Team Type 1 Announces New Directors For 2009

Atlanta — Team Type 1 has hired a new director sportif, Vassili Davidenko, and a new assistant director, Gord Fraser, for the 2009 season.

Davidenko was Team Type 1’s assistant director last year under Ed Beamon, who is not returning.

“We were very fortunate to have someone with Ed’s experience to help guide us down the path of success in our first year,” said Team Type 1 General Manager Tom Schuler. “With Vassili and Gord, we have two former pros who can also relate well to the challenges a rider faces on and off the bike.”

Davidenko, 38, brings more than a quarter-century of bicycle racing experience to the team. During his 14 years as a professional, he won the Russian national road (1996) and cyclocross (1998) titles and was a silver medalist in the 1988 Junior World Road Race Championships. He also represented Russia at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and won the Athens Twilight Criterium in 2005 and 2006.

Fraser raced professionally for 13 seasons and represented Canada in three Olympic Games and five Commonwealth Games. A veteran of the Tour de France, the 40-year-old works for Carmichael Training Systems. He helped the revolutionary training system developed by Chris Carmichael open a regional training center in Tucson, Ariz.

Team Type 1 is the only professional cycling team in the world with a mission to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes. It was created in 2004 by two racers with Type 1 diabetes, Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge. The pair led the squad to back-to-back victories in the Race Across America (RAAM) in 2006 and 2007 before joining Fabio Calabria and Timothy Hargrave as two of four professional riders with Type 1 diabetes on the roster in 2008.

Last year, Team Type 1 won 45 races, including team titles at the Vuelta Mexico and Tour de Beauce.

Southerland said the team hopes to build on that success by being a part of the field at the Amgen Tour of California in February.

“With everything that we accomplished last year, we certainly set the bar high for what lies ahead in 2009,” he said. “But with a solid management team in place, we are well on our way toward accomplishing our goal of participating in the Tour de France by 2012.”

In 2009, Team Type 1 is expanding to include a triathlon team, a developmental squad, a women's professional squad and two teams for the Race Across America (RAAM): Team Type 1 and Team Type 2. The athletes with diabetes in these programs serve as examples that diabetes can be controlled through diet, exercise and the use of the best treatment and technology available today.

Photo: Courtesy Team Type 1

Race Reduced, Women Anything But Forgotten?

A few days ago, the President of AEG, Andrew Messick, provided what some believed to be a rather generic and “meaningless” quote following the news that the 2009 Amgen Tour of California Women’s race had been effectively reduced from three days down to one.

Tonight, I had the opportunity to speak with Michael Roth, Vice President of Communications for AEG, regarding the situation. Although it had been widely reported that the cities of Sacramento and San Jose pulled out of hosting the women’s race, this was not necessarily the case.

“Each city is aware of the historic implications tied to hosting a women’s race,” Mr. Roth stated.

The decision not to expand the women’s race this year was solely the organizers’.

Logistical considerations due to the Amgen Tour of California’s expansion, which will include increased live television coverage, made a more substantial women’s agenda impractical.

“It would not have been worthwhile for the riders, and at the same time we didn’t have a comfort level with the way it was setting up.”

Also partly to blame for the uproar of what seemed to an abruptly and unjustly shortening of the women’s race were the expectations that were put on the AEG to produce a three-day women’s race.

In their due diligence, AEG contacted all the pertinent cycling federations and reserved the dates on the racing calendar. The implication that the women’s race would be expanded because of the reservation was premature and unfounded in the eyes of AEG.

However, the announcement and marketing of the "$25,000 Amgen Tour of California Women’s Stage Race, Feb. 14-16. Expanded from a single-day criterium in 2008, the three-day event provides women with a major opportunity to showcase their talents as the race is held in conjunction with the men’s Tour of California," had already occurred.

Though it may be of little consolation to the hard racing women who seem to have fallen victim of a “bait and switch,” AEG will be using the information gathered from the 2009 edition of the Tour of California to build on the women’s race in the future.

When asked about the possibility of expanding the women’s race to include a racing format other than a Criterium, such as a road race, Mr Roth responded, “Certainly, we are not ruling out any scenario.”

“Last time I checked, women made up more than half the population. The women’s race continues to draw fans, and [an expansion] will help expose these role models to their fans.”

