Cycle teams prepare for Amgen Tour
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
PASADENA - It's been years since Jim Safford pedaled through an actual bike race, but that isn't going to keep him off two wheels during next month's Amgen Tour of California race.
As the Tour de France-style race snakes through a dozen cities and 650 miles of California toward a Feb. 24 finale at the Rose Bowl, the local photographer will be pacing the peloton - from the back of a motorcycle.
"Everyone's excited about it," he said of local cycling fans. "The field - for American racing - is just second to none. The teams are some of the best there are."
In its third year, the race has quickly become the nation's premier cycling event.
City Councilman Steve Haderlein rode into a news conference Tuesday on an 18-speed Marin Lucas Valley hybrid, not far from where riders will cross the finish line next month.
"Pasadena is an excellent location for the conclusion," he said. "We are a bike-friendly city."
On hand to announce the lineup of 17 participating teams, event organizers said the topography of the race's final stage should make for exciting action between the 136 athletes.
No. 1-ranked Team CSC of Denmark will compete against eight U.S. teams and others from France, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg and Belgium.
Beginning in Valencia, racers will pass through the Angeles National Forest before descending Highway 2 into La Ca ada Flintridge on the final approach to the Arroyo Seco.
"This is really a dynamic stage for us," said race organizer Jim Birrell, citing the mix of urban streets and mountain topography.
Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar said his city was proud to be at "the center of the cycling world" by hosting the start of the final leg of the seven-stage race.
About 1.6 million spectators watched last year's race, he said, expecting a "thrilling finish" at the stadium.
In its third year, the race's only equivalent is the Tour de Georgia, and it includes some of the top names in cycling.
Disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis won the first Tour of California in 2006, months before being accused of doping in the wake of his Tour de France victory.
In response to criticism over the rigor of the event's anti-doping program, organizers announced separately Tuesday that there will be increased testing for the athletes.
Biotech firm Amgen of Thousand Oaks is sponsoring the event, which supports cancer research through the company's Breakaway from Cancer charity.
The Pasadena Star-News is among media outlets sponsoring the event.
