SUPPORT THE 2010 TOUR!

Join us in making the Keep the Tour Santa Rosa campaign a success by helping to raise the $175,000 needed to be a host city. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated. All funds will directly support the hard costs of hosting the Tour of California in Santa Rosa. Donate online today!  Thank you for your support!

Bike Monkey organized the inaugural Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo in 2009, which drew 3,500 riders and raised $100,000, of which $60,000 went to the City of Santa Rosa for the Amgen Tour of California. Participate in the 2010 GranFondo!

Stage 2 Route Information
• Stage 2 Route Map
• Stage 2 Route Profile
• Stage 2 Route Log

Overall Tour Route
• Overall Stage Map
• Overall Detailed Stage Map

Downtown
• Parking, Finish Line & Festival Locations

Road Closures
• Traffic Control Timeline
• Road Closures – Phase 1
• Road Closures – Phase 2
• Road Closures – Phase 3

Amateur cyclists have the opportunity to ride two of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California routes

Two April Cycling Events will Raise Funds and Awareness for Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer® Initiative

LOS ANGELES (February 17, 2009) — Patrick Dempsey and George Hincapie today confirmed their participation in the ‘Breakaway Ride presented by Specialized,’ two cycling events held in conjunction with the upcoming 2010 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race set for May 16-23, 2010. Held in April (one month prior to the 2010 Amgen Tour of California), the rides are open to the public and will serve to raise funds for Breakaway from Cancer®, the signature cancer support initiative of the Amgen Tour of California. Breakaway from Cancer aims to raise awareness of the important resources available to cancer patients from prevention to education and patient care to advocacy and financial support.

Each ‘Breakaway Ride’ will give cycling enthusiasts and fans a chance to ride on the actual route of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California with three distances for each event to accommodate various skill and fitness levels (short, medium and long). The longest distance covers an entire stage of the Amgen Tour of California, the same as will be ridden by the pros. Participants will be chip timed and supported, with a maximum of 3,500 riders per event. Maps detailing the distances can be found on www.breakawayride.com.

The first Breakaway Ride will take place on Sunday, April 11 and will feature the Stage 8 route in the cities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills, the worldwide headquarter community of title sponsor Amgen. Demonstrating his commitment to the cause and enthusiasm for cycling, television and film actor Patrick Dempsey will ride in this first event. Dempsey, whose mom is a four-time ovarian cancer survivor, is an advocate for cancer support services. In 2008, he founded the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine.

“I am looking forward to reuniting with my friends from Amgen and Breakaway from Cancer to help raise awareness and funds for the non-profit cancer support organizations,” said Dempsey, who served as a spokesperson for Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative in 2007. “I am also excited about the opportunity to ride a piece of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California route together with fellow Southern California cycling enthusiasts!”

The second Breakaway Ride will take place on Sunday, April 25, and will feature the Stage 2 route from Davis to Santa Rosa. Four-time Amgen Tour of California competitor and Breakaway from Cancer supporter George Hincapie will attend this event.

“Nearly everyone is touched by cancer, including my family, and it’s important to know that you don’t have to fight cancer alone,” said Hincapie. “I joined Breakaway from Cancer in 2005 because people need to know that education, resources and support are available as they fight the disease.”

A portion of each rider’s entry fee will be donated to Breakaway from Cancer’s charitable partners – Prevent Cancer Foundation, Cancer Support Community (formerly The Wellness Community), Patient Advocate Foundation and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Participants will have the opportunity to earn gifts and prizes by raising additional funds for Breakaway from Cancer partners via the ActiveGiving program on Active.com. The most successful fundraisers will have the opportunity to meet and ride with Dempsey at the April 11 ride and with Hincapie on April 25. Other prize packages include exclusive VIP experiences at the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, Amgen Tour of California official race merchandise and other cycling-related items. Additionally, the top fundraiser of each Breakaway Ride will receive a top-of-line Specialized S-Works Tarmac or Roubaix bike.

