PEDAL PUSHERS TACKLE AMGEN TOUR CYCLISTS TO PASS THROUGH THOUSAND OAKS SATURDAY.Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer The Amgen Tour of California The Amgen Tour of California is a professional cycling stage race on the UCI America Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that made its debut on February 19, 2006. Sponsored by the biotechnology company Amgen, the eight-day race covers between 650-700 miles (1,045 - 1,126 km). , which starts today in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , will bring one of the biggest cycling events in the nation through Ojai and the Santa Rosa Santa Rosa, city, Argentina Santa Rosa, city (1991 pop. 80,629), capital of La Pampa prov., central Argentina. It is a modern city and road junction surrounded by a rich agricultural and cattle-raising area. Valley and into the heart of Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. next weekend. ``This is basically like the Tour de France Tour de France World's most prestigious and difficult bicycle race. Staged for three weeks each July—usually in some 20 daylong stages—the Tour typically comprises 20 professional teams of nine riders each and covers some 3,600 km (2,235 miles) of flat and in California for six days,'' said Aaron Hanson of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , a past president of the Ventura County Bicycle Coalition, who recommends that spectators take advantage of Ventura County's hilly terrain to get prime viewing spots when the cyclists come through Saturday. ``This is the first major cycling event ever in California of this competitive stature and scope, and we hope it will bring cycling into the forefront of the American consciousness,'' Hanson said. ``There aren't many events like this in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. .'' More than a million spectators up and down the coast are expected to watch the race involving some of the world's best riders. ``We're really ecstatic. California has never seen anything like this,'' said Mary Oeffling, senior manager of Amgen corporate communications Corporate communications is the process of facilitating information and knowledge exchanges with internal and key external groups and individuals that have a direct relationship with an enterprise. . ``We're pleased to bring an event of this caliber to the community.'' Caltrans is urging patience among motorists if they encounter areas where roads are temporarily closed because of the race along the 700-mile route, which is mapped out on the Web site www.amgentourofcalifornia.com. Capt. Ron Nelson Ron Nelson is a composer of both classical and popular music and a retired music academic. He was born in Joliet, Illinois, on December 14, 1929. After earning bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department The Ventura County Sheriff's Department (VCSD) provides law enforcement for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, USA, as well as several cities within the county. The cities that VCSD serves are Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks. said his agency will be studying the situation with the California Highway Patrol as the riders come down the coast. ``We're going to watch what is happening in other parts of the state,'' he said. ``We're going to try to minimize the traffic impact by only closing the roads at the times the bicycles are coming through.'' Nelson said Ventura County officials are fortunate to have the event on the weekend when business traffic will be low. Tour officials suggest that people arrive early to attend a lifestyle festival at 1 Amgen Center Drive, where riders are expected to arrive about 1 p.m. When they arrive, they will circle around the area on Rancho Conejo Boulevard, Conejo Center Drive, Lawrence Drive and Teller Road. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and in the morning before the professional riders arrive, 500 local riders will participate in a Breakaway From Cancer charity ride to raise awareness and funds to help cancer patients. Shuttle service will be available from parking sites nearby, including the Casa Conejo Plaza on Wendy Drive at Old Conejo Road, and the old warehouse site at Ventu Park Road and Hillcrest Drive. People coming to the festival and the race finish can also park outside the final circuit at Amgen Building 34 at 2150 Hillcrest Drive. Inside the riding circuit, limited parking will be available for those who arrive early, but vehicles will not be allowed to enter or leave from noon to 2 p.m. Although Hanson will not be riding in the event, the professional branch of his team is slated to join the tour, along with 15 other teams, including the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team (UCI Team Code: DSC) is a US-based professional road bicycle racing team. It is the continuation of the 2004 US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. , Lance Armstrong's former squad. Hanson said the sections of the route where cyclists are climbing will probably be the most exciting, including the Casitas Pass from Santa Barbara County into Ventura County, the hill coming east out of the Ojai Valley, the hills between Santa Paula and Somis and the Norwegian Grade along Moorpark Road coming into Thousand Oaks. ``People with cameras will get some great shots,'' he said. ``One of the best places where you can see the tactics play out is on a climb like that.'' As the riders move from Santa Rosa Road, which is relatively wide, onto the narrow Norwegian Grade, they are more likely to bump shoulders or even crash, he said. But once they get onto Olsen and Lynn roads going down through the heart of Thousand Oaks they will speed by. ``You'll wait for 45 minutes,'' he said, ``and then in a minute it will be over.'' Eric Leach, (805) 583-7602 eric.leach(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 3 photos, map Photo: (1 -- color) Aaron Hanson rides along the Moorpark portion of the Amgen Tour of California. (2) ``This is basically like the Tour de France in California for six days,'' said Aaron Hanson of Simi Valley. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer (3) Dave Mace of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group The Los Angeles Newspaper Group is an umbrella group of local daily newspapers published in the greater Los Angeles area by MediaNews Group. The news coverage of the newspapers are mainly local stories. will take part in the Amgen Tour of California. Map: Tour of California Lifestyle Festival Saturday, Feb. 25, 1 p.m. |
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