Unique Holiday Gift Ideas from the 2009 Amgen Tour of California
LOS ANGELES (November 20, 2008) – To celebrate the holiday season, AEG, organizer of the Amgen Tour of California, is offering unique holiday gift ideas for everyone from the cycling enthusiast, to the casual fan, to the general thrill seeker. The one-of-a-kind VIP experiences and professional cycling gear available on the Amgen Tour of California Web site will make the perfect gifts this holiday season.Professional cycling enthusiasts and sports fans alike will have the opportunity to experience the 2009 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race as if they are professional cyclists themselves. With several custom-designed VIP packages available, fans will have exclusive opportunities to get an insider's view of the action. VIP fans will have the chance to interact with the best cyclists in the world and access exclusive events, as well as the chance to experience the race from the inside out.
Whether looking for a special gift for a cycling enthusiast, or to learn more about the inner workings of the cycling world, special experiences with America's most successful cycling stage race include:
- VIP Car Ride-Along ($3,000) – Aside from actually becoming a competitive professional cyclist, the VIP car ride-along is the best way to get as close as possible to the action. The buyer gets a seat in an Amgen Tour of California official car (broom wagon or neutral support car), which will travel along the race route just behind the cyclists, and one VIP hospitality pass. The buyer also receives an Amgen Leader Jersey to take home as a souvenir of the memorable day.
- Holiday Gift Pack ($750) – The perfect holiday gift for the cycling enthusiast, the gift pack consists of two VIP Hospitality passes and two Amgen Leader Jerseys.
- Cyclist Meet & Greet ($500) – This package includes access to a VIP area where riders meet guests and sign autographs before the day of racing begins. This experience also includes an Amgen Leader Jersey to have signed and keep for the memory.
- Team Dinner ($500) – This is a unique opportunity to spend an evening dining with some of the top athletes in the world. The buyer and a guest will get to attend one of the team dinners at the end of a race day and will be seated at a VIP table. He/she will have the opportunity to meet and interact with the athletes that are riding daily for the Amgen Leader Jersey. The buyer also will receive one of the coveted Amgen Leader Jerseys to take home as a souvenir of the evening.
- VIP Hospitality Tent ($250) – The best way to see the most incredible racing action is in one of the VIP Hospitality tents. Located at the finish line of each stage, VIP guests will enjoy unlimited food and beverages, live race feeds and exclusive road-side viewing as the cyclists speed across the finish line.
For additional gift ideas, the Amgen Tour of California online store has cycling merchandise for all types of fans. With clothing items for men, women and children, the store is a one-stop holiday shopping option. With everything from apparel, including T-shirts, jackets, hats and sweatshirts, to the official race cowbell, which is traditionally used to cheer on the cyclists, holiday gifts for cycling enthusiasts are just a click away. Additionally, the Web site offers local apparel specific to each of the host cities, as well as city-specific commemorative, collectable pins.
Also, just in time for the holiday season, the online store is offering a grab bag for only $50 that includes a selection of Amgen Tour of California merchandise, including the official 2008 Amgen Tour of California DVD, a pen, t-shirt, key chain, sticker, lanyard, button, rally towel, drawstring bag and stuffed teddy bear. With an overall value of $250, the grab bag makes the perfect affordable holiday gift.
For more information, visit the VIP-Experiences page or contact Jessica Grudovich at AEG: jgrudovich@aegworldwide.com. To view all of the items available in the Amgen Tour of California store, visit http://amgentourofcaliforniastore.com.
About the Amgen Tour of California
The largest cycling event in America, the 2009 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, presented by AEG, that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course. Building on last year's third annual stage race, which attracted 1.6 million spectators, the 2009 Amgen Tour of California will be expanded to cover more than 800 miles over nine days from February 14-22, 2009. The race will visit 16 host cities for official stage starts and finishes and will include: Sacramento, Davis (new city for 2009), Santa Rosa, Sausalito, Santa Cruz (new city for 2009), San Jose, Modesto, Merced (new city for 2009), Clovis (new city for 2009), Visalia (new city for 2009), Paso Robles (new city for 2009), Solvang, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, Rancho Bernardo (new city for 2009) and Escondido (new city for 2009).For additional information on the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.
About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science's promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses. With a broad and deep pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about Amgen's pioneering science and vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com. To learn more about Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative, visit breakawayfromcancer.com.About AEG
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Sprint Center, The O2, NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE and NOKIA Theatre Times Square; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), two Major League Soccer franchises, a Major League Lacrosse team, two hockey franchises operated in Europe, management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, the ING Bay to Breakers foot race and the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race; AEG LIVE, the organization’s live-entertainment division, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production. For more information, visit AEG today at www.aegworldwide.com.# # #