Photo: Leonard Basobas (Inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium podium)

Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Team Signs Powerhouse Sprinters for 2009

Set to start their season at the Amgen Tour of California, the women of Colavita/Sutter Home have reloaded for 2009. With the notable exception of Alison Powers, the team has added two Olympians, the USA Crit Series Champion and one of the most promising riders in the Women's peloton, in her stead.

Linden, NJ -- Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Cycling Team has re-signed Tina Pic (inset), the #1 rider on the NRC circuit, who dominated the 2008 season with 12 individual victories and six podium finishes. Adding to its firepower for 2009, Colavita/Sutter Home has recruited Olympians Cath Cheatley and Rachel Heal and USA Criterium Series Champion Kelly Benjamin. Colavita/Sutter Home’s first race of the season will be the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium February 15, 2009.

Managing the team as Director Sportif will be Jamaican Olympian and veteran Colavita/Sutter Home cyclist Iona Wynter Parks, who retired from competition at the end of the 2008 season after nine years on the pro circuit, where she achieved numerous top 10 finishes in road racing and world rankings on the track.

“What excites me most about working with this squad is that the riders have proven themselves not only as athletes but also as team players,” said Wynter Parks. “We’ve signed a great combination of accomplished North American sprinters and strong, savvy all-arounders. These women all recognize the importance of great teamwork, which we will use to our advantage in stage races and single-day events.”

“We’re looking forward to kicking off the year at the Amgen Tour of California,” Wynter Parks continued. “Criteriums are our strength and we are highly motivated to race hard and well there.”

The 2009 roster for the Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Cycling Team includes returning riders Tiffany Cromwell (AUS), Andrea Dvorak (USA), Shontell Gauthier (USA), Tina Pic (USA), and Nichole Wangsgard (USA). New signings include Erica Allar (USA), Kelly Benjamin (USA), Cath Cheatley (NZ), Rachel Heal (UK), Heather Logan (Can), and Stacy Marple (USA).

About the riders of the Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Cycling Team

Erica Allar -- A talented, up-and-coming sprinter, Erica captured numerous podium finishes racing for Aaron’s Professional Women’s Cycling Team last year. She won the U23 National Criterium Championship in 2007 and has consistently finished in the top 10 at Philadelphia’s Liberty Classic.

Kelly Benjamin – A former firefighter, Kelly (inset) was a top sprinter with Cheerwine Professional Cycling Team for the last three years. In 2008, Kelly took the overall title for the USA Criterium Series last year, recording over 10 victories and podium spots on the NRC circuit.

Cath Cheatley – A World Track Championships Points race bronze medalist currently ranked #5 in the NRC, Cath represented her native New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing in both the road race and the points race on the track. She is a former New Zealand national champion on road and track and claimed NRC victories in 2008, including single-day criteriums and stage races.

Tiffany Cromwell -- Tiffany delivered Colavita/Sutter Home’s first win of the 2008 season with her victory at the Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix and never looked back. The Australian speedster went on to win the Sea Otter Classic and a top 10 ranking in the US Speedweek Criterium Series before heading off to Europe as a member of the Australian National Team.

Andrea Dvorak – Andrea’s versatility was on full display in 2008. The former triathlete with a law degree from the University of Virginia finished third at the CSC Invitational criterium and raced to top 10 finishes in the Tour of the Gila Mogollan Road Race and Fitchburg Longsjo time trial. At Nature Valley Grand Prix, Andrea finished fourth in the criterium stage and ninth overall.

Shontell Gauthier -- In her first season with Colavita/Sutter Home, Shontell capped off an impressive series of top 10 finishes with a victory at the Bike Jam/Kelly Cup.

Rachel Heal – Rachel joined the North American peloton in 2006 as a member of Team Victory Brewing following a distinguished racing career in Europe. She won the Bronze Medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and represented the UK in the road race at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. Rachel earned 13 podium finishes as a member of the British national Team before turning pro in 2004. She comes over from Team TIBCO.

Heather Logan -- A former ice hockey player who went to numerous championships as a member of the Canadian National Team, Heather has used her toughness and work ethic to produce impressive results in only two seasons of pro cycling. She won the winter national points race on the track, provincial criterium championships, placed fourth in the 2008 National Road Championships, and held her own in the top finishing group at the International Tour of Thuringen stage race against Olympic contenders competing for selection by their respective countries.

