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Gary of Daly City, CA is our first official winner of a brand new official Voler Amgen Tour of California jersey! He and his family made it up to the start in Sausalito, CA for some family time with the tour. Thanks for sending in the photos Gary!

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Dominique Rollin Finishes 4th place in Stage 1 of the Tour of California.

Stage 1, Santa Rosa, California

The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team came into Stage 1 with a goal of repeating its win of the 2006 edition of this great stage into Santa Rosa. Although, the team did not win, Rollin provided fans and his teammates alike with an exciting finish and a performance to be proud of.

The team led by Dominique Rollin who coasted in with a 4th place finish as the highest placed non ProTour rider. Toyota-United continues to perform in America’s biggest races the past 3 years with seven stage wins in America’s three “grand” Tours.

“It was a tough day at the office for Toyota-United.” said Scott Moninger. The European teams rode aggressively up the climb early, Ivan Dominguez and a group of TUP riders stuck within 20 seconds of the leaders as they broke away up the climb. They stayed with the leaders up until an hour to go in the race when the pack separated and only 3 Toyota-United riders stayed with the leaders; they were led by Dominique Rollin, Heath Blackgrove, and Ben Day. The remainder of the team fought to catch up to the lead group unsuccessfully the remainder of the race.

Dominique Rollin came into this race in great shape and today’s finish required a strongman’s finish which played well into Dominique’s hand. With one lap to go, Heath Blackgrove brought Rollin into position, “I had the perfect wheel for the sprint with 300m to go, I was flying by everyone, and I knew with this speed, I would win it. But with 150 meters to go, I had a chicane to go thru and I had to pull up or I would have slammed into the barricade, otherwise I had the clear path and I believe I would have won” said Rollin. It was an impressive performance once again for Toyota-United and the boys are resting for another long stage tomorrow during Stage 2 from Santa Rosa into the capital city of California, Sacramento. It promises to be an exciting week of racing with the early fights we have seen already.

Photos By © Kathleen Poulos

Some sights and sounds collected during the first Stage of the Tour of California.

Pre-race quotes

Ben Jacques-Maynes, Bissell

I’m feeling pretty good about yesterday, I definitely couldn’t have gone a single millisecond faster, that was… happy, happy with that, almost had a top ten and that would have been something to talk about, it’s fine, the legs are rolling good, I really can’t complain, it’s a good way to open the season.

There’s a lot of teams that have actual sprinters that may change things a little bit, if I had been three seconds out, then maybe, but nine, ten seconds that’s a tall order so will see what becomes of it all, it may just be time to sit and wait.

Maybe knowing the roads (going up Hamilton) is not to my benefit, I know exactly how hard and tortuous all those roads are, it’s not just Hamilton, it’s Del Puerto canyon, it’s San Antonio Valley and the two KOMs there, then Hamilton, then Sierra Road. I’m going to put knowing the descent to my objective.

Mark Renshaw, Credit Agricole

I’ll find out, the legs are not too bad, I’m still trying to recover from the flight. Last minute arrival, probably not the best thing but you know I want to spend as much time back in Australia as I can, I had a good ride at Tour Down Under, this isn’t a big objective but I’ll see if I can pick up a stage or be up there.

I’ll try and get one (win) early and get it out of the way but we’ll see what happens. There’s a lot of guys, a lot of sprinters here but I know that I’m doing as good as them after Tour Down Under.

Doug Ollerenshaw, Rock Racing

Feeling good and looking forwards to starting the race, put everything else behind. The prologue was pretty short yesterday and then this is when it really gets going. The form is good, a lot of distractions the last few days, certainly a little unsure how it’s going to start out here, but the form is good.

Andy Bajadali, Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast

I’m okay, I actually spent last week sick in bed, I didn’t really think I was coming to this race but I made a really good recovery and I’m pretty motivated. The legs are a little rough but I’m going to ride into it I think you know, I think it’s going to take a couple of days to come around. There are a few bugs going around within the peloton so, one of our guys is really sick so we’re really careful right now, it spreads around like wildfire, we’re motivated anyways.

One of our sprint guys is kind of out, he’s one of the guys, we still have Alex Candelario for the kicks and he’ll be there for sure. The other guys, we’re just going to look for opportunities all day.

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Photo c. Larry Rosa Photography

Photo Stephanie Gutowski

SANTA ROSA, CALIF., – Premiering during Stage 1 of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, the Women’s Criterium presented by the Redwood Regional Breast Center was enthusiastically welcomed by the thousands of fans lining the streets of Santa Rosa. Brooke Miller from Tibco won the inaugural race with an impressive performance.