“These Breakaway Rides will provide amateur cyclists and community members the opportunity to ride the same route that the pros will experience only one month later in the Amgen Tour of California,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “The commitment and dedication shown by Patrick Dempsey and George Hincapie to Breakaway from Cancer is inspiring, and we look forward to their involvement.”

As the title sponsor of the Amgen Tour of California for the fifth consecutive year, Amgen will continue to leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through its Breakaway from Cancer initiative.

“Amgen and its non-profit Breakaway from Cancer partners are pleased to have George Hincapie and Patrick Dempsey join us in supporting Breakaway from Cancer, which raises awareness of the free services available to people affected by cancer,” said Stuart Arbuckle, vice president and general manager, Amgen Oncology.

Presenting sponsor of the Breakaway Ride, Specialized, will use this opportunity to further their philanthropic goals and bring better cycling experiences to even more people.

“We are really excited to partner with the Breakaway Ride to support Amgen’s cancer initiatives and to get cyclists out on their bikes. Tying into the Amgen Tour of California and getting to ride the actual route is a unique opportunity for riders and ties into our goal to get people to ride more; more often,” said Ian Dewar, partnership manager for Specialized.

AEG, presenter of the Amgen Tour of California, is partnering with Pacific Sports, a leading sports and event management company that has created running and triathlon events throughout the world for more than 30 years to produce the rides.

“We are breaking new ground in amateur cycling in the United States,” said Jack Caress, president & CEO, Pacific Sports. ”To be a part of an inaugural event such as the Breakaway Rides is gratifying, and we are honored to be benefitting a great cause like Breakaway from Cancer.”

To register for one of the Breakaway Rides, visit www.Active.com. For more information, please visit www.breakawayride.com, www.amgentourofcalifornia.com, or visit your Specialized dealer.

About the Amgen Tour of California

The largest cycling event in America, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race presented by AEG that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course from May 16-23.

About Breakaway from Cancer®

Founded in 2005, Breakaway from Cancer is a complementary component to the Amgen race sponsorship. Breakaway from Cancer strives to raise awareness of the important resources available to cancer patients from prevention to education, and patient care to advocacy and financial support. The initiative includes charitable partners Prevent Cancer Foundation, Cancer Support Community (formerly known as The Wellness Community), Patient Advocate Foundation, and the National Coalition for Cancer. Learn more at www.breakawayfromcancer.com.

About Specialized

Specialized Bicycles was founded in 1974 by riders for riders. Headquartered in Morgan Hill, California, with global distribution, the company focuses on making everyone’s time on a bike better by delivering functional and technically advanced equipment that provide true performance benefits. Learn more at www.specialized.com.

About Amgen

Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures 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 Amgen’s pioneering science and vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com. To learn more about Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative, visit www.breakawayfromcancer.com.

About AEG

AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Sprint Center, The O2, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE and Nokia Theatre Times Square; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), two Major League Soccer franchises, two hockey franchises operated in Europe, management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, the ING Bay to Breakers foot race, and the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race; AEG LIVE, the organization’s live-entertainment division, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring, and a variety of programming and multi-media production. For more information, visit AEG today at www.aegworldwide.com.

About Pacific Sports LLC

Pacific Sports LLC is a premier sports consultation firm, specializing in event production, management, and corporate sports marketing development. Having produced over 300 sport events in the United States, including the 1996 Triathlon World Championships and 12 U.S. Championships, Pacific Sports LLC is dedicated to the creation, development, and management of participant and endurance sports including those of running, swimming, and cycling. Pacific Sports was a founder of the LifeTime Fitness Series, comprising the major championships at the Olympic Distance in the United States. The firm produces events around the world including the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon, Dow | Live Earth Run for Water, Catalina Marathon, Rose Bowl Half Marathon, and Cleveland Triathlon. Pacific Sports is a Delaware based Limited Liability Company with offices in Anaheim, California. For more information, visit Pacific Sports LLC at www.PacificSportsLLC.com

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Media Contacts:

Amgen
Kristen Davis
(805) 447-3008
kristend@amgen.com

AEG
Michael Roth
(213) 742-7155
mroth@aegworldwide.com

GolinHarris
Nicole Okoneski
(213) 438-8793
nokoneski@golinharris.com

Sunday, April 25: Breakaway Ride Ride the official Tour route!

