Toyota-United off to a strong Prologue at the Amgen Tour of California.
Rollin and Day Lead the team with 25th and 33rd place.
Palo Alto, CA - Prologue Amgen Tour of California, Stanford University
The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team started off the 2008 calendar with a strong opening at the Amgen Tour of California in Palo Alto, Ca. The crowds were wide and loud from start to finish as the 3rd year of the race kicked off this year at Stanford University. “The Crowds were so thick on University Avenue; it was at least 6-10 people deep said Team Director, Len Pettyjohn It was a beautiful Mid Winter day as the fans lined the streets and the racers finally had their day in the sun after training camp and preparing for the big races of 2008. There is nothing like starting the season with the biggest race America has to offer. The guys were amped and ready to ride. First out of the gate for Toyota-United was new member Dominique Rollin. “He fired out of the gates and was going 42 MPH as he hit the first turn”, said Toyota-United Team Owner Sean Tucker. Rollin was the races 6th participant after the 1pm start and there were a few head winds to battle for the bulk of the prologue until they made the 360 turn at the end for the final sprint to the finish line. Rollin finished strong with a time of 4:05:57 for 25th place followed by fellow rider Ben Day who finished in 33rd with a time of 4:07:13 as the last of the eight riders to race. The team finished a respectable 9th overall out of 17 teams in the team classification. After the race, the riders met fans for an autograph signing at the Toyota-United expo where hundreds lined up to get the autograph of their favorite riders. Toyota-United hopes to repeat their Stage 1 victory from the 2006 ATOC tomorrow with their ace sprinter Ivan Dominguez.
Rollin about to exit the start house
Ben Day giving it a solid effort.
Photos courtesy of: Kathleen Poulos and Marissa Quintanilla
