The start list for the 2012 Amgen Tour of California was announced today by AEG, presenter of the race. With 128 riders from 16 elite professional cycling teams, this world-class roster promises to bring exciting competition to the seventh annual Amgen Tour of California, which kicks off this Sunday, May 13, in Santa Rosa, Calif. The race will cover nearly 750 miles of California terrain from May 13-20. This year’s edition will feature three of the world’s top-four cyclists.
“Every year we strive to bring the best field of cyclists to California, and this year we’ve done just that by drawing three of the world’s top-four cyclists, which hasn’t been seen in America since the days of the Tour du Pont and Coors Classic,” said Kristin Bachochin, Senior Vice President, AEG Sports and Executive Director of the Amgen Tour of California. “Without a doubt, the 128 riders assembled for this year’s race will bring fans a thrilling competition starting this Sunday. We’re excited to showcase the high caliber of talent we have here in California.”
Over the past six years, the race has become the largest cycling event in America, and is now one of the top races in the world. Playing an even greater role on the international cycling calendar this year, the 2012 Amgen Tour of California will be the last race on U.S. soil before the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Cycling fans will have the chance to see all of the excitement and action on NBC and NBC Sports Network. NBC Sports Network will provide live HD coverage of the race from May 13-19 with daily highlights that will air on the network each night during the eight-day competition. Additionally, for the first time, the Amgen Tour of California will air live for two hours on NBC for the final stage of the race on Sunday, May 20 at 10 a.m. PT. The final stage will re-air on NBC Sports Network at 3:30 p.m. PT.
The race includes seven of the world’s top-10 professional teams, including No. 1-ranked Omega Pharma-Quickstep (BEL) and No. 2-ranked Liquigas-Cannondale (ITA). Other top-10 teams include RadioShack-Nissan-Trek (LUX), BMC Racing Team (USA), Garmin-Barracuda (USA), Orica-GreenEDGE (AUS) and Rabobank (NED). All will be competing to take top honors in America’s most prestigious cycling race.
The elite field includes Tour de France, Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain (Grand Tours) podium finishers, Olympic and World Championship medalists and several current National Champions of their countries. Featured riders included:
Grand Tour Overall Podium Finishers
- Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), 2011 Tour of Spain; 1st place; 2011, 2nd place overall Tour of Italy
- Peter Velits (SVK), 2010 Tour of Spain; 2nd place
- Levi Leipheimer (USA), 2007 Tour de France, 3rd place
Tour de France Stage Winners NOTE: includes team time trial wins
- Robbie McEwen (AUS), Orica-GreenEDGE (12)
- Tom Boonen (BEL), Omega Pharma-QuickStep (6)
- George Hincapie (USA), BMC Racing Team (4)
- Jens Voigt (GER), RadioShack-Nissan-Trek (3)
- David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Barracuda (2)
- Heinrich Haussler (AUS), Garmin-Barracuda (1)
- Christophe Riblon (FRA), AG2R La Mondiale (1)
- Tom Danielson (USA), Garmin-Barracuda (1)
World Champions
- Tom Boonen (BEL), Omega Pharma-QuickStep; 2005, Road Race
- Michael Matthews (AUS), Rabobank Cycling Team; 2010, U23 Road
- Bert Grabsch (GER), Omega Pharma-QuickStep; 2008, Time Trial
- Luke Durbridge (AUS), Orica-GreenEDGE; 2011, U23 Time Trial, 2009, U19 Time Trial
