2009 Amgen Tour of California needs volunteers

Organizers for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California need volunteers to help run the popular professional cycling road race. Volunteers looking for an opportunity to participate in the fourth-annual race can apply online for positions, including course marshal, security, media relations and medical control.

The event’s fourth running is scheduled for February 14-22, 2009. Traveling almost the entire length of California, the race will begin in the state’s capital, Sacramento, and end in San Diego County for the first time.

More than 4,500 volunteers in communities throughout the state participated in last
year’s 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 start and finish cities, as many as 350 local volunteers were recruited to help staff the race.

"Volunteers are essential to the success of the Amgen Tour of California," said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. "The support of the communities we travel through has been vital in making the Amgen Tour of California the most successful cycling race in the United States, and with the expanded route in 2009, volunteers will be more important than ever. It is a great way to take part in an event that will capture the attention of local communities and the world."

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 2009 Amgen Tour of California include:

• Local Stage Course Marshal – Assigned a designated area along the race course to assist with the coordination and safety of the field of play
• Media – Assist media operations staff, including distribution of media credentials, general media Q&A, office set-up, etc.
• Medical Control – Escort athletes to and from medical tent for post-race testing
• Security – Assist security staff with access-control, including on-course, hospitality, awards, green room and press conference
• Site Decoration/Restoration – Assist logistics crew with hanging and tear-down of event decor
• Lifestyle Festival EXPO – Assist lifestyle festival staff with expo coordination
• Sweepstakes Surveyor – Help ensure lifestyle festival attendees are aware of the official sweepstakes
• Volunteer Check-in – Assist Local Organizing Committee volunteer coordinator with set-up, check-in/registration and deployment

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. Shortly after filling out the online form, volunteers will be contacted by the local organizing committee for further information.

Dates of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California:

• Stage 1: Saturday, Feb. 14 – Sacramento
• Stage 2: Sunday, Feb. 15 – Davis to Santa Rosa
• Stage 3: Monday, Feb. 16 – Sausalito to Santa Cruz
• Stage 4: Tuesday, Feb. 17 – San Jose to Modesto
• Stage 5: Wednesday, Feb. 18 – Merced to Clovis
• Stage 6: Thursday, Feb. 19 – Visalia to Paso Robles
• Stage 7: Friday, Feb. 20 – Solvang (individual time trial)
• Stage 8: Saturday, Feb. 21 – Santa Clarita to Pasadena
• Stage 9: Sunday, Feb. 22 – Rancho Bernardo to Escondido

Note that Stage 3 from Sausalito to Santa Cruz is Presidents Day, a SCHOOL HOLIDAY for students. Because Lance Armstrong is expected to race next February in the Amgen Tour of California, the start and finish cities will be madhouses, so volunteering might be the best way to get up close to the cyclists. "Medical Control" is your special chance to see the athletes up close and personal.

Sign up online to be a volunteer.