Stacy Marple – A former competitive diver working towards completing her doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley, Stacy has distinguished herself as a strong climber with the strength and stamina to achieve top 10 results in tough stages races like the Redlands Bicycle Classic. Stacy comes over from Team Cheerwine.

Tina Pic – One of the most decorated cyclists in the North American women’s peloton, Tina claimed the overall NRC Champion title for 2008, the fifth time in her career. The five-time US National Criterium Champion raced to victory at nearly every major criterium, including the Mt. Tabor Criterium stage of the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, Tour of Somerville, Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, Chris Thater Memorial Grand Prix, and Priority Health Grand Cycling Classic, 12 individual victories, including Fitchburg Longsjo and the Tour of Somerville, and captured the overall US SpeedWeek Criterium Series title.

Nichole Wangsgard – Nicky opened the 2008 season with a 5th place finish at the Tour of California Women’s Criterium. A savvy all-arounder with a doctorate in education, she went on to win the criterium at the Joe Martin Stage Race and took second in the Wells Fargo Twilight criterium.

Photos: Leonard Basobas

Team Kenda Announces 2009 NRC Roster

Chicago, Illinois –Team Kenda is entering its 10th anniversary of women’s bicycle racing with a roster possessing an impressive list of palmares. The team continues to fuse youth and experience as its formula for success, longevity, and growth of the sport.

Jakie Kurth, two-time Junior National Champion, will return to Team Kenda in her final year of junior eligibility. Espoir riders will include Denise Ramsden, the 2007 and 2008 Canadian Junior National Road Race Champion, Ashley James, who is currently racing for mountain bike powerhouse Lindsey Wilson College, and climbing specialist, Ally Stacher, from the Lees-McRae Collegiate program.

Team Captain Kristin Wentworth returns along with Kat Clark, Krystal McNutt, and 9-year team veteran and Masters National CX Champion, Catherine Walberg. They will be reinforced by capable team newcomers Silke Wunderwald and Christy Keely.

The team welcomes PearTreePens.com and Skins as new sponsors for the 2009 season.

Returning team sponsors include Kenda USA, The Allen Group, Plant Solutions, Blue Competition Bicycles, Vergesport, Rudy Project, LH Thomson, SRAM, LifeSport PT, CycleOps, Ferguson and Associates, Sigma Sport, Zipp Speed Weaponry, Timbuk2, Elete, SportCrafters, Terry Precision Cycling, Headsweats, PowerBar, Deen-Gross Eye Centers, Purple Extreme, Thule, and Moszkito.

Team Kenda will continue to have a local presence with 4 geographically-focused Regional Teams that will help to develop and promote women’s cycling while supporting the sponsors in those markets.

Garmin-Slipstream and ADSI Continue Anti-Doping Program

Participation in Anti-Doping Science Institute’s New Program Continues to Demonstrate Garmin-Slipstream’s Dedication to Anti-Doping and Ethical Sporting

Boulder, CO - Slipstream Sports LLC and its chief venture, the Garmin-Slipstream Professional Cycling Team, isn’t just sporting a new name in 2009, when it will officially be called Garmin-Slipstream. The top U.S. team today announced that it will participate in a new program run by the Anti-Doping Sciences Institute (ADSI) to further its anti-doping mission. The program will include profiles from testing conducted over the last year and will share data with UCI and other international and national anti-doping agencies. ADSI has been involved in the management of the Garmin-Slipstream anti-doping program since June of 2008 as part of its previous relationship with the Agency for Cycling Ethics.

All 29 athletes on the team are voluntarily participating in the program, which will test them over 600 times in 2009. There will be an intense focus on EPO and related substances as well as continued focus on longitudinal profiling of blood and steroid levels. Detection of traditional doping products will also be included. Providing the oversight and program design for ADSI is Don Catlin, one of the leading names in anti-doping in the United States.

“When we began our anti-doping program in 2007, we wanted to help turn the tide in professional cycling,” said Jonathan Vaughters, Director Sportif of Team Garmin-Slipstream. “We wanted other professional athletes and teams to put their resources and efforts into the fight against doping. It worked. In 2009, we’re on a mission to continue what we started. With partners like ADSI and Don Catlin, we aim to continue to foster the ideals of fair sport.”

