visit www.highroadsports.com