Illuminate and US National Team added to women's line-up, while BePink is dropped
The UAE Emirates team is presented (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Amgen Tour of California and Amgen Women's Race have added three teams to the start lists for the upcoming WorldTour races that begin May 14 and May 11, respectively.
Michael Roth, vice president of communications for race owner AEG, confirmed to Cyclingnews that UAE Team Emirates has been added to the start list for the men's race. As a first-year WorldTour event, the Tour of California was obligated to invite all 18 WorldTour teams, although not all of the teams were obliged to accept. Roth said UAE Emirates missed the initial deadline for accepting the invitation, but subsequently contacted the race and was then added to the roster after the initial announcement in March.
The initial men's team announcement featured just 16 teams, including 11 WorldTour teams, three Pro Continental and two Continental. The addition of UAE Team Emirates brings the number of men's teams to 17. Other WorldTour teams in California include Astana, BMC Racing, Bora-Hansgrohe, Cannondale-Drapac, Quick-Step Floors, Dimension Data, Team Sunweb, Katusha-Alpecin, LottoNL-Jumbo, Team Sky and Trek-Segafredo.
In the Amgen Women's Race, the USA Cycling National Team and Team Illuminate have been added to the initial teams list that was announced in March, while the BePink team is no longer on the list. Roth said race organisers found out the US national team was available, and the race was excited to provide the opportunity for riders to compete a the WorldTour level.
Team Illuminate manager Chris Johnson also confirmed to Cyclingnews that his team received a late invitation, adding that Illuminate has signed cyclo-cross star Katerina Nash for the race.
The initial women's team list also included 16 UCI teams and is now boosted to 17. The USA Cycling National Team will feature a composite roster of riders whose teams were not invited to the race.
Although teams have begun releasing their provisional rosters individually, the race organisation has not yet released an official provisional roster.
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2017 Amgen Tour of California Teams
UCI WorldTour:
Astana Pro TeamBMC Racing Team BMC Racing Team Bora-Hansgrohe Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team Quick-Step Floors Team Dimension Data Team Sunweb Team Katusha-Alpecin Team LottoNL-Jumbo Team Sky Trek-Segafredo UAE Team Emirates
UCI Pro Continental:
Cofidis, Solutions Crédits Team Novo Nordisk UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
UCI Continental:
Jelly Belly-Maxxis Rally Cycling
2017 Amgen Women's Race Teams
Astana Women's Team Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team Canyon/SRAM Racing Cylance Pro Cycling Drops Hagens Berman-Supermint Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team Rally Cycling Sho-Air Twenty20 Team Colavita-Bianchi Team Illuminate Team Sunweb Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling USA Cycling National Team Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling
Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake. He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009, as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America. Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland, Oregon, with his imaginary dog Rusty.
