See Jan. 18 update below
Seventeen international and domestic cycling teams will compete in the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, which rolls out February 17-24.
Although the teams have not announced their rosters, we can probably expect to see top Americans who have been dispersed across Astana (defending champ Levi Leipheimer), High Road Sports (George Hincapie), and Team Slipstream Powered by Chipotle (Dave Zabriskie) among others.
This year's 8-day, 650 mile bike race is the third Tour of California. The first was won by Floyd Landis on Phonak; the second by Leipheimer on Discovery Channel.
The route
Instead of the prologue up to Coit Tower in San Francisco this year, the race starts in Palo Alto with a prologue. It ends in Pasadena. Along the way, the Tour will see starts or finishes in Sausalito, Santa Rosa, Sacramento, Modesto (new in 2008), San Jose, Seaside, San Luis Obispo, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita.
TV
The Versus cable TV network has pledged 15 hours of race coverage during the Tour.
Teams
Here are the 17 teams that are competing:
Astana (LUX)
Bissell Pro Cycling Team (USA)
BMC Racing Team (USA)
Bouygues Telecom (FRA)
Crédit Agricole (FRA)
Gerolsteiner (GER)
Health Net Presented by Maxxis (USA)
High Road Sports (GER)
Jelly Belly Cycling Team (USA)
Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast (USA)
Quick Step (BEL)
Rabobank Cycling Team (Netherlands)
Rock Racing (USA)
Saunier Duval-Scott (ESP)
Team CSC (DEN)
Team Slipstream Powered by Chipotle (USA)
Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team (USA)
Pro riders (Jan. 18 update)
As of Jan. 18, there are no team rosters for the event, but you can bet Astana will bring Leipheimer and Chris Horner, High Road (formerly T-Mobile) will bring Hincapie, and Slipstream will bring Zabriskie.
Another possibility for Astana, which is headed by Johan Bruyneel, includes Tour de France winner Alberto Contador
Other members of Slipstream who might race include Americans Tom Danielson and Christian Vande Velde.
Denmark's Team CSC has been invited, and American Jason McCartney (formerly Discovery) is one of its newest members. America Bobby Julich also is committed to race in California.
Rock on
Domestic squad Rock Racing may bring Tyler Hamilton. Gazzetta dello Sport also reports that Mario Cipollini is coming out of his two-year retirement to race for Rock and will start at the Tour of California.
See the 2008 Teams Announced press release.
Also: “TV schedule for 2008 Tour of California,”
“Route details for 2008 Amgen Tour of California.”
2008 Tour of California map
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