18 teams competing
It's now less than two weeks until the 2007 Amgen Tour of California begins, and I keep seeing names of major league cyclists who plan to compete in the 8-stage bicycle race.
The latest are Michael Rasmussen of Denmark and Freddie Rodriguez of the US. Add them to a list that already includes Italian Ivan Basso; Americans Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie, Tom Danielson (all Discovery), David Zabriskie, Christian Vande Velde, and Bobby Julich (all CSC); CSC's Juan Jose Haedo (winner of two stages last year); and world champion Paolo Bettini (QuickStep).
Rasmussen of the Rabobank cycling team is the guy wearing the polka-dot King of the Mountain jersey toward the end of the Tour de France in 2005 and 2006. Let's see how he does when the peloton reaches the Category Four Patterson Pass Road and Category One Sierra Road climbs between Stockton and San Jose on Stage 3.
Patterson Pass Road at left; Sierra Road's Category 1 climb at right
Rodriguez is a three-time US Pro Cycling Champion and won the sprinter's jersey at last year's Tour de Georgia. Until he crashed, Freddie was Robbie McEwen's leadout man at the 2006 Tour de France. Uncertain whether Predictor-Lotto teammates Chris Horner (US) and Cadel Evans will show up, as VeloNews reports McEwen is racing in Ruta del Sol, Feb. 18-22.
A list of teams are at Tour of California website. See other Tour of California news at Biking Bis.
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