The testing program will be comprised of both blood and urine sampling and will focus on EPO, CERA and related drugs, but it will also include full screen testing for doping agents such as testosterone, cortisone, anabolic steroids, and masking agents. In addition, blood and steroid profiles will be used to detect longitudinal abnormalities and remove a rider from competition if suspicious results are found. Analytical work will be performed by Anti-Doping Research, under contract to ADSI, as well as other labs selected by ADSI. This combines the best of traditional testing and longitudinal testing into one program. By participating in this testing regimen, Garmin-Slipstream’s intention is to simply prevent any rider who could be doping from competing, and to continue to inspire fair sport.

“I have been involved in doping control for decades. When I developed the first anti-doping laboratory in the United States at UCLA in 1982, my hope was to prevent doping in sports and to work with teams and athletes who shared that hope,” said Don Catlin. “Team Garmin-Slipstream has proven that they do. I’m thrilled to be able to work with them.”

Team Garmin-Slipstream has been dedicated to anti-doping since its inception and the new Catlin program is an extension of its original intentions. It began participating in independent monitoring programs under the ACE model in 2007.

“We’re collaborating with Team Columbia on this effort with ADSI because we strongly believe that by working together, we can continue to help inspire fair sport,” said Vaughters. “Trust between teams and management is essential to success – on and off the road – and our fans and athletes alike deserve that trust.”

Special Edition Vanderkitten Zero Gs

Lexington, SC - The Vanderkitten Elite Women’s Team will be stopping in style during 2009. Ciamillo Components will be outfitting the team with limited edition Zero G brakes.

Early production units of the Vanderkitten brakes have been so well received that they will be available for sale starting in January through independent bicycle dealers at $599.99 for the pair.

“We wanted to do something special with Vanderkitten Racing, and we are very excited that the team and The Hawley Company have decided to make the brakes available for purchase by consumers”, said Ciamillo Components’ Christian Ries Foster. “We’re raising the bar for the 2009 season and the Vanderkitten brakes are another great example of how we are doing it”, said Dave Verrecchia, co-owner of Vanderkitten.

Ciamillo Components’ Zero G brakes feature a patented Power Cam that provides a mechanical advantage with extreme, modulated stopping power. The brakes produce precision performance without the dead-spot that is common in other brakes. At an amazingly low 200g per pair, these made in the USA brakes are the perfect upgrade.

Vanderkitten Racing started in 2007 and in 2008 finished as the number one team in the USA Crits Series. The team has enjoyed immediate success and remarkable popularity. Plans for 2009 include Vanderkitten Club Teams in various cities across the US. The title sponsor for the team, Vanderkitten, designs lifestyle clothing and cycling apparel for “women who kick ass” and are sold direct, through retailers, and through The Hawley Company.

On Tap...

Tis' The Season
Last year fellow Wolverine Sports Club member, Don Amboyer, was on hand to photograph the Waterford Hills MI State Championships CX in Waterford, MI. With an anticipated high of 27 degrees and snow in the forecast, the race looks to be another cold and sluggish affair.

For more races in and around your area, consult the listings below.

12/06/2008
Virginia Cyclocross Series Finale
Charlottesville, VA
2008 Arizona Cyclocross State Championships
Gilbert, AZ

12/07/2008
Bay Area Super Prestige Series #5-CCCP CX-Coyote Point
San Mateo, CA
2008 Bike Authority Cyclocross Series #4
Copley, OH
Illinois State CX Championships
Chicago, IL
Salisbury Cyclocross Race
Salisbury, NC
Capital Cross Classic
Reston, VA
Waterford Hills MI State Championships CX
Waterford, MI
SoCal Prestige Series #11
Palmdale, CA
Brookside Cyclocross Cup
Indianapolis, IN

For results and photos of some of the races above, click through to Truesport.com.


12/14/2008
Vision Quest Indoor TT Series
Highland Park, IL

12/21/2008
Sacramento Cyclocross-December
Sacramento, CA

Photo: Don Amboyer

AEG Responds to Shortened Women's Race at 2009 Amgen Tour of California

Originally slated for a three-day stage race consisting of three criterium races in Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and San Jose, the Amgen Tour of California Women's race is now just a single criterium race in Santa Rosa.

Andrew Messick, President of AEG Sports, provided this reponse to our inquires about their reasons for shortening the women's agenda.

