Breakaway Rides Are Your Chance to Ride Amgen Tour of CA Routs

Cycling enthusiasts and fans are invited to participate in “The Breakaway Rides presented by Specialized”, two riding events held in conjunction with the upcoming 2010 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race set for May 16-23, 2010. Both rides will be held in April 2010 (one month prior to the 2010 Amgen Tour of California) and will serve to raise awareness and funds for Breakaway from Cancer®, the signature initiative of Amgen and the Amgen Tour of California, which aims to raise awareness of the resources available to cancer patients from prevention and diagnosis through treatment and survivorship.

Each ‘Breakaway Ride’ will give cycling enthusiasts a chance to ride on the actual route of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California with three distances for each event to accommodate various skill and fitness levels. The longest distance covers an entire stage of the Amgen Tour of California, the same as will be ridden by the pros. Participants will be chip timed and fully supported, with a maximum of 3,500 riders per event.

The dates of the two Breakaway Rides are:
Sunday, April 25: Stage 2 route – Davis to Santa Rosa
Sunday, April 11: Stage 8 route – Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills

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A portion of each rider’s entry fee will be donated to Breakaway from Cancer’s charitable partners – Prevent Cancer Foundation, Patient Advocate Foundation, Cancer Support Community and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Additionally, riders and their supporters will have the opportunity to earn gifts and prizes by making additional contributions to Breakaway from Cancer and its partners via Active.com’s ActiveGiving program. Some of the prize packages include VIP experiences at the 2010 Amgen Tour of California along with a top-of-line S-Works Tarmac or Roubaix bike, donated by Specialized, presented as a grand prize to each Breakaway Ride’s top fundraiser.

“We are happy to provide amateur cyclists with an opportunity to ride the same route as the pros and to be able to compare their times to the greatest cyclists in the world,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “We are expecting that these rides will expose cyclists to the beauty and challenges that our professional athletes will face.”

Registration is between $125- $500, and is already open at Active.com. Details for each ride route will be announced on February 1, 2010, at the official 2010 Amgen Tour of California route announcement.

For more information, please visit www.breakawayride.com, www.amgentourofcalifornia.com, or visit your Specialized dealer.