Amgen Team Profiles

UCI (Union Cycliste International) Pro Tour

The 2005 Pro Tour Team Champion, Team CSC is managed by former
Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis and sponsored by California-based
CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation). The 2005 spring season was the
strongest ever for Team CSC, with a number of high profile wins by
American Bobby Julich and Jens Voight (GER), in particular Juilch’s
win Paris-Nice. With his victory in Paris-Nice, Bobby Julich became
the first ever rider to wear the UCI ProTour leaders jersey.
American David Zabriskie won the Prologue of the 2005 Tour de
France and became the third American ever to wear the Yellow Jersey
(after Lemond and Armstrong). Julich, Voight and Zabriskie are all
on CSC’s roster for the Amgen Tour of California and should all
have an influence on the outcome of the inaugural race.

Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team is the team of retired 7-time
Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. In 2005, the Discovery won
two cycling’s three Grand Tours: The Tour de France with Lance
Armstrong and the Giro d’Italia with Paolo Savoldelli. Along with
Savoldelli, (ITA) American George Hincapie (winner, stage 10, 2005
Tour de France) and precocious climbing talent Tom Danielson
(winner, 2005 Tour de Georgia) are expected to be major contenders
in the Amgen Tour of California.

Sixth place in last year’s Tour de France and winner of the Tour
of Germany, Santa Rosa resident Levi Leipheimer leads Team
Gerolsteiner along with 2005 San Francisco Grand Prix winner Fabian
Wegmann, Motivated to win in his hometown, Leipheimer will be
looking to wear the Amgen Leaders Jersey in Santa Rosa on Stages 1
and 2 and hopes to hold it all the way to Redondo Beach.
Gerolsteiner, a German team, is sponsored by the mineral water
company Gerolsteiner Brunnen and Specialized Bicycles of Morgan
HIll, CA.

The second ranked team on the UCI Pro Tour, Phonak Hearing
Systems will be led by Floyd Landis at the Amgen Tour of
California. A resident of Temecula, CA Landis was ninth place in
the 2005 Tour de France. Joining Landis on this Swiss squad is
young American hopeful Patrick McCarty and South African sprinter
Robert Hunter.

A strong contender for overall victory in the Amgen Tour of
California, American Chris Horner (USA) and top sprinter “Fast”
Freddy Rodriguez of Emeryville, CA lead the Belgian Davitamon-Lotto
squad. With a strong group of international riders behind them,
Horner and Rodriguez are both sharpening their early season form at
the Tour of Qatar. Expect the American duo to be major players when
the race starts in San Francisco on Feb. 19.

Led by three-time World Time Trial Champion Michael Rogers
(AUS), T-Mobile Team of Germany comes to the Amgen Tour of
California as the defending Tour de France team champions. Rogers’
talent in the race against the clock can lead him to the overall
victory. One of the strongest teams on the UCI Pro Tour, the team
is sponsored by telecommunications company T-Mobile and rides Giant
Bicycles.

Spanish team Prodir – Saunier Duval will bring two-time winner
of the Giro d’Italia to California to challenge a strong contingent
of Americans. Along with American Aaron Olsen and two-time San
Francisco Grand Prix winner Charles Dionne (CAN), the Prodir –
Saunier Duval squad should figure prominently in the
proceedings.

The French team of rising American star Saul Raisin, Credit
Agricole and its long-time director Roger Legeay has a deep history
in the sport of cycling. Developed out of three-time Tour de France
Champion Greg Lemond’s GAN team, Credit Agricole won the team time
trial in the 2001 Tour de France under the leadership of Bobby
Julich (now CSC) and Jonathan Vaughters (now director, Team
TIAA-CREF).

UCI Professional Contiental

Winners of the 2005 USA Cycling National Race Calendar Team and
Individual (Scott Moninger), Health Net Professional Cycling
presented by Maxxis is an Oakland- based team that could mount a
significant challenge to the European teams. In the Amgen Tour of
California. In addition to the sprinting talent of Gord Fraser and
Greg Henderson, both of whom can win a field sprint on any given
day, Health Net has three riders who could win the overall: One of
the best riders in the world against the clock, Nathan O’Neill
recently won the Australian Time Trial Championships by 3 minutes
over CSC rider Luke Roberts. If his form holds, Nathan should be
competitive with GC favorites like Leipheimer, Hincapie, Tom
Danielson, Floyd Landis and Chris Horner. Hayden Roulston recently
went to New Zealand to prepare for the ATOC and won the Trust House
classic stage race in Wellington, NZ this past Sunday. Scott
Moninger has the most wins of any active American racer and is
always a contender when the race hits hilly terrain.

The Navigators Insurance Cycling Team is one of America’s
premier professional road-cycling teams. Affiliated with the UCI
and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (USPRO since 1994,
the team currently boasts several Olympians, including Sydney-2000
Olympic Gold Medalist Marty Nothstein, and many current and former
National and World Champions. Look for Irish strong-man David
O’Loughlin and Australian Ben Brooks to be instigators in the Amgen
Tour of California.

UCI Continental

Colavita Olive Oil – Sutter Home Wine Professional Cycling Team
is managed by and led by the McCormack brothers, Frank and Mark.
2004 USPRO National Champion, Mark McCormack leads an American team
with international flavor. With their Argentine sprinters and “The
Belarussian Concussion” Viktor Rapinski, this team can win on any
given day.

New to the scene in 2006, the Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
is one of the most talked about teams on the domestic scene.
Managed by Frankie Andreu, a former rider for the United States
Postal Service team who has finished nine Tours de France, this new
squad will bring the 2005 USPRO National Champion Chris Wherry to
lead their assault on California. With the stars-and-stripes of the
USPRO National Champion in tow, the team has been eagerly preparing
for their season and the Tour in Thousand Oaks, CA. In addition to
Wherry, expect to see Argentine sprinting sensation Juan Jose Haedo
in the mix for both stage wins and the Clif Bar sprinters
jersey.

Team TIAA-CREF is the only professional cycling team in America
whose sole focus is developing the youth of cycling into tomorrow’s
champions. Under the guidance of former top professional Jonathan
Vaughters, however, it would be a mistake to confuse youth for
inexperience with this team. Boasting a roster that includes 2001
U23 World Time Trial Champion Danny Pate and former Discovery rider
Mike Creed, TIAA-CREF has the talent to make waves in
California.

Proudly based in Northern California, the Kodak
Gallery.com/Sierra Nevada Pro Cycling Team is a team with a potent
mix of local motivation, management experience and young talent.
With one of America’s best ever sprinters Jonas Carney joining Kurt
Stockton and Robin Zellner to help direct the team on the road,
riders like San Jose native and team-leader Ben Jacques-Maynes may
have a breakthrough ride in front of a home crowd.

After a preparatory training camp in Napa, the Jelly Belly Pro
Cycling Team comes to the Amgen Tour of California with the
potential both make their mark in the mountains with talented
Colorado climber Andrew Bajadali and win in field sprints with
experienced sprinter Alex Candelario.

National Teams

Presented KB Home, the KB Home Mexican National Team will have
the honor of being the only national team in the Amgen Tour of
California. A talented group of climbers and all-around riders will
represent Mexico in this field of international cycling talent.