Details of Free-to-the-Public Lifestyle Festival Announced for 2009 Amgen Tour of California
LOS ANGELES (February 9, 2009) - Details about the fourth-annual Lifestyle Festival taking place adjacent to the finish line each of the nine days of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California were announced by race organizers AEG. The Lifestyle Festival is an interactive, nine-day, free-to-the-public "festival" that will travel once again with the internationally sanctioned professional cycling stage race.The popular Lifestyle Festival gives cycling enthusiasts a place to experience the spectacle of race day in the hours leading up to the exhilarating stage finish. Located near the finish line of each daily stage, the festival will feature race-day activities such as health screenings, cancer awareness education, live music, food, entertainment, sweepstakes drawings, bicycle safety, family activities, and interactive displays and presentations featuring more than 38 participating vendors.
"The Lifestyle Festival is a very important piece of the Amgen Tour of California," said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. "It provides the perfect opportunity for many of our partners and many more dedicated companies to share the message of health and well-being with the race communities and fans, as well as gives race goers a place to meet and experience the free entertainment the festival has to offer." The festival also will give the public an opportunity to explore professional cycling while awaiting the peloton. A big-screen TV featuring live coverage of the race along with commentaries by race experts and interviews with local dignitaries and racing insiders will help keep spectators apprised of the exciting race action. Fans also will be able to watch the explosive sprint to the finish and the awards ceremony where jerseys will be presented to the day's top riders and overall race leader.
The Lifestyle Festival will offer a unique experience each day, showcasing the local flavor of each of the nine finish cities. Visitors will be able to:
- Get physical with health and fitness tests at the Health & Fitness Expo
- Be a part of Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative, raising awareness of the important program and services offered by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Patient Advocate Foundation, Prevent Cancer Foundation and The Wellness Community
- Collect freebies from Amgen Tour of California sponsors and participating companies
- Learn bicycle safety, check your bike at the bike valet and enjoy great bargains on gear, gadgets and more in the Cycling Center
- Pick up cool race merchandise and a commemorative program in the Amgen Tour of California Race Central Pavilion
- Stay connected with fellow fans and the day's race with live coverage on the big-screen TV near the finish line
The California Travel & Tourism Commission (CTTC) also has big plans for the Lifestyle Festival at each stage of the race, including a branded Airstream trailer covered in images of California. The goal of the trailer, which will be staffed by destination marketing representatives in each region, is to recreate an iconic California camping experience.
Other Lifestyle Festival participants include SU2C, Prevent Cancer, Patient Advocate Foundation and AMP Energy, which will feature the AMP Energy zone in Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Pasadena and Escondido, where people can try AMP Energy, an energizing drink featuring a blend of B Vitamins.
Schedule for the 2009 Lifestyle Festival:
Saturday, Feb. 14, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Sacramento (Prologue Start/Finish)
Sunday, Feb. 15, 12-5 p.m.
Santa Rosa (Stage 1 Finish)
Monday, Feb. 16, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Santa Cruz (Stage 2 Finish)
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1-5 p.m.
Modesto (Stage 3 Finish)
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 11:30-5 p.m.
Clovis (Stage 4 Finish)
Thursday, Feb. 19, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Paso Robles (Stage 5 Finish)
Friday, Feb. 20, 10:30-3:30 p.m.
Solvang (Stage 6 Individual Time Trial)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 11:30-4:30 p.m.
Pasadena (Stage 7 Finish)
Sunday, Feb. 22, 1-5 p.m.
Escondido (Stage 8 Finish)
For information about getting involved with the Lifestyle Festival, please contact Jessica Grudovich at (213) 763-5489 or jgrudovich@aegworldwide.com. For more information about the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.
About the Amgen Tour of California
The largest cycling event in America, the 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 750 miles over nine days from February 14-22, 2009.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 www.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 Women’s Professional Soccer league team, the Los Angeles Sol, 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.# # #