"We paid serious consideration to extending the women's competition during the Amgen Tour of California beyond a single day by carefully researching a variety of logistical and scheduling elements; however, we have decided to continue to hold this event as a one-day Women's Criterium race, which will, once again, be staged in Santa Rosa. The second-annual Women's Criterium will be held on February 15th."

Photo: Leonard Basobas

Route Details Announced for Expanded 2009 Amgen Tour of California

Professional Women’s Cycling Race to Return to Santa Rosa During Stage One of the Men’s Race



LOS ANGELES, CA – Specific route details for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race were revealed today by AEG, presenter of the fourth-annual event, which will once again have a world-class field of competitors, including two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer and seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong. Already considered cycling’s most important and successful stage race in the United States, the 2009 Amgen Tour of California will be expanded to cover more than 750 miles over nine days. In its fourth running, the race will travel almost the entire length of California on a demanding course from the state’s capitol, Sacramento, to Escondido, in San Diego County.

Scheduled over nine consecutive days from February 14-22, 2009, the race will visit 16 host cities for official stage starts and finishes, with communities along the route getting the chance to see, firsthand, a lineup of some of the most elite, recognizable teams and athletes in the world. Host cities for the Prologue and eight stages include: Sacramento, Davis (new city for 2009), Santa Rosa (site of the Women’s Criterium), Sausalito, Santa Cruz (new city for 2009), San Jose, Modesto, Merced (new city for 2009), Clovis (new city for 2009), Visalia (new city for 2009), Paso Robles (new city for 2009), Solvang, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, Rancho Bernardo (new city for 2009) and Escondido (new city for 2009).

"Each year, we continue our commitment to upgrading and enhancing every element of the Amgen Tour of California, not only for the cyclists, but also for the spectators along the route, by creating an even more challenging and exciting race," said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. “The added element of the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium in Santa Rosa allows us to bring professional women’s cycling to the fans as well, even further enhancing the race experience.”

One of the most anticipated professional cycling races in the world, the 2009 Amgen Tour of California will be staged over a more challenging route, and will, once again, include a women’s criterium. Highlights of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California race route include:

Prologue: Sacramento (Saturday, February 14, 2009)
Start time: 1:30 p.m.
Start Location: Intersection of Capitol Mall and 9th St.
Finish Location: Intersection of L St. and 11th St.

The first day of racing in the 2009 Amgen Tour of California will be a short, but intense, individual time trial of just less than three miles, known as a Prologue. The flat and fast route will likely take each individual cyclist less than five minutes to finish. Although it is short, the Prologue will be packed with excitement and high speed. With the start and finish lines separated by only two blocks, spectators will have the opportunity to easily see the racers at both the start and finish lines. Showcasing the State Capitol, the Capitol Mall area and the well-known Tower Bridge, the Prologue will provide a crowd-pleasing day of racing excitement.

Stage 1: Davis to Santa Rosa (Sunday, February 15, 2009)
Start Time: Noon
Start Location: Intersection of C St. and 3rd St. in Davis
Finish Location: Intersection of 3rd St. and Santa Rosa Ave. in Santa Rosa

A new stage for the Amgen Tour of California, the route from Davis to Santa Rosa will provide plenty of scenic settings for both the cyclists and the spectators. Beginning in the city of Davis, which recently was named the best cycling town in the United States by Bicycling Magazine, the route includes evenly spaced climbs throughout the stage and spectacular views. After 20 miles of flat roads, the riders will meet their first climb up a short, but steep section leading up to the Monticello Dam. Another long, flat section along Lake Berryessa will take the riders to their second climb up Howell Mountain Rd., followed by a fast descent into Napa Valley. After one final climb and a steep descent from Calistoga Road, the cyclists will finish the race with circuit laps in downtown Santa Rosa. In previous years, Santa Rosa fans have set the mark for one of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds of the entire race.

Additionally, fans in Santa Rosa will have the opportunity to watch the second-annual Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium. Held in conjunction with Stage 1 of the Amgen Tour of California, the Women's Criterium will begin at 1 p.m. and will showcase some of the world's top professional women cyclists competing for $15,000 in prizes. Set as a category Pro 1/2 race, the Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium will have a limit of eight riders per team. Once again using portions of the Stage 1 men’s finishing circuit in Santa Rosa, the Women’s Criterium will bring the thrill of professional women’s cycling to fans in the hours just before the men’s finish in downtown Santa Rosa.

