Bob Colarossi Race Quotations

One of biggest challenges we had in putting the race together wasn't where to go, it was where not to go. The good news is the route will change every year. There are plenty of other opportunities for other cities down the road.

The Amgen Tour of California is attracting a caliber of riders in its first year that is evidence of the high esteem the race is being given by the international cycling community. This field is unprecedented in the history of modern American cycling and we're excited to host such an accomplished group of cyclists. It's our goal to give them a first-class experience in California.

We built this race on three objectives: to create a great experience for riders, the communities and the corporate sponsors. The cities that we visited this year are very pleased with the positive effect that the race had on their communities. Not only have our 2006 host cities asked us back, but new cities have also inundated us with requests to come to their areas next year.

Along with setting a higher standard for bicycle racing in the United States, we have an opportunity to create a new benchmark for interactive race viewing by collaborating with Adobe to bring original content to the official race Web site. The unique experience provided by the live race viewer will give fans unrivaled access to the nuances of race strategy and the beauty of our California backdrop.

The level of competition coming to the inaugural Tour is unprecedented in the United State and rivals any race that was held worldwide last year.