The Riders - a preliminary list of competitors
The official 2016 startlist of riders (rider roster, squads) has not yet been released by organizers of the Amgen Tour of California, but I got impatient because I am headed to the race tomorrow. However on the ProCyclingStats.com startlist of riders you can click on each name and see a photo of the rider and their palmares (the career race history), a great way to get familiar with who will be racing at the Tour of California.
Through reading news reports and rider twitter accounts (some are already in California training pre race), I can add to the list of riders who will be racing in California at the 2016 Amgen Tour of California this week. ATOC typically leaves the announcement of the startlists until just before the start as teams formalize their squads having recovered from recent illnesses or races.
Team rider startlists
There will be a thrilling list of riders to compete in California this week. Tom Boonen is coming to California!! Julian Allaphilippe will be returning in 2016, he won the best young rider jersey in 2015 and won the stage to Mt Baldy. Peter Sagan is coming back with his teammate and brother Juraj Sagan. Mark Cavendish and Bradely Wiggins will both return in 2016. Team BMC has an action packed team, their red jerseys should be a frequent sight on the podium.
I am super excited to see Tom Boonen and Mark Renshaw race again and am looking forward to watching the other powerful sprinters including Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin), Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data), Ben Swift (SKY), John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin), Niccolo Bonifazio (Trek-Segafredo), Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie), Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo), Brad Huff (Rally), Rob Britton (Rally), Robin Carpenter (Holowesko-Citadel), Wouter Wippert (Cannondale), Travis McCabe (Holowesko-Citadel), and John Murphy (UHC).
Because I am a huge fan of the Spring Classics I will be like a giddy fan to see Greg van Avermaet, John Degenkolb, Alexander Kristoff, Zdenek Stybar and Tom Boonen in California. I wouldn't be able to get anywhere near them in Belgium; which also stands true for Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins. I also look forward to watching the young Axeon Hagens Berman team and observing the French riders on Team Direct Energie enjoy their time in California. Although 'enjoy' is a loose term once they experience the tough level of competition in this tour.
Recommended Read: Preview: What you need to know about the 2016 Amgen Tour of California, by Neal Rogers. Who writes, "Sagan returns to the race that he’s done every year since 2010, along the way compiling a total of 13 stage wins (a record),five points jerseys (a record), one best young rider’s competition (2010), and one overall victory." "Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), a nine-time California stage winner and two-time points classification winner."
Pedal Dancer Race Preview for 2016 Tour of California on TourChaser.com: tourchaser.com/race-preview-atoc
PRELIMINARY STARTLIST - 2016 Amgen Tour of California, 144 riders to compete:
* to be updated with bib numbers after the official announcement of the ATOC startlist.
Tinkoff
Sagan, Peter
Sagan, Juraj
Kolar, Michael
Gogl, Michael
Trusov, Nikolay
Baška, Erik
Blythe, Adam
Gatto, Oscar
BMC Racing Team
Bookwalter, Brent
Dennis, Rohan
Drucker,Jean-Pierre
Phinney, Taylor
Sánchez, Samuel
Schar, Michael
Van Avermaet, Greg
Wyss, Danilo
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team
Bevin, Patrick
Craddock, Lawson
Gaimon, Phillip
King, Benjamin
Marangoni, Alan
Skujiņš, Toms
Talansky, Andrew
Wippert, Wouter
Dimension Data
Meyer, Cameron
Farrar, Tyler
Brammeier, Matthew
Cavendish, Mark