Stage 2: Sausalito to Santa Cruz (Monday, February 16, 2009)
Start Time: 8:30 a.m.
Start Location: Spinnaker Restaurant at 100 Spinnaker Dr. in Sausalito
Finish Location: Intersection of Front St. and Cooper St. in Santa Cruz

Starting on the northern side of the San Francisco Bay, Stage 2 will cover more than 100 miles from Sausalito to Santa Cruz. The stage will begin with a scenic start in Sausalito on the water and will head south over one of the most iconic structures in the country, the Golden Gate Bridge, and then through the streets of San Francisco. The route will then take the riders west down the California coastline on Highway 1, flanked by the picturesque backdrops of the Pacific Ocean on one side and Redwood forests on the other. This coastal stage will include two long, but moderate climbs on Tunitas Creek Road and Bonny Doon Road, which will be followed by lengthy and fast descents. The sprint to the finish in Santa Cruz will provide an exciting conclusion to Stage 2 of the race.

Stage 3: San Jose to Modesto (Tuesday, February 17, 2009)
Start Time: Noon
Start Location: Intersection of San Fernando St. and Almaden Blvd. in San Jose
Finish Location: Intersection of I St. and 12th St. in Modesto

Fans of the Amgen Tour of California may recognize part of Stage 3 from the 2008 race when the cyclists traveled from Modesto to San Jose; however, in 2009, the racers will be traveling the route in reverse with several changes. Beginning with a climb that is synonymous with cycling and the Amgen Tour of California, the cyclists will head up Sierra Road (1,930 ft.) within the first five miles of the stage. This epic climb will be a defining moment in the race and will create an action-packed day of racing for the cyclists and the fans alike. After completing the Sierra Road climb, the riders will face fast and flat roads full of twists and turns (Calaveras Road alone has more than 40 switchbacks) before climbing Patterson Pass. The stage will finish with two circuits in downtown Modesto.

Stage 4: Merced to Clovis (Wednesday, February 18, 2009)
Start Time: 11 a.m.
Start Location: City Hall at the intersection of N St. and 18th St. in Merced
Finish Location: Intersection of Bullard Ave. and Pollasky Ave. in Clovis

Stage 4 will introduce two new host cities and the Sierra Mountains to the Amgen Tour of California. With four KOMs ("King of the Mountain" competitions) and several sprints, Stage 4 will be a test for the riders with consistently hilly and technical terrain. From the start in Merced to the finish in Clovis, this stage will be characterized by consistent climbing surrounded by the beautiful mountain scenery. Fans can watch the climbs, always a spectator favorite, at any of the four locations - Hwy 140, twice on Hwy 49 and Crane Valley Road. Coming to a finish in Old Town Clovis, this stage will introduce the beauty of Central California to the Amgen Tour of California.

Stage 5: Visalia to Paso Robles (Thursday, February 19, 2009)
Start Time: 10 a.m.
Start Location: Intersection of Aceqia Ave. and Church St. in Visalia
Finish Location: Intersection of Spring St. and 11th St. in Paso Robles

At more than 130 miles, Stage 5, sponsored by Rabobank, is the longest stage of the race. A new course for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, Stage 5 will begin with a neutral start of parade laps through Visalia’s downtown area. Once the race wends its way through the start in Visalia, the riders will experience an amazing contrast between the previous day of racing in the Sierra Mountains, as they head through the vast stretch of flat roads on the San Joaquin Valley floor. For the first 100 miles of the stage, the riders will have virtually no protection from the wind, creating a challenging ride. Winding its way back to the coast, the route, which will include two sprints, will pass by vast cattle ranches and farms. Packed full of rolling hills and large horse farms, the final 30-mile run into Paso Robles will be a fast sprint to the finish.

Stage 6: Solvang Individual Time Trial (Friday, February 20, 2009)
Start Time: Noon
Start Location: Intersection of Mission Drive and 1st St.
Finish Location: Copenhagen Dr.

The quaint Danish village of Solvang hosts some of the ProTour teams annually for training camps, as well as some of the largest cycling events in the United States. With the start and finish lines located only one block apart, Stage 6 is an ideal location for spectators to view the race. The route will highlight the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, winding through quaint towns, vineyards, farms, and one short, but steep climb up Ballard Canyon. This year's short, flat and fast time trial will create a challenging test for the riders and is expected to be a decisive day of the race.

