Two Stanford riders to take on pros

In addition to the cycling's professionals, two up and coming Stanford University riders will be waiting for their chance to test the 2.3km prologue course at the Tour of California. Members of Stanford's national-champion cycling team Arwen Bradley and Evan Pickett will be riding the course just before the pros kick off on Sunday afternoon.

Bradley, a junior math major from Hawaii, is one of the school's best women in time trials and hilly road races. She has already won three of her first four races this season, including a 54 second win in a 20km time trial at UCLA last weekend. "I love time trials. You just ride as hard as you can. I don't know if I can go as fast as Boonen, but I will try to get close," joked Bradley.

Pickett, a materials science graduate student from Pennsylvania, is also motivated for the event. "I ride down Palm Drive every day going to school. To compete against the world's best on our own campus is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Pickett is coming off win in the UC San Diego road race, where he went on a 100km escape.

Stanford won the USA Cycling Collegiate National Road Championships in 2007.