Team Rosters Announced for 2007 Amgen Tour of California
World-class field announced for the 2007 Amgen Tour of California starting this Sunday in San Francisco
Race presenters AEG have announced the world-class roster of teams and cyclists entered in the 2007 Amgen Tour of California, an internationally sanctioned professional cycling road race that will host 18 teams and 144 riders racing throughout California on February 18-25, 2007.
In its second year, the race has already received an upgraded rating from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to a 2. Hors Classe (2.HC) - the highest rating a professional stage race outside of Europe can receive.
The race will bring the top cycling stars and talent from around the world to compete across
The collection of riders, considered the strongest field of participants ever to race in the United States, will include Discovery Channel Pro Cycling, T-Mobile, Predictor-Lotto, Health Net and Team CSC, which returns to defend the title as the overall classification winner of the 2006 Amgen Tour of California.
?We concentrated last year on making the inaugural Amgen Tour of California race experience great for riders, and that positive experience coupled with the phenomenal success of the race has resulted in one of the best fields ever to race on U.S. soil,? said Shawn Hunter, president of AEG Sports, presenters of the race. ?This field puts the Amgen Tour of California on par with the Grand Tours in Europe, and we?re thrilled to welcome such an accomplished group of cyclists from the international community to California.?
Some of the notable riders expected to begin the race in San Francisco on Feb. 18 include:
Top 2006 Tour de France Finishers:
Thor Hushovd (Cr?dit Agricole): Prologue and Stage 20; third overall Sprit
Jens Voigt (Team CSC): Stage 13
Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank Cycling Team): Stage 16; first overall KOM
Matteo Tosatto (Quick Step-Innergetic): Stage 18
Michael Rogers (T-Mobile Team): Tenth overall
Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team): Ninth overall KOM
Top 2006 Giro d?Italia Finishers:
Ivan Basso (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team): First overall; second overall KOM
Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas Pro Cycling Team): Eighth overall
2006 World Champion Medalists:
Paolo Bettini (Quick Step-Innergetic):
World Road
Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC): World Time Trial Champion
Dave Zabriskie (Team CSC): World Time Trial Championships silver medalist
Top 2006 Amgen Tour of
Dave Zabriskie (Team CSC): Second overall
George Hincapie (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team): Stage 2 and 5; fourth overall and third overall in sprint classification
Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team): Prologue; sixth overall and first overall KOM
Juan Jose Haedo (Team CSC): Stage 1 and 4; second overall in sprint classification
Thomas Peterson (Team Slipstream Powered by Chipotle): First overall Best Young Rider
Bobby Julich (Team CSC): Third overall
Team CSC: Defending team champions
BMC Racing Team: Ken Hanson (
