Santa Cruz Bicycle Industry Coalition

AEG Reveals Dates, Route, Title and Broadcast Sponsor for Highly Anticipated Tour de France Style Stage Race

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- California will provide the stunning backdrop for the inaugural Amgen Tour of California in February 2006, a professional cycling race modeled after the Tour de France, the details of which were announced by race presenter AEG today. From February 19-26, 2006, 16 professional cycling teams from around the world will compete across 700 miles of scenic California roadway from San Francisco to Redondo Beach, Calif. in the UCI- and USA Cycling-sanctioned race. Amgen, Inc, the world's leading biotechnology company (based in Thousand Oaks, Calif.), is the race's title sponsor. ESPN2 is the official broadcast partner.

Six world-class teams including Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team (USA), Gerolsteiner (GER), Davitamon-Lotto (BEL) and Phonak Hearing Systems (SUI), Saunier Duval Prodir (ESP) and Credit Agricole (FRA) and the T-Mobile Team (GER), were also announced as the first professional teams confirmed to race in the Amgen Tour of California. In addition, two of the top professional cycling teams in North America, the Health Net Pro Cycling Team, presented by Maxxis, and the Navigators Insurance Pro Cycling Team, will compete in the race. Team representatives along with mayors, other civic officials and a who's who of the international cycling community were on hand to discuss the eight-day stage race which will travel through San Francisco, Sausalito, Santa Rosa, Martinez, San Jose, the Monterey Peninsula, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks to finish at Redondo Beach.