Fierce competition expected for 2011 Amgen Tour of California places

by Daniel Benson

20 ProTeam squads battling for 8 places

With the 2011 Amgen Tour of California announcing their stage host cities this morning, attention has already turned to the battle for team places in next year's race. With sixteen spots available and half of that allocation dedicated to Pro Contintental and domestic teams, up to 20 ProTour squads will vie for the eight remaining places.

"We're starting to think hard now about the teams we want in the race," Andrew Messick told Cyclingnews.

One factor that could affect Messick's invitation list is the transfer market. With a number of riders still on the market, teams still without sponsors and defending champion Michael Rogers only confirming to the press that he will leave HTC-Columbia at the end of year, Messick is currently surveying the market.

Read the Full Article at  www.cyclingnews.com