November 7, 2007 (Los Angeles, CA) – Organizers for the 2008 Amgen Tour of California announced today that volunteer opportunities for the professional cycling road race are now posted online at the official tour Web site, www.amgentourofcalifornia.com . Volunteers looking for an opportunity to participate in the third-annual, high-profile race can apply online for positions including, course marshal, security, media relations and medical control.

The 2008 Amgen Tour of California is scheduled for February 17-24, 2008. International cycling teams will race through 750 miles of scenic landscape from northern to southern California in an eight-day road race modeled after the Tour de France.

“Volunteers are vital to making a race of this caliber a success,” said Kristin Bachochin, senior director of AEG Sports, presenters of the race. “Without the support of the communities we travel through, the Amgen Tour of California wouldn’t be able to accommodate the more than 1.6 million fans and world-class roster of athletes that are part of the race.”

More than 4,000 volunteers in communities throughout the state participated in last year’s second-annual race, making it seamless and successful from start to finish and establishing it as the largest sporting event in the state of California. In each of the host cities, as many as 350 local volunteers were recruited to help staff the race.

Next year, the majority of volunteers are needed to serve as course marshals, providing support for the 75 professional course marshals that travel with the tour and support the local law enforcement authorities in each city. Course marshal volunteers have an opportunity to be on the race route, close to the cyclists, with responsibility for monitoring pedestrian traffic, barricades and street closures.

Volunteer positions for the 2008 Amgen Tour of California include:

– Course Marshal
– Health Net Lifestyle Festival EXPO
– Media Relations
– Medical Control
– Security
– Site Decoration/Restoration
– Sweepstakes Surveyor
– Volunteer Check-in

Volunteers must be over the age of 18 or accompanied by an adult. The online sign-up form offers volunteers the opportunity to rank their top-three job preferences, and every attempt is made to match volunteers to their area of interest.

Dates of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California:

– Prologue: Sunday, Feb. 17 – Palo Alto-Stanford University
– Stage 1: Monday, Feb. 18 – Sausalito to Santa Rosa
– Stage 2: Tuesday, Feb. 19 – Santa Rosa to Sacramento
– Stage 3: Wednesday, Feb. 20 – Modesto to San Jose
– Stage 4: Thursday, Feb. 21 – Seaside to San Luis Obispo
– Stage 5: Friday, Feb. 22 – Solvang individual time trial
– Stage 6: Saturday, Feb. 23 – Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita
– Stage 7: Sunday, Feb. 24 – Santa Clarita to Pasadena road race, concluding with a circuit race in Pasadena

For further information on volunteering for the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, please visit www.AmgenTourofCalifornia.com/Tour/volunteer