Columbia to meet school children in Solvang

Columbia-Highroad will participate in a "Ride-By" visit at the school in Solvang, California, on February 9. School kids from grade four to grade six will get a chance to meet the professional cyclists as they ride up to the school yard. The event is part of the educational curriculum of the Amgen Tour of California.

A specially developed classroom curriculum has been distributed to fourth through sixth-grade instructors and students in the 16 California "host" cities selected for the race. A free English and Spanish booklet given to students provides information about the state of California, including targeted lesson plans that use cycling to teach math, science and geography.

The event comes close to the end of the team's training camp in the Solvang area. Solvang will once again host the time trial in the Tour of California, on February 20.