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Sacramento Grand Prix to Launch Tour of California Opener

Presented by Sacramento Sports Commission at California State Capitol - West Steps

May 16, 2010

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Project Sport, LLC- producers of the San Francisco and San Rafael Twilight Criterium cycling races- in an agreement with the Sacramento Sports Commission and the Amgen Tour of California, are pleased to present a professional criterium-style cycling race in conjunction with Stage 1 of the 2010 AMGEN Tour of California. This special event is to be contested on the morning of May 16, 2010, just prior to the Tour’s opening stage arrival in Sacramento.

The Sacramento Grand Prix at the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will begin at 10am and travel a 1.4 mile course circling the Capitol Building, duplicating portions of the Tour’s circuit just hours before Stage 1 is slated to finish in downtown Sacramento. It will include men’s and women’s races of category Pro/1/2 cyclists, and will feature cyclists from the US Women’s National Team and 2012 US Women’s Olympic Development Team.

While the Tour showcases the world’s best cyclists in a European-style road racing format, the Grand Prix will exhibit cycling’s best short course and up-and-coming cyclists, and will rejoin women’s cycling to the prominence offered by an event that serves as the United States’ premier staging of the sport. The women’s criterium marks the return of women’s professional racing to the Tour and will feature some of the best female cyclists in the world.

“We envision the great crowds we enjoyed last year lining the course. When you factor in a Sunday afternoon finish in May, this should be a great win for the sport of cycling, for the cyclists and for Sacramento" said Commission Executive Director John McCasey.

"The Sacramento Grand Prix is emerging as one of the top women's cycling events in America and carries international athletic importance," followed Ryan Dawkins, president of Project Sport and race director of Sacramento Grand Prix. "With huge crowds expected in Sacramento the event promises to be exciting for both racers and cycling fans."

The Grand Prix will offer fans a particularly close look at the elite of women’s cycling. The field of female competitors will feature members of Team Twenty12, assembled to develop cyclists for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, led by Kristin Armstrong, a 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist and the current World Time Trial Champion.