Tour of California women's crit to kick of American racing season

The Tour of California Women's Criterium, set for February 15, will draw some of the top pros to compete in the NRC season-opening event. The second-year event will include defending champion and 2008 US National Criterium and Road Champion Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO).

"The 2009 race will bring together some of the finest competitors in women's professional cycling. That, combined with the men's field, will make this an epic day of bike racing," said Andrew Messick, president of AEG sports, which is promoting the event.

The women's criterium will be limited to pro/1/2 category riders on teams of eight. They will race in the early afternoon on portions of the men's Tour of California stage one finishing circuit in Santa Rosa.

Specific riders already registered are former national champion Mara Abbott, Ina Teutenberg, Kim Anderson Swedish National Champion Emilia Fahlin and Canadian National Road Champion Alex Wrubleski (Team Columbia-Highroad); Katheryn Curi-Mattis, Erinne Willock and Gina Grain (Webcor Builders); Shelley Olds (Proman); and Tina Pic (Colavita/Sutter Home Presented by Cooking Light)