On May 10 outside the State Capitol building in Sacramento, 144 cyclists from 18 elite professional teams will line up to begin eight days of fierce competition in the 2015 Amgen Tour of California. Only one among the field of world, national and Olympic champions will be crowned the victor at the race’s conclusion in Pasadena May 17 – Download Men’s Team Rosters.
Celebrating its 10th year, the Amgen Tour of California is the most esteemed stage race in the U.S. and one of the most important on the international cycling calendar. The field features some of the most decorated sprinters in the world: Marcel Kittel, Mark Cavendish, Tyler Farrar, Matthew Goss and Peter Sagan, who holds the all-time Amgen Tour of California stage win record with 11, to name a few. And rounding out the general classification are powerhouse riders like Robert Gesink and Laurens ten Dam, alongside promising young riders like Warren Barguil, winner of two stages in the Vuelta a Espana and Lawson Craddock, who took the Best Young Rider prize at the past two Amgen Tour of California races.
With the cyclists preparing to face off across 724 California miles from May 10-17, some of the favorites in various categories include:
Men’s Rosters
General Classification (Overall Contenders)
- Andrew Talansky (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
- Ian Boswell (USA), Team SkyJanez Brajkovic (SLO), UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
- Joe Dombrowski (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
- Joey Rosskopf (USA), BMC Racing Team
- Laurens ten Dam (NED), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
- Lawson Craddock (USA), Team Giant-Alpecin
- Martin Kohler (SUI), Drapac Professional Cycling
- Matthew Busche (USA), Trek Factory Racing
- Peter Kennaugh (GBR), Team Sky
- Phil Gaimon (USA), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
- Robert Gesink (NED), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
- Sergio Henao (COL), Team Sky
- Warren Barguil (FRA), Team Giant-Alpecin
Sprinters
- Ben Swift (GBR), Team Sky
- Danny Van Poppel (NED), Trek Factory Racing
- Gerald Ciolek (GER), MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
- Graeme Brown (AUS), Drapac Professional Cycling
- Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (ESP), Trek Factory Racing
- Sebastian Haedo (ARG), Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home
- Marcel Kittel (GER), Team Giant-Alpecin
- Mark Cavendish (GBR), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
- Mark Renshaw (AUS), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
- Matthew Goss (AUS), MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
- Peter Sagan (SVK), Tinkoff-Saxo
- Theo Bos (NED), MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
- Tyler Magner (USA), Hincapie Racing Team
- Tyler Farrar (USA), MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
- Eric Marcotte (USA), Team Smartstop
Climbers
- Carter Jones (USA), Team Giant-Alpecin
- Joseph Rosskopf (USA), BMC Racing Team
- Lachlan Norris (AUS), Drapac Professional Cycling
- Robert Gesink (NED), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
- Laurens ten Dam (NED), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
- Joe Dombrowski (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
- Phil Gaimon (USA), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
- Robin Carpenter (USA), Hincapie Racing Team
- Sergio Henao (COL), Team Sky
- Will Routley (CAN), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
Stage Wins (One Day Specialists)
- Alex Howes (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
- Bernhard Eisel (AUT), Team Sky
- Julian Alaphillipe (FRA), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
- Jure Kocjan (SLO), Team SmartStop
- Mark Cavendish (GBR), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
- Matti Breschel (DEN), Tinkoff-Saxo
- Daniele Bennati (ITA), Tinkoff-Saxo
- Peter Sagan (SVK), Tinkoff-Saxo
- Daniel Oss (ITA), BMC Racing Team
- Sep Vanmarcke (BEL), Team LottoNL-Jumbo
- Stijn Devolder (BEL), Trek Factory Racing
- Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
- Matteo Trentin (ITA), Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team
Individual Time Trialists
- Andrew Talansky (USA), Team Cannondale-Garmin
- Lawson Craddock (USA), Team Giant-Alpecin
- Maciej Bodnar (POL), Tinkoff-Saxo
- Peter Kennaugh (GBR), Team Sky
- Tom Zirbel (USA), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
- Campbell Flakemore (AUS), BMC Racing Team
Women’s Rosters
An unparalleled list of riders is preparing to compete in the unprecedented three-day women’s road race as part of the 2015 Amgen Tour of California. In addition to the invitational time trial competitors announced earlier, the 84 cyclists representing 14 teams will kick off the women’s road race May 8 in South Lake Tahoe, concluding in Sacramento May 10 as the men begin their 8-day event – Download Women’s Team Rosters.
Celebrating its 10th year, the Amgen Tour of California is the most esteemed stage race in the U.S. and one of the most important on the international calendar. The field will include several champions including: Lisa Brennauer, Velocio-SRAM, the current individual and team time trial World Champion and current German road and time trial National Champion; Ana Teresa Casas, Mexico National Team, current Mexico road National Champion; Karol-Ann Canuel, Velocio-SRAM, current team time trial World Champion and Leah Kirchmann, Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies current Canadian road, time trial and criterium champion. The women’s race, empowered with SRAM, is in its eighth year and has grown to include four days of racing for the first time.
“We’ve always been committed to expanding opportunities for women cyclists at the Amgen Tour of California,” said Kristin Bachochin Klein, executive director of the Amgen Tour of California and senior vice president of AEG Sports. “The women’s team rosters this year reflect the immense talent in the sport today, and we’re extremely excited to help provide these incredible athletes with an international platform and fan base.”
Favorites for podium finishes during the women’s race include:
General Classification (Overall Contenders)
- Allie Dragoo (USA), Twenty16 p/b Sho-Air
- Dalia Muccioli (ITA), Alé-Cipollini
- Emily Collins (NZL), Team TIBCO-SVB
- Katie Hall (USA), UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
- Lauren Stephens (USA), Team TIBCO-SVB
- Leah Kirchmann (CAN), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
- Lex Albrecht (CAN) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
- Lisa Brennauer (GER), Velocio-SRAM
Sprinters
- Erica Allar (USA), Colavita|Bianchi p/b Fine Cooking
- Hannah Barnes (GBR), UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
- Leah Kirchmann (CAN), Optum p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies
- Miranda Griffiths (AUS), BMW p/b Happy Tooth Dental
- Barbara Guarischi (ITA), Velocio-SRAM
Climbers
- Karol-Ann Canuel (CAN), Velocio-SRAM
- Lauren Stephens (USA), Team TIBCO-SVB
- Lex Albrecht (CAN) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
- Maria Carla Alvarez (ARG), Xirayas de San Luis
Stage Wins
- Alison Tetrick (USA), Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
- Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZL), UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
- Meredith Miller (USA), Pepper Palace Pro Cycling p/b The Happy Tooth
- Sarah Storey (GBR), Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Internationa