The newest addition to the National Racing Calendar (NRC), the Women’s Criterium used portions of the Stage 1 men’s finishing circuit in Santa Rosa for the course. As a new component to the 2008 Amgen Tour of California professional road cycling race, the Women’s Criterium consisted of a field of 85 riders competing for more than $10,000 in prizes. Set as a category Pro 1,2 race and with a limit of eight riders per team, the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium showcased some of the world’s top professional women’s cycling teams.

“The inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium was an absolute success,” said Laura Charameda, race director, Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium. “The response from the crowd and racers was extremely high in both the quality of the women’s racing and the excitement generated by it. I look forward to the women not only returning next year, but to multiple locations along the route.”

Photo by Stephanie Gutowski

Brooke Miller, overall winner of the Women’s Criterium, has earned ten top-10 international finishes in her first season participating in the European races, stunning the field with a win at the Tour of Ardeche in France, and becoming the first U.S. woman to win a sprint jersey in Europe at the Novilon Internationale Damesronde van Drenthe in Holland. In addition to her successes abroad, Miller earned seven wins racing on home soil in the U.S., including a win at the Nature Valley Grand Prix, Cougar Mountain.

“This was a really huge win for me because it was a really great field,” said Brooke Miller (Tibco), winner of the inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium. “It was really a thrill to be able to show how exciting women’s racing is; we hope the crowds saw that. The racing was aggressive, fast and exciting.”
America’s most successful cycling race, the Amgen Tour of California, is an eight-day “rolling festival” through California that has in its first two years already become one of the nation’s largest and most recognized annual sports events. This international, world-class cycling road race features 17 elite professional teams and athletes from around the world, competing for the highest prize purse of any cycling race in North America. The Amgen Tour of California brings the drama and excitement of a professional cycling stage race to the California coast for a third year in 2008, from Feb. 17-24.

“The Criterium here was a first for the Amgen Tour of California,” said Andrew Messick, president, AEG Sports, presenter of the race. “There are a lot of us who are passionate about cycling, and we think it’s well past time that these women are recognized for their racing and sacrifices. Our company believes in cycling, and to be able to help push to get women’s cycling the exposure it deserves is something we believe in.”

Photo by Ken Conley

SANTA ROSA, CALIF. – Record crowds were on-hand for Stage 1 of the Amgen Tour of California to watch the world’s best cyclists travel over some of California’s most scenic highways, from Sausalito to Santa Rosa, culminating with a climactic finish in downtown Santa Rosa as Juan Jose “J.J.” Haedo (ARG), of Team CSC, sprinted to an impressive win, his fifth stage win in the Amgen Tour of California (2006-2008), ahead of Gerald Ciolek (GER), of High Road, and Heinrich Haussler (GER) of Gerolsteiner.

“The final 60km (40 miles) of the race were very fast; I barely made it to the finish. That was a really hard part for me,” said Haedo, Stage 1 winner. “Everyone was really fast today, but when you see the last 200 meters, you go as hard as you can and don’t look back. We have a lot of good sprinters in the Amgen Tour of California, really a good level of competition.”

Haedo’s teammate Fabian Cancellara (SUI), the overall race leader after yesterday’s Prologue, retained the Amgen Leader’s Jersey after an exciting day of racing.

The 98.6-mile stage from Sausalito to Santa Rosa took the scenic coastal route along Highway 1 before turning inland for a difficult ascent up the 827-ft. Coleman Valley Road climb, 64 miles into the race. After about 10 miles, Jackson Stewart (USA) of Team BMC, who lives in nearby Los Gatos, Calif., found himself in a solo lead after attempting a breakaway move with three other riders.

“Suddenly I was a minute ahead of the field and I thought I’ll just keep it going and try for the KOM (California Travel and Tourism King of the Mountains classification points),” said Stewart.

Stewart achieved this goal by remaining clear of the field over the summit of Coleman Valley Road, where he backed off as the field raced up to reabsorb him about 20 miles before the Santa Rosa finish. Stewart also claimed the three intermediate Herbalife sprint prizes, at Point Reyes Station, Tomales and Bodega Bay. With 40 miles covered, Stewart’s lead over the peloton had grown to as much as 13 minutes, but as the field approached the steep Coleman Valley climb, with gradients up to 15 percent, the pace intensified and Stewart started to come back.

The peloton fragmented as it powered up Coleman Valley Road, and Jens Voigt (GER) of Team CSC showed strong form by following Kevin Seeldraeyers (BEL) of Saunier Duval – Scott over the top, second in the peloton. In the undulations following the summit, more attacks came and the group broke up into three, with 80 riders in the first group, 11 in the second and 33 in the third.

