Brandon H, of Oakley, CA sent in these pics from the prologue to become our 5th jersey winner!

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The bikes are built, the training camps are a thing of the past, the sun was at the rendez-vous for the start of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California. The riders were happy to get the show on the road.

Team CSC and Bjarne Riis

Tom Boonen and his Quick Step teammates

High Road’s Kim Kirchen; Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast duo

French Teams Bouygues Telecom and Credit Agricole

Rock Racing’s Mario Cipollini and Fast Freddie Rodriguez

Saunier Duval-Scott team is happy to be here

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Fabian Cancellara (SUI),

First Place, Prologue
Team CSC

On today’s race:
“It was like being in the Tour de France out there on the course today. The last time I raced in front of so many people was in London last year. The Amgen Tour of California is a really great race. It is good for cycling. The race has had a great start in the past two years. I hope it continues like this.”

On winning the Prologue:
“To win the first race of the season wearing the Rainbow Jersey is a great experience for me, and for the team as well. It’s just amazing. I had hoped to be first today, and as a team, we hope to win the Amgen Tour of California.”

On the anti-doping testing:
“I think it’s important that all teams continue to fight. For the teams and sponsors, what they did last year and this year, this is what everyone has to do. I think the results show that we did the right thing. The biological passport is a good thing. We need cycling to go back to the way it used to be. We need to give our best on the road. I accept the rules and I’ll continue to do my best.”

Tyler Farrar (USA),
Third Place, Prologue
Slipstream Chipotle Powered by H30

On his third place finish:
“I was pleasantly surprised with how well I did today. This race was good for me. I knew it was possible for me to have a good ride, and it was an honor to be on the podium with Fabian (Cancellara) and Bradley (Wiggins). Today’s finish ranks up there as one of my top-5 finishes. This was a fantastic day for our team, and hopefully a sign of things to come.”

On his first appearance in the Amgen Tour of California:
“This is my first time riding in Amgen Tour of California. It’s probably the biggest cycling event in American, and for me, as an American, it’s great to finally take part in one of the nation’s top races. I couldn’t believe the fans; it felt like one of the biggest races in the world. Every rider in Europe wants to come to this race. I can’t believe how lucky we’ve been with the weather. All the guys in Europe speak so highly about this race.”

Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR),
Best Young Rider, Prologue
High Road

On his first professional race:
“This is my first professional race, so it’s a good start, and it’s good to start my season so well.”

On the today’s course:
“I liked the course. The first two corners went well for me. The straight was longer than I thought it would be, so I tired a little coming to the end, but I think it’s like that for every rider.”

On the crowds:
“The crowds were really good. There were a lot of people and it was fun to ride through them.”

Photo by Ken Conley

PALO ALTO, CALIF. – The 2008 Amgen Tour of California started on a high note in Palo Alto when World Champion Fabian Cancellara (SUI) of Team CSC bested a world-class field containing nine World Champions to claim victory on a fast, flat course lined shoulder-to-shoulder with cheering fans. The enthusiastic crowd cheered on the cyclists as they made their way from downtown Palo Alto to Stanford University.

Completing the 2.1-mile course with a record time of 3:51.21, Cancellara will begin day two of the race wearing the yellow Amgen Leader’s Jersey when Stage 1 takes the riders from Sausalito to Santa Rosa on Monday morning. Today, Cancellara became the first foreign rider ever to wear the yellow jersey in the Amgen Tour of California.

In second place, four seconds behind Cancellara, was Bradley Wiggins (GBR) of High Road, followed by Tyler Farrar (USA) of Slipstream Chipotle Powered by H30, who came in third, five seconds off the pace. Team High Road became the general team classification leader after the first day of racing with a total time of 11:52.

“What a great start to a race that promises to have the complete attention of cycling fans worldwide for the next week,” said Andrew Messick, president, AEG Sports, presenter of the race. “With enthusiastic crowds and welcoming partners, the city of Palo Alto served as an ideal location to see the most accomplished sprinters in the sport do what they do best. This field of world-class cyclists, assembled for the third annual Amgen Tour of California, has some incredible days of racing ahead of them, and the fans in California are in for quite a show.”

Featuring an almost level profile, the 2.1-mile course had cycling fans lined up, almost ten-deep in places, to see the race action.
“It was like being in the Tour de France out there on the course today,” said Cancellara. “The last time I raced in front of so many people was in London last year. The Amgen Tour of California is a really great race. It is good for cycling. The race has had a great start in the past two years. I hope it continues like this.” Last year, CSC won the Team Classification in the Amgen Tour of California.

Defending Champion Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana finished fourth today, putting him in an excellent position since he is a proven climber and, overall, the race has significantly more climbing this year.

Early race favorites include defending champion Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana, who finished fourth (3:58:891); George Hincapie (USA) of High Road, who finished 13th (4:01:943); and Tom Boonen (BEL) of QuickStep, who finished 21st (4:04:56).

The Union Bank of California Best Young Rider’s Jersey was claimed by Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) of High Road, who finished fifth at seven seconds. The Herbalife Sprint Jersey went to Bradley Wiggins (GBR) of High Road. The California Travel & Tourism Commission King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey and Tachyon Most Aggressive Jersey will be awarded for the first time in the 2008 race tomorrow.

Title sponsor Amgen is continuing its complementary Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative in 2008.
“Amgen is pleased to join AEG for a third year as the title sponsor of the Amgen Tour of California,” said George Morrow, executive vice president, Global Commercial Operations, Amgen. “Today was a great Prologue, beginning what is sure to be a very thrilling race week. At Amgen, we also are excited about the opportunity to celebrate cancer survivors and provide support to people affected by cancer through our Breakaway from Cancer initiative.”

Amgen created Breakaway from Cancer™ in 2005 as a complementary component to its race sponsorship. The initiative is designed to help empower people affected by cancer and supports the services of two nonprofit organizations – The Wellness Community, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free support, education and hope to people affected by cancer, and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the oldest survivor-led cancer advocacy organization in the country.

For the latest information on the Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative and ways to support those living with the illness, visit breakawayfromcancer.com.

STAGE 1 TOMORROW:
Monday, Feb. 18 – Sausalito to Santa Rosa
Estimated Start Time: 11 a.m.
Estimated Finish Time: 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Stage 1 will bring the cyclists 96.8 miles from Sausalito to Santa Rosa. In previous years, Santa Rosa set the mark for one of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds of the entire race.
Best viewing spots will include: the start in Sausalito near Spinnaker restaurant; the finish on Third Street in Santa Rosa; the sprint lines in Point Reyes and Bodega Bay; the climb up Coleman Valley Road; and Occidental, as the race comes down the hill into town.

For full results, archived footage, GPS data, rider bios, course information, race play-by-play and more, please visit the official race Web site at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com

A short 2 mile prologue that is not very technical nor very steep should ensure that a sprinter will get an opportunity at the coveted Tour of California Gold Jersey. Time gaps should stay pretty close, but look for a strong sprinter or world class time trialist to take this one.