Monday, May 17, 2010: Stage 2 – Davis to SANTA ROSA
Dust off your cowbells and get ready to welcome the Amgen Tour of California back to Santa Rosa! Cyclists will enter Downtown Santa Rosa (for the 5th year!) sometime after 3pm – just in time for Happy Hour. And what a happy hour it will be! Festivities start at noon in Courthouse Square and will continue into the night.
• New! Team BMC interview video, Stage 2 route info and road closures. Check back for updates.
• Cycle! Want to join the cycling world? View the list of bike stores in Santa Rosa to pick up some gear.
• Sign up! Get Tour e-mail alerts by subscribing here.
• Get involved! Volunteer, donate online, or become a sponsor.

Host Cities to Reveal Route Specifics for May 2010 Race

One of the most anticipated professional cycling races in the world, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will be staged over eight days and will travel more than 800 miles of California’s scenic roads, highways and coastline drives. Running from May 16 – 23, 2010, the race will visit 16 host cities for official stage starts and finishes, with communities along the route getting the chance to see a lineup of some of the most elite, recognizable athletes and teams in the world. Host cities for the eight stages include: Nevada City (new city for 2010), Sacramento, Davis, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Modesto, Visalia, Bakersfield (new city for 2010), Pasadena, Big Bear Lake (new city for 2010), Los Angeles (new city for 2010) and Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village (new city for 2010)/Agoura Hills (new city for 2010), title-sponsor Amgen’s hometown community.

“The May timing of the 2010 edition of the Amgen Tour of California is going to allow us to visit some challenging new areas of California that previously were not possible due to the weather,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. “Through these fun and creative videos that the host cities have put together, we are going to be able to showcase the challenge and beauty of our 2010 route.”

Stage-by-stage videos revealing the route for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will be released on the following days:

• Tuesday, Feb. 9 – Stage 1 (Nevada City to Sacramento) and Stage 2 (Davis to Santa Rosa)
• Wednesday, Feb. 10 – Stage 3 (San Francisco to Santa Cruz) and Stage 4 (San Jose to Modesto)
• Thursday, Feb. 11 – Stage 5 (Visalia to Bakersfield) and Stage 6 (Pasadena to Big Bear Lake)
• Friday, Feb. 12 – Stage 7 (Los Angeles individual time trial) and Stage 8 (Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills)

For information about the Amgen Tour of California and to view the stage videos, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

About the Amgen Tour of California
The largest cycling event in America, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, presented by AEG, that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course through the state from May 16-23.

About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures 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 Amgen’s pioneering science and vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com. To learn more about Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative, visit www.breakawayfromcancer.com.

About AEG
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Sprint Center, The O2, NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE and NOKIA Theatre Times Square; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), two Major League Soccer franchises, two hockey franchises operated in Europe, management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, the ING Bay to Breakers foot race and the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race; AEG LIVE, the organization’s live-entertainment division, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production. For more information, visit AEG today at www.aegworldwide.com.

Media Contacts:
AEG
Michael Roth
213-742-7155
mroth@aegworldwide.com

GolinHarris
Nicole Okoneski 
213-438-8793 
nokoneski@golinharris.com

LOS ANGELES (January 27, 2010) – Volunteer opportunities for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California are now posted online at the official race Web site, www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.  Anyone wishing to volunteer for an opportunity to participate in the fifth-annual cycling race can apply online for positions, including hospitality, volunteer course marshals, security, and media operations, among others.

Considered cycling’s most important and successful road race in the United States, some of America’s most accomplished cyclists, including Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and George Hincapie have already committed to participating in the 2010 Amgen Tour of California.  The fifth edition of the annual race will travel to 16 host cities throughout the state over the course of eight days from May 16-23, including the very first mountaintop finish in race history.  The eight-day race will begin in Nevada City and travel by some of the state’s most scenic landmarks, with the overall finish taking place in Thousand Oaks.