The tight Santa Rosa finishing circuits have gained a reputation in the short history of the Amgen Tour of California for producing thrilling action in front of a vast, roaring crowd. This year was no exception as the riders sped around the closing laps. QuickStep lined up its two World Champions, Tom Boonen (BEL) and Paolo Bettini (ITA), for the sprint, as did the formidable Team CSC and Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30.

George Hincapie (USA) of High Road also found himself in a good position for the sprint. Going around the final corner, with only a few hundred yards remaining, Hincapie touched wheels with Tom Boonen and crashed heavily, but made it to the finish in 74th place, despite being grazed from head to toe. High Road reported that he had no broken bones and is expected to start tomorrow.

“So far, the race has been fantastic; exceeding expectations,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. “We’ve been doing this for three years now and it keeps getting better. I think we’re getting to the point where we are one of the most important races on the calendar. We want to continue to grow bigger. We want to be one of the races that people plan their calendars around.”

Showing an impressive performance on Stage 1, the California Travel & Tourism Commission King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey and the Tachyon Most Aggressive Jersey were both claimed by Jackson Stewart (USA) of Team BMC. And the Herbalife Sprint Jersey went to Haedo (ARG) of Team CSC. Gerald Ciolek (GER) of High Road took the Union Bank of California Best Young Rider Jersey. Team CSC, winner of the 2006 and 2007 overall team classification, leads the overall team classification.

The top-three general classification leaders after today are Cancellara (SUI) of Team CSC, Team Slipstream Chipotle Powered by H30’s Tyler Farrar (USA) in second and High Road’s Bradley Wiggins (GBR) in third.
Defending champion, Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana rode into a hometown welcome from the cheering crowds lining the roads in Santa Rosa. Fourth overall after today’s stage, Leipheimer heads into Stage 2 with high hopes for his team’s performance over the rest of the week.

“Compared to last year, the crowds just get bigger and bigger. Every year, I’m astonished at how many people are here,” said Santa Rosa resident Leipheimer. “Cycling has really grown around here and I think that is due in large part to the Amgen Tour of California. It feels great to have people cheer me on and to race on the roads that I know every inch of and have trained on for the past twelve years; it’s really special.”
As a new component to the 2008 Amgen Tour of California professional road cycling race, Stage 1 featured a category Pro 1,2 Women’s Criterium. Using portions of the Stage 1 men’s finishing circuit in Santa Rosa, the Women’s Criterium was enthusiastically welcomed by the fans lining the course. Brooke Miller from Tibco won the inaugural race.

In addition to the exciting race finish, today’s event included a special ride by local cancer survivors who cycled the final mile before the peloton came into the final circuits.

At the finish line of today’s stage, prior to the conclusion of the professional race, Santa Rosa resident and two-time breast cancer survivor Theresa Coursey was celebrated during a special event called the Breakaway Mile, a one-mile honorary ride across the finish line celebrating local cancer survivors and their support teams. During the Breakaway Mile, Coursey was joined by the support team that helped her during her battle with cancer, including her husband, stepson, doctors and friends, as well as Amgen scientist Terry Rosen who plays a crucial role in developing innovative medicines.

“Breakaway from Cancer is an integral component of the Amgen Tour of California that benefits cancer patients across the country,” said Terry Rosen, vice president chemistry research & discovery, Amgen. “We honor the courage of patients like Theresa and their caregivers in their fight against cancer. It was an honor to ride with her today and provide an example of what we can do working together as a team to fight the war against cancer.”
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 National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the oldest survivor-led cancer advocacy organization in the country.

Now in its third year, the Breakaway from Cancer initiative continues to help those touched by cancer take an active role in their recovery and find the resources they need to live well with – and beyond – the disease. For the latest information on the Breakaway from Cancer initiative and ways to support those living with the illness, visit breakawayfromcancer.com.

STAGE 1 description and profile:

Stage 1 of the 3rd Amgen Tour of California witnessed a long, courageous breakaway from BMC’s Jackson Stewart, a Santa Rosa resident, who escaped after 17 miles and was caught over 60 miles later by a supercharged peloton hungry to save the day for the sprinters. The 97-mile/156-km ride from Sausalito to Santa Rosa featured three Herbalife Sprints and one category 3 King of the Mountains climb. Stewart pocketed all the prizes along the way before the peloton gobbled him up as they approached the finishing circuit in Santa Rosa. In the end, CSC’s Juan Jose Haedo unleashed a fierce sprint to take the victory by a few bike lengths, his fifth ever Amgen Tour of California stage win. High Road’s Gerald Ciolek was 2nd and Gerolsteiner’s Heinrich Haussler took 3rd. CSC can also celebrate that Fabian Cancellara hung onto the golden leader’s jersey. High Road’s Bradley Wiggins and Team Slipstream’s Tyler Farrar retain their GC positions as well.