Stage 7: Santa Clarita to Pasadena (Saturday, February 21, 2009)
Start Time: Noon
Start Location: Town Center Drive in Santa Clarita
Finish Location: West Drive, alongside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena

The race from Santa Clarita to Pasadena proved to be a difficult one during the final stage of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, and this year will be no different. The first 25 miles of Stage 7, sponsored by Herbalife, include a gradual climb from Santa Clarita, through Acton, to the intersection of Angeles Forest Road. The route continues uphill, showcasing the beauty of the San Gabriel Mountains, to the second highest elevation ever reached by the Amgen Tour of California on the towering Millcreek Summit (4,906 ft.). Descending with a 15-mile run to Angeles Crest Highway, the route begins a fast plunge to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. After more than 65 miles from Santa Clarita to Pasadena, with the mountains and the Rose Bowl serving as the backdrop, the peloton will complete the stage with five, five-mile laps on a very demanding circuit through the area surrounding the Rose Bowl. This course will provide a challenging, action-packed day leading up to the finale on Sunday.

Stage 8: Rancho Bernardo to Escondido (Sunday, February 22, 2009)
Start Time: Noon
Start Location: Bernardo Center Dr. in Rancho Bernardo
Finish Location: Intersection of Grand Ave. and Broadway in Escondido

With the final stage of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California as a difficult point-to-point road race, there is a chance to see an overall lead change, as well as a change in the KOM jersey leader on the last day. With four climbs, including the highest point ever reached in the Amgen Tour of California, and two sprints, Stage 8, sponsored by Amgen, can easily be characterized as the most difficult final stage that the Amgen Tour of California has ever seen. The cyclists will have to fight through the very end of the race, due to the addition of Palomar Mountain (5,123 ft.). At 11.7 miles, a seven percent average grade, 4,200 feet of climbing and 21 switchbacks, Palomar Mountain will provide a challenging conclusion to the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Organizers expect a hard sprint to the finish; as with all the Grand Tours of Europe, winning the final stage of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California is a prize coveted by the riders.

Snap Judgment
Perhaps I am missing something amongst all the excitement surrounding Lance Armstrong’s return to the professional peloton and in the continued growth of the America’s premier stage race, but count me among the disappointed that the originally announced three-day Women’s Stage Race has been reduced to a single criterium.

While we wait on a response from TOC officials as to the reasons why the three-day race was shortened, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat offers a small measure of an explanation, “there was to be three cities that hosted a Women’s Criterium, but San Jose and Sacramento eventually were dropped.”

Again, did I miss something?

There are lesser sponsored and organizationally challenged races on the US Cycling calendar that run full stage races of both genders concurrently, but we are led to believe that two criteriums on streets that are already planned to be closed off for the men’s race can’t be run at an event as large as the Amgen Tour of California.

Whatever the reasons, the sport of women’s cycling will continue to languish behind the men’s if they continue to receive similar treatment. As one commenter put it, “Women's pro cycling in the US will not develop beyond where it is now if we don't offer opportunities to race.”

Photo: Leonard Basobas (Team TIBCO's Brooke Miller - 2008 Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium Winner)

Rotting Kayle

They say kale is good for you. In the cabbage family, it is known to be "a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties."

Apparently, Kayle Leogrande has never heard of his namesake vegetable as he chose to put other things in his body during his cycling career. He became the latest cyclists to be suspended for doping.

To no one's surprise, Leogrande denied the allegations and claimed he was targeted by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Velonews' Neal Rogers provided the details of Leogrande's case and suspension.

If you're still not swayed by the mountain of evidence against Kayle, then you need only to read between the lines of the reaction by Rock Racing's Owner, Michael Ball; the self-appointed advocate for cyclists against unfair anti-doping practices.

“Whenever a rider is suspended – be it for doping or any disciplinary issue – it brings negative attention to the sport that so many of us are working hard to cast in a positive light.”

“In Kayle’s case, knowing that several of the sport’s governing bodies were also conducting their own investigations, we felt it was not appropriate to prevent him from racing until a verdict was reached. USA Cycling and the UCI did not deny him the right to race. Rock Racing absolutely and unequivocally does not condone doping, but we do respect due process."

“The decision to not re-sign Kayle for the 2009 season had nothing to do with this case. It was based on performance."

Photo: Kyle Kuykendall