- Gerald Ciolek (GER), Omega Pharma-QuickStep; 2006, U23 Road
- Peter Velits (SVK), Omega Pharma-QuickStep; 2006, U23 Time Trial
- Stephen Cummings (GBR), BMC Racing Team; 2005, World Pursuit, Track
Olympic Medalists
- Levi Leipheimer (USA), 2008, Bronze, Time Trial
- Stephen Cummings (GBR), 2004, Silver, Team Pursuit
Current National Champions (by country)
- Matthew Busche (USA), RadioShack-Nissan-Trek; USA, Road
- David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Barracuda; USA, Time Trial
- Cameron Meyer (AUS), Orica-GreenEDGE; AUS, Time Trial
- Marc De Maar (AHO), UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling; CAR, Road Race and Time Trial
- Bert Grabsch (GER), Omega Pharma-QuickStep; GER, Time Trial
- Peter Sagan (SVK); Liquigas-Cannondale; SVK, Road
- Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (ESP), Robabank Cycling Team; ESP, Time Trial
American Stage Race Champions
- Chris Horner, RadioShack-Nissan-Trek; 2011 Amgen Tour of California; 2003 Tour de Georgia
- Levi Leipheimer, Omega Pharma-QuickStep; 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge
- David Zabriskie, Garmin-Barracuda; 2009, Tour of Missouri
- Jeff Louder, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team; 2008, Tour of Utah
- George Hincapie, BMC Racing Team; 2007, Tour of Missouri
- Tom Danielson, Garmin-Barracuda; 2005, Tour de Georgia
The 2012 Amgen Tour of California roster includes the following 16 professional cycling teams. *Team rosters are subject to change
1.) RadioShack-Nissan-Trek (LUX)
- Christopher Horner (USA)
- George Bennett (NZL)
- Matthew Busche (USA)
- Markel Irizar Aranburu (ESP)
- Benjamin King (USA)
- Tiago Machado (POR)
- Grégory Rast (SUI)
- Jens Voigt (GER)
2.) Garmin-Barracuda (USA)
- Thomas Danielson (USA)
- Nathan Haas (AUS)
- Heinrich Haussler (AUS)
- Alex Howes (USA)
- Thomas Peterson (USA)
- Jacob Rathe (USA)
- Andrew Talansky (USA)
- David Zabriskie (USA)
3.) Omega Pharma-QuickStep (BEL)
- Levi Leipheimer (USA)
- Tom Boonen (BEL)
- Gerald Ciolek (GER)
- Dries Devenyns (BEL)
- Bert Grabsch (GER)
- Frantisek Rabon (CZE)
- Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL)
- Peter Velits (SVK)
4.) BMC Racing Team (USA)
- Tejay van Garderen (USA)
- Brent Bookwalter (USA)
- Stephen Cummings (GBR)
- Yannick Eijssen (BEL)
- George Hincapie (USA)
- Steve Morabito (SUI)
- Thimothy Roe (AUS)
- Greg Van Avermaet (BEL)
5.) Rabobank Cycling Team (NED)
- Robert Gesink (NED)
- Paul Martens (GER)
- Wilco Kelderman (NED)
- Michael Matthews (AUS)
- Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (ESP)
- Bram Tankink (NED)
- Laurens Ten Dam (NED)
- Maarten Tjallingii (NED)
6.) Liquigas-Cannondale (ITA)
- Vincenzo Nibali (ITA)
- Mauro Da Dalto (ITA)
- Timothy Duggan (USA)
- Edward King (USA)
- Kristijan Koren (SLO)
- Daniel Oss (ITA)
- Peter Sagan (SVK)
- Alessandro Vanotti (ITA)
7.) Orica-GreenEDGE (AUS)
- Robbie McEwen (AUS)
- Luke Durbridge (AUS)
- Leigh Howard (AUS)
- Cameron Meyer (AUS)
- Travis Meyer (AUS)
- Wesley Sulzberger (AUS)
- Pieter Weening (NED)
- Matthew Wilson (AUS)
8.) AG2R La Mondiale (FRA)
- Nicolas Roche (IRL)
- Romain Bardet (FRA)
- Maxime Bouet (FRA)
- Mikael Cherel (FRA)
- Sylvain Georges (FRA)
- Lloyd Mondory (FRA)
- Rinaldo Nocentinim (ITA)
- Christophe Riblon (FRA)
9.) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling (USA)
- Rory Sutherland (AUS)
- Jonathan Clarke (AUS)
- Marc de Maar (AHO)
- Philip Deignan (IRL)
- Christopher Jones (USA)
- Jeffry Louder (USA)
- Jason McCartney (USA)
- Bradley White (USA)
10.) Colombia-Coldeportes (COL)
- Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (COL)
- Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (COL)
- Javier Gonzalez Barrera (COL)
- Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (COL)
- Carlos Julian Quintero (COL)
- Michael Rodriguez Galindo (COL)
- Wilson Alexander Marentes Torres (COL)
- Juan Pablo Suarez Suarez (COL)
11.) Team Argos-Shimano (NED)
- Marcel Kittel (GER)
- Thomas Damuseau (FRA)
- Koen de Kort (NED)
- Yukihiro Doi (JPN)
- Tom Dumoulin (NED)
- Alexandre Geniez (FRA)
- Roger Kluge (GER)
- Tom Stamsnijder (NED)
12.) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 (CAN)
- Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA)
- Ryan Anderson (CAN)
- David Boily (CAN)
- Guillaume Boivin (CAN)
- Lucas Euser (USA)
- Raymond Kunzli (SUI)
- Hugo Houle (CAN)
- Brian Vandborg (DEN)
13.) Bissell Pro Cycling (USA)
- Christopher Baldwin (USA)
- Eric Young (USA)
- Patrick Bevin (NZL)
- Andrew Dahlheim (USA)
- Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA)
- Carter Jones (USA)
- Frank Kevin Pipp (USA)
- Jeremy Vennell (NZL)
14.) Team Optum Presented By Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA)
- Andrew Bajadali (USA)
- Sebastian Salas (CAN)
- Alexander Candelario (USA)
- Michael Creed (USA)
- Michael Friedman (USA)
- Ken Hanson (USA)
- Tom Zirbel (USA)
- Scott Zwizanski (USA)
15.) Bontrager Livestrong Team (USA)
- Joshua Atkins (NZL)
- Ian Boswell (USA)
- Nathan Brown (USA)
- Lawson Craddock (USA)
- Joseph Lloyd (USA)
- Ryan Dombrowski (USA)
- Gavin Mannion (USA)
- Jasper Stuyven (BEL)
16.) Team Exergy (USA)
- Fred Rodriguez (USA)
- Carlos Eduardo Alzate Escobar (COL)
- Matt Cooke (USA)
- Andrès Miguel Diaz Corrales (COL)
- Sam Johnson (USA)
- Logan Loader (USA)
- Morgan Schmitt (USA)
- Serghei Tvetcov (MDA)
Additionally for 2012, AEG has developed a free-to-the-public ride, the ‘Nissan Ride Before the Pros,’ which will take place before the final stage of the race on Sunday, May 20. The ‘Nissan Ride Before the Pros’ will give cycling enthusiasts of all levels the exclusive opportunity to ride a 5-mile section of the actual race route on a closed-circuit course. Fans are encouraged to register at https://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/nissan.
“With all the excitement and attention this race has generated the past six years, perhaps the most exciting moment yet will be when the peloton completes Stage 8 next Sunday at L.A. LIVE just moments before the puck is dropped at center ice at STAPLES Center when the Los Angeles Kings take on the Phoenix Coyotes for Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference finals,” added Bachochin. “Beginning with the ‘Nissan Ride Before the Pros’ earlier that morning, downtown Los Angeles and L.A. LIVE will be the center of the nation’s sports universe on May 20.
Stages for the 2012 Amgen Tour of California include:
- Stage 1, Presented by Rabobank: Sunday, May 13 – Santa Rosa
- Stage 2, Presented by Visit California: Monday, May 14 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz County
- Stage 3, Presented by Nissan: Tuesday, May 15 – San Jose to Livermore
- Stage 4, Presented by Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer®: Wednesday, May 16 – Sonora to Clovis
- Stage 5, Presented by Rabobank : Thursday, May 17 – Bakersfield (Individual Time Trial)
- Stage 6, Presented by Visit California: Friday, May 18 – Palmdale to Big Bear Lake
- Stage 7, Presented by Nissan: Saturday, May 19 – Ontario to Mt. Baldy
- Stage 8, Presented by Amgen: Sunday, May 20 – Beverly Hills to Los Angeles/L.A. LIVE
