Sequim, Washington resident Matthew Fleming has been selected as the winner of the 2017 Amgen Breakaway from Cancer® T-Shirt Design Contest, announced Kristin Klein, Amgen Tour of California president and executive vice president of AEG Sports.

Fleming’s winning design was used to create the iconic Amgen Tour of California T-shirt which is on sale now leading to the May race at https://amgentourofcaliforniastore.com/products/amgen-tour-of-california-breakaway-from-cancer-t-shirt with proceeds benefiting Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer® independent non-profit partners. Fleming’s winning artwork prominently features the 2017 host cities with representative sketches such as Tower Bridge in Sacramento and Morro Rock on the Central Coast.

Earlier this year, AEG sponsored a design contest for the 2017 Amgen Breakaway from Cancer® T-Shirt. The contest was seeking an Amgen Tour of California inspired design that features the 2017 host cities of the Amgen Tour of California and Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease™ Women’s Race empowered with SRAM, as well as a California theme. Fleming’s design was chosen from a pool of submissions and determined by the following criteria: creativity (50 percent), incorporation of the 2017 Men’s & Women’s host cities (25 percent), and State of California theme choice (25 percent).

Fleming became an avid cyclist who began riding when he moved from Wisconsin to California in 2008. He says, “After 28 years of midwest winters it was life-changing, being outside every day and getting loads of exercise. Eventually my rides became longer and longer and I started to challenge myself, exploring all the amazing roads around the Bay Area. I really fell in love with conquering all the tough climbs in the Oakland Hills and Mount Diablo.”

Inspired to enter the contest not only because of his passion for cycling, but also because of his love of the Amgen Tour of California, Fleming is now an independent illustrator and graphic designer working from his home studio on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.

Reflecting on the Amgen Tour of California and this T-shirt design contest, he says, “What I really like about the Amgen Tour is one day you can ride up a mountain to watch the race, and the next day you can hang out at Pismo Beach with a coffee for the start. Even watching the race online, you can tell how beautiful and diverse the course is. For the T-shirt design, I wanted to show that diversity by representing each host city in its simplest form. Then, as I was drawing each city I decided to have them interact with the lettering. I was drawing a mountain with clouds for Ontario, and I thought ‘that’d be cool if some of the clouds floated in front of the letters’ to meld the whole design together.”

The prize package Fleming will receive includes $1000 cash and a trip for him and a guest to the final stage of the 2017 Amgen Tour of California in Pasadena on May 20, 2017, including round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations and VIP Hospitality passes.

“Amgen is committed to helping those with cancer and this contest is another way to reach into the community and connect with those impacted by the disease. We look forward to seeing spectators wearing their T-shirts as the race travels the state this May, and we are thankful for the opportunity to give back to our independent nonprofit partners,” said Ray Jordan, senior vice president Corporate Affairs, Amgen.

The 2017 Amgen Tour of California May 11-20 will cover more than 800 miles through 14 host cities as the top cyclists in the world compete from South Lake Tahoe to Sacramento (women) and from Sacramento to Pasadena (men) in front of millions of fans and an international television audience. The race is an invitation-only event that regularly attracts the top teams in the world, including some of the sport’s best cyclists: Tour de France competitors, National and World Champions and Olympic medalists.

Fans can purchase the Breakaway from Cancer® 2017 Design Contest T-shirt exclusively at https://amgentourofcaliforniastore.com/products/amgen-tour-of-california-breakaway-from-cancer-t-shirt or at official merchandise locations at the race.