LOS ANGELES (May 5, 2015) – On May 10 outside the State Capitol building in Sacramento, 144 cyclists from 18 elite professional teams will line up to begin eight days of fierce competition in the 2015 Amgen Tour of California. Only one among the field of world, national and Olympic champions will be crowned the victor at the race’s conclusion in Pasadena May 17 (full roster attached).
Celebrating its 10th year, the Amgen Tour of California is the most esteemed stage race in the U.S. and one of the most important on the international cycling calendar. The field features some of the most decorated sprinters in the world: Marcel Kittel, Mark Cavendish, Tyler Farrar, Matthew Goss and Peter Sagan, who holds the all-time Amgen Tour of California stage win record with 11, to name a few. And rounding out the general classification are powerhouse riders like Robert Gesink and Laurens ten Dam, alongside promising young riders like Warren Barguil, winner of two stages in the Vuelta a Espana and Lawson Craddock, who took the Best Young Rider prize at the past two Amgen Tour of California races.
With the cyclists preparing to face off across 724 California miles from May 10-17, some of the favorites in various categories include:
General Classification (Overall Contenders)
Andrew Talansky (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
Ian Boswell (USA), Team Sky
Janez Brajkovic (SLO), UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
Joe Dombrowski (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
Joey Rosskopf (USA), BMC Racing Team
Laurens ten Dam (NED), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
Lawson Craddock (USA), Team Giant-Alpecin
Martin Kohler (SUI), Drapac Professional Cycling
Matthew Busche (USA), Trek Factory Racing
Peter Kennaugh (GBR), Team Sky
Phil Gaimon (USA), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
Robert Gesink (NED), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
Sergio Henao (COL), Team Sky
Warren Barguil (FRA), Team Giant-Alpecin
Sprinters
Ben Swift (GBR), Team Sky
Danny Van Poppel (NED), Trek Factory Racing
Gerald Ciolek (GER), MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
Graeme Brown (AUS), Drapac Professional Cycling
Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (ESP), Trek Factory Racing
Sebastian Haedo (ARG), Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home
-more-
Sprinters (continued)
Marcel Kittel (GER), Team Giant-Alpecin
Mark Cavendish (GBR), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
Mark Renshaw (AUS), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
Matthew Goss (AUS), MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
Peter Sagan (SVK), Tinkoff-Saxo
Theo Bos (NED), MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
Tyler Magner (USA), Hincapie Racing Team
Tyler Farrar (USA), MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
Eric Marcotte (USA), Team Smartstop
Climbers
Carter Jones (USA), Team Giant-Alpecin
Joseph Rosskopf (USA), BMC Racing Team
Lachlan Norris (AUS), Drapac Professional Cycling
Robert Gesink (NED), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
Laurens ten Dam (NED), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
Joe Dombrowski (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
Phil Gaimon (USA), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
Robin Carpenter (USA), Hincapie Racing Team
Sergio Henao (COL), Team Sky
Will Routley (CAN), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
Stage Wins (One Day Specialists)
Alex Howes (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
Bernhard Eisel (AUT), Team Sky
Julian Alaphillipe (FRA), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
Jure Kocjan (SLO), Team SmartStop
Mark Cavendish (GBR), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
Matti Breschel (DEN), Tinkoff-Saxo
Daniele Bennati (ITA), Tinkoff-Saxo
Peter Sagan (SVK), Tinkoff-Saxo
Daniel Oss (ITA), BMC Racing Team
Sep Vanmarcke (BEL), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
Stijn Devolder (BEL), Trek Factory Racing
Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
Matteo Trentin (ITA), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
Individual Time Trialists
Andrew Talansky (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
Lawson Craddock (USA), Team Giant-Alpecin
Maciej Bodnar (POL), Tinkoff-Saxo
Peter Kennaugh (GBR), Team Sky
Tom Zirbel (USA), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
Campbell Flakemore (AUS), BMC Racing Team
-more-
“The tenth Amgen Tour of California will be a place to watch the best in the world right alongside the up-and-coming next generation of cycling stars,” said Kristin Bachochin Klein, executive director of the Amgen Tour of California and senior vice president of AEG Sports. “As always, fans will be able to get up close to the action and to the athletes out on the race course, as well as every morning as they arrive to the start line. That’s something really special about this race and cycling culture – how accessible the best in the sport are to their fans.”
Fans can cheer on these world-class athletes on the race course, via live daily broadcasts on NBC Sports Network and NBC (final Sunday), or from anywhere with the free Amgen Tour of California app for tablets and mobile devices, which features live race updates, rider background and full race results. More information on ways to watch is available at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.
For further information about the Amgen Tour of California and to experience the race like never before with VIP Access, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.
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