Since the Amgen Tour of California was brought up, I'll help rescue it from the "off-topic police" by reminding those who were born yesterday that the archives have references aplenty to the ORIGINAL Tour of California, the one from 1970 that was a true professional stage race, with pro teams from Raliegh, Columbia ( the country, not manufacturer) and Mexico. The parcourse was throughout out Northern California. The venerable and underappreciated Peter Rich of Velo-Sport Cyclery in Berkeley and Charlie Allert (sp?) were the prime movers, and Peter dang near bankrupted himself paying for it.
I contacted the current organization a while ago and suggested they get Peter over to the festivities on Sunday and let him cut ribbon or at least give him a ringside seat, since it was SRO ( standing room only).
Peter deserves a throne, if not at least a chair for all he has done for cycling over the years.
Riccardo Bulissimo
Verdi,Nevada