2009 Tour of California - Team Columbia Announces Roster
California Based Team Columbia sends World's Best to the Golden State Tour. Hincapie, Rogers, Kirchen, Barry, Hansen and Mark Cavendish to appear.

Team Columbia-Highroad, voted the world’s best men’s and women’s cycling teams in 2008, has announced their squad of riders for the 2009 edition of the Amgen Tour of California. Of the team’s 37 riders from 18 nations, this year’s Tour of California team will once again feature veteran rider George Hincapie, who won the final stage of Tour of California in 2008. Also look for former World Time Trial Champion Australian Michael Rogers, Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Kim Kirchen, Tour de France best young rider jersey wearer Thomas Lövkvist, Australian National Time Trial Champion Adam Hansen, Mark Renshaw, Canadian Michael Barry, and young, star sprinter Mark Cavendish, who had a breakout season including 18 wins in 2008.

“The Tour of California is rapidly becoming a top-three worldwide cycling event,” says team owner Bob Stapleton. “It showcases the world’s best cyclists and the innovation and beauty that is California. As the only California-based elite professional cycling team, we are delighted to bring such a strong team to this year’s Tour.”

Team Columbia-Highroad will also have a top line-up from its women’s team to compete in the Santa Rosa criterium on Sunday, February 15th. Featured is the winningest rider in pro cycling, sprinter Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. Teutenberg won 24 races in 2008 including four stages of the women’s Giro d’Italia, three stages of Route de France and the overall Triple Crown event in Philadelphia. Also racing will be former US champion Mara Abbott, current Canadian champion Alex Wrubleski, Swedish Champion Emilia Fahlin and renowned veteran US rider Kim Anderson.

2008 Success of Team Columbia
The 2008 season was an outstanding one for Team Columbia, who won more races than any other team. Twenty-nine different riders winning at least one race - a stunning demonstration of true teamwork that is a unique achievement in pro cycling. The men's team won 85 races including six stages in the Tour de France, four stages of the Giro d'Italia and multiple overall tour wins. Team Columbia women won 69 races and the overall World Cup Series. They are ranked the number one team in the world in the UCI World rankings.

Team Columbia-Highroad 2008 Highlights
· 85 wins for the men’s team
· 68 wins for the women’s team
· Six stage wins in the Tour de France
· Held yellow, green, and white jerseys in the Tour de France
· Four stage wins in the Giro d'Italia.
· First overall in the Fleche Wallone.
· World Time Trial Champion
· 9 current National Champions
· Women’s World Cup Winner
· Women’s team ranked number one in the world
· Both teams voted “Best team in the world” by ProCycling and Velonews

About High Road Sports - High Road Sports owns and operates Team Columbia Highroad men and women’s teams. With 37 riders from 18 different nations, both teams finished the 2008 season as the number one team in the world by winning more races than any other team. High Road Sports is dedicated to developing young talent by giving them the best tools, technology and team support to compete at the highest level.
www.highroadsports.com

About the Amgen Tour of California - The 2009 Amgen Tour of California will begin in Sacramento on February 14 with the world’s top professional cycling teams competing over a challenging 750-mile course across California. Spread throughout 8 stages encompassing California’s most scenic roadways and coastline drives, the Tour concludes on February 22 in San Diego County. Last year’s Tour attracted more than 1.7 million spectators over the course of the race.

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