2014 AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S CIRCUIT RACE ROSTERS ANNOUNCED

AEG, presenter of the 2014 Amgen Tour of California, is once again proud to host the top women in cycling at its annual event. In 2014, for the first time, the women will be racing for two days, including an opening day circuit race followed by a second day time trial. Both competitions will be presented by SRAM.

Following the start of the men’s race May 11, women from the top professional, national and composite teams will face off on the 1.25-mile circuit course around the State Capitol building in Sacramento. Capped at 120 riders, the massive field will include some of the sport’s best. Many of the women racing are repeat Olympians, World and National titleholders, and have resumes including victories at top road races around the world.

The field is filled with former and current National Champions including:

·      Team Specialized-lululemon’s Evelyn Stevens, who also is defending champion of last year’s time trial; and Carmen Small, current National Time Trial Champion, as well as a podium finisher at the 2012 National Road Race Championships;

·      UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team’s Alison Powers, who has held multiple national titles; and Mara Abbott, two-time National Road Race Champion and    two-time winner of the Giro d'Italia Femminile (2010 and 2013);

·      FCS|Zngine p/b Mr. Restore’s Amber Neben, who has held multiple national and world titles in road racing and time trial;

·      DNA Cycling p/b K4’s Tina Pic, one of the winningest women of overall race finishes and championship titles in the U.S.;

·      SPY GIANT RIDE p/b MRI’s Robin Farina, 2011 National Road Race Champion.

Other current National Champions competing in the circuit race will include China’s National Champion Niman Song, riding for China Chongming-Giant-Champion System Pro Cycling, and New Zealand’s National Road Race Champion Rushlee Buchanan, riding for UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team. Also featured will be TWENTY16 Pro Cycling p/b Breakaway from Cancer’s Greta Neimanas, the first U.S. paracyclist to be signed to a professional team.

“We are committed to advancing women’s cycling in the U.S. and providing a powerful platform, and there is no better way to do that than showcasing so many talented athletes in two different yet equally exciting race days,” said Kristin Bachochin, executive director of the race and senior vice president of AEG Sports. “We are thrilled fans will have the opportunity to cheer on some of the most decorated women cyclists in the sport at the 2014 Amgen Tour of California.”

The invitation-only time trial May 12 in Folsom will use the same fast and flat 12.6-mile course the men will race later in the day. The 20 cyclists announced last month (http://bit.ly/ATOCwomen) will include the top three finishers in the circuit race, as well as powerhouse competitors in the sport.

One of the time-honored aspects of the race is the opportunity for fans to share the excitement of welcoming the riders while interacting with them at the annual Amgen Tour of California Opening Gala. This year’s event at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium will include a presentation of the cyclists as well as live music and entertainment, hosted bar and sit-down dinner, and a silent auction featuring a variety of fabulous items. To purchase single tickets or tables, please visit https://2014amgengala.eventbrite.com.

For the most robust cycling fans, VIP Experiences are also available where fans can get behind the scenes of the race, watch the post-race press conference with the day’s leaders (closed to the public) and even ride in a team car during the race. For more details, contact atoctickets@amgentourofcalifornia.com or
1-877-234-8425.

And, there are plenty of ways to take in the pro action, whether in person on the race course May 11 – 18, via daily broadcasts on NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports (final Sunday), or by downloading the free Tour Tracker app, which features live race updates, rider background and full race results. More information on all of the ways to watch is available at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.