Team Novo Nordisk Returns with Strong Squad to Amgen Tour of California

Race: Tour of California (May 12-18, 2019)

Country: United States of America

Total Distance: 1244 kilometers

Race Class: UCI 2.UWT

Team Novo Nordisk will lineup for the 14th edition of Tour of California with a strong and versatile squad motivated to deliver a memorable performance in the seven-stage road race that starts on May 12th in Sacramento.

The world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team will tackle 1244 km over the course of seven days in what will be the longest and most challenging edition ever of the biggest road cycling race in the American continent.

After standout performances in UAE Tour and Milano Sanremo earlier in the season Team Novo Nordisk aims to race aggressively once again and show the world what’s possible with diabetes. 

Vassili Davidenko – Team Novo Nordisk Senior Vice President of Athletics

“We are very pleased to return to racing at the Amgen Tour of California.This will be our third World Tour event in 2019 and after a good start of the season we hope to keep the momentum going. The team did a tremendous job preparing for this race and our riders are ready to take on the challenge. The morale is good and we can’t wait to once again show our jersey and our fighting spirit in one of the biggest stages of our sport.”

Team Novo Nordisk brings a solid and very international seven-rider squad to California with the goal to be in the mix in all of the seven stages that will take the star-studded peloton, which includes 13 World Tour teams, from Sacramento to Pasadena.

Frenchman Charles Planet, who wore the Intermediate Points Jersey in UAE Tour and was one of the four Team Novo Nordisk’s riders in the breakaway at Milano Sanremo, arrives in great form and is looking to make an impact in what will be his fifth participation in the race.

Charles Planet

“I trained to be at my absolute best form at the Amgen Tour of California. The route this year is the hardest ever and will require a lot of climbing skills. We come with a really strong team and our goal is to race aggressively and create opportunities to achieve a good result. Personally, I’ll try and focus on stages that can suit me. My motivation is at a maximum and I’m ready to give 110% for the team and all the people I can inspire. I want to finish this race with no regrets.”

The TNN roster also includes Spaniard David Lozano and former two-times Hungarian national road champion Peter Kusztor, both of which will aim to show their climbing pedigree. Italian Andrea Peron will enjoy full support as the designated sprinter of the team for the fast finishes while Isle of Man’s Sam Brand, Finland’s Joonas Henttala and Australia’s Fabio Calabria will provide reliable firepower to both support their teammates and seek their own opportunities at the front of the race.

The 2019 Amgen Tour of California, only UCI WorldTour race in America, starts in Sacramento with a 143 km flat stage that should suit the fast men and a predicted bunch sprint. The next day the peloton will face a far hillier challenge with a demanding 194.5 km mountainous stage from Rancho Cordova to South Lake Tahoe that will include no less than six KOMs and a total elevation gain of 4426m.

Stage 3 offers a second opportunity for the sprinters to shine with a 207 km course  from Stockton to Morgan Hill.

Another long day in the saddle awaits the Amgen Tour of California peloton on Stage 4 as they head southbound from Raceway Laguna Seca to Morro Bay. Despite the three KOMs during the day a classic bunch sprint is expected at the end of the 212.5km parcours that will pass the emblematic Big Sur.

Stage 5 delivers yet another golden opportunity for the sprinters to fight for glory after a 218.5 km scenic route from Pismo Beach to Ventura.

The penultimate day will bring the Queen Stage with the almost 4300m of climbing packed into 127 km culminating in the harrowing summit finish on Mt Baldy. Most likely, the overall winner of the 2019 Amgen Tour of California will be decided on the final 15 switchbacks to the top of one the most iconic climbs in California.

The race finishes on Saturday, May 18 with a short stage from Santa Clarita to Pasadena that should suit a fast and furious finale with a fan-favorite field sprint after three circuits of the Rose Bowl.

Team Novo Nordisk Roster Amgen Tour of California (May 12 – 18): Sam Brand (GBR), Fabio Calabria (AUS), Joonas Henttala (FIN), Peter Kusztor (HUN), David Lozano (ESP), Andrea Peron (ITA), Charles Planet (FRA).

Sport Directors: Massimo Podenzana (ITA), Pavel Cherkasov (USA)