“The support of the volunteers in the local communities that the Amgen Tour of California travels through is essential to the success of the race,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race.  “Getting involved with the race as a volunteer allows local residents to take part in an event that captures the attention of local communities and the world, in addition to witnessing first-hand in the behind-the-scenes planning involved in an event of this stature.”

More than 4,500 volunteers in communities throughout the state participated in last year’s race, making it seamless and successful from start to finish, and solidifying it as the largest sporting event in the state of California.  In each of the start and finish cities, as many as 350 local volunteers were recruited to help staff the race. 

The majority of volunteers are needed to serve as volunteer course marshals, providing support for the 75 professional course marshals that travel with the tour and support the local law enforcement authorities in each city.  Course marshal volunteers have an opportunity to be on the race route, close to the cyclists, with responsibility for monitoring pedestrian traffic, barricades and road closures.

Volunteer positions for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California include:

•  Volunteer Course Marshals – Assist with the coordination and safety of the fans and participants in a designated area along the race course
•  Media – Assist with distribution of media credentials, media hospitality, media operations press room management, media liaisons and press events
•  Security – Assist Tour security staff with access-control, including on-course, hospitality, awards and special events
•  Site Decoration/Restoration – Assist with installation and clean up of banners
•  Lifestyle Festival EXPO – Assist Tour Lifestyle Festival staff with EXPO coordination – guide vendors and exhibitors to their tents for set-up; assist with festival logistics as needed; and assist with marketing activities in EXPO
•  Sweepstakes Surveyors – Ensure that Festival guests are aware of the Tour Sweepstakes opportunities, as well as all of the amenities of the festival
•  Volunteer Check-in – Assist LOC volunteer coordinator with set-up, check-in/registration and deployment

Volunteers must be over the age of 18 or accompanied by an adult.  The online sign-up form offers volunteers the opportunity to rank their top-three job preferences, and every attempt is made to match volunteers to their area of interest.  Shortly after filling out the online form, volunteers will be contacted by the local organizing committee for further information.

Dates of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California:

•  Stage 1: Sunday, May 16 – Nevada City to Sacramento
•  Stage 2: Monday, May 17 – Davis to Santa Rosa
•  Stage 3: Tuesday, May 18 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz
•  Stage 4: Wednesday, May 19 – San Jose to Modesto
•  Stage 5: Thursday, May 20 – Visalia to Bakersfield
•  Stage 6: Friday, May 21 – Pasadena to Big Bear Lake
•  Stage 7: Saturday, May 22 – Los Angeles (individual time trial)
•  Stage 8: Sunday, May 23 – Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills

For additional information on volunteering for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, please visit www.AmgenTourofCalifornia.com/Tour/volunteer.

About the Amgen Tour of California
The largest cycling event in America, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, presented by AEG, that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course through the state from May 16-23.

About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures 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 Amgen’s pioneering science and vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.  To learn more about Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative, visit www.breakawayfromcancer.com.

About AEG
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world.  AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of
companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Sprint Center, The O2, NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE and NOKIA Theatre Times Square; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), two Major League Soccer franchises, two hockey franchises operated in Europe, management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, the ING Bay to Breakers foot race and the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race; AEG LIVE, the organization’s live-entertainment division, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production.  For more information, visit AEG today at www.aegworldwide.com.

Media Contacts:
AEG                                      GolinHarris
Michael Roth                      Nicole Okoneski
213-742-7155                    213-438-8793
mroth@aeg-la.com           nokoneski@golinharris.com

Dust off your cowbells and get ready to welcome the Amgen Tour of California back to Santa Rosa!

Cyclists will enter Downtown Santa Rosa (for the 5th year!) sometime after 3pm – just in time for Happy Hour. And what a happy hour it will be! Festivities start at noon in Courthouse Square and will continue into the night.

Bookmark this site – your source for information on the Santa Rosa event. Updates to come include maps, road closures, special events, team info, and more. Get involved – see the pages to volunteer, donate online, or become a sponsor.

Bookmark this site – your source for information on the Santa Rosa event. Updates to come include maps, road closures, special events, team info, and more. Get involved – see the pages to volunteer, donate online, or become a sponsor.