Renshaw, Mark
Etixx - Quick Step
Allaphilippe, Julian
Contreras, Rodrigo
Bouet, Maxime
Vakoc, Petr
Boonen, Tom
Velitz, Martin
Stybar, Zdenek
Maes, Nikolas
Team Giant - Alpecin
Kragh Andersen, Søren
Curvers, Roy
ten Dam, Laurens
Degenkolb, John
Fairly, Caleb
de Kort, Koen
Skjøstad Lunke, Sindre
Sinkeldam, Ramon
Team Katusha
Machado, Tiago
Mørkøv, Michael
Haller, Marco
Guarnieri, Jacopo
Kristoff, Alexander
Restrepo, Jhonatan
van den Broeck, Jurgen
Team LottoNL - Jumbo
Vermeulen, Alexey
Teunissen, Mike
Groenewegen, Dylan
Bennett, George
Team Sky
Fenn, Andrew
van Poppel, Danny
Swift, Ben
Kennaugh, Peter
Zandio, Xabier
Peters, Alex
Nordhaug, Lars Petter
Moscon, Gianni
Trek - Segafredo
Stetina, Peter
Reijnen, Kiel
Zubeldia, Haimar
Stuyven, Jasper
Bernard, Julien
Bonifazio, Niccolo
Arredondo, Julián David
Irizar, Markel
Direct Energie
Petit, Adrien
Coquard, Bryan
Jeandesboz,Fabrice
Duchesne, Antoine
Nauleau, Bryan
Sicard, Romain
Tulik, Angelo
Anderson, Ryan
Team Novo Nordisk
Megias, Javier
Peron, Andrea
Lozano, David
Planet, Charles
Ambrose, Scott
Lefrancois, Nicolas
Verschoor, Martijn
Henttala, Joonas
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
Busche, Matthew
Jaramillo, Daniel Alexander
Murphy, John,
Alzate, Carlos
Axeon Hagens Berman (U23 team)
Owen, Logan
Geoghegan Hart, Tao
Powless, Nielson
Curran, Geoffrey
Guerreiro, Ruben
Barta, Will
Daniel, Greg
Neilands, Krists
Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
Krasilnikau, Andrei
Carpenter, Robin
Flaksis, Andzs
Clark, Oscar
Hornbeck, Jonathan
Lewis, Joe
Squire, Rob
McCabe, Travis
Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
Morton, Lachlan
Rally Cycling
Anthony, Jesse
Britton, Rob
De Vos, Adam
Huffman, Evan
Naud, Pierrick
Oronte, Emerson
Pate, Danny
Routley, Will
Team Wiggins
Wiggins, Bradley
All of these riders will be racing again in 2016: (All Photos ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®)
American Brent Bookwalter (BMC).
Latvian Tom Skujins (Cannondale).
From the U.K. (Isle of Man) Mark Cavendish (now with Dimension Data).
Australian Rohan Dennis (BMC).
American Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data).
Slovakian Peter Sagan (Tinkoff).
American Taylor Phinney (BMC).
American Lawson Craddock (now with Cannondale).
American Logan Owen (Axeon Hagens Berman).
Mark Renshaw (now with Dimension Data).
Julian Allaphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep).
Laurens ten Dam (now with Giant-Alpecin).
WHO WILL WEAR BIB #1 IN 2016?
It is tradition that the previous year's overall stage winner, if returning to the race in the current year, wear the #1 jersey. His team being recognized as the first team, thus wear #1-8. The other teams are ordered according to race organizers preference, eighteen teams total with eight riders each. At the Tour of California, as is usual, you will see the ProTour teams listed on the roster before the Pro Continental or Continental teams.
Peter Sagan will wear #1 on his jersey at the Tour of California. He will be racing hard in 2016 to wear #1 again in 2017.
More Pedal Dancer® race coverage 2016:
Race Preview for 2016 Tour of California on TourChaser.com: tourchaser.com/race-preview-atoc
List of Riders Amgen Tour of California 2016
The order of jerseys
Taking photos at the race, and being Media
Top 22 tips to see the Amgen Tour of California
How to watch the Tour of California Live in 2016
Team jerseys and team bikes at the Tour of California
Bikes, Equipment and Clothing at the Tour of California
Classification jerseys for the 2016 Tour of California
10 UCI WorldTour Teams to compete in California
Stage Route and Maps Tour of California 2016
Profile Maps for the Tour of California 2016
Tour of California Host City activities: Stages 1-4 PART I
Tour of California Host City activities: Stages 4-8 PART II
Tour of California Spectator Guide Page