Professional Cycling For the Fans - Tour of California - amateur Entry?

Hi everyone. Sorry if this post is in the wrong place. I was wondering if it is possible to race in the Tour of California as an amature. I won't be in California (or be ready to race) for 2010, but would like to participate in 2011. I'm asking because I read a news article that mentioned ametures were also in the race. I wasn't able to find anything about it on the Tour website though. Thank you very much for your help!

Adam

You need to be on one of the teams that is invited to the race. You can't just sign up as an amateur.

Dang... What about riding, but not 'racing'?

Roads are public. You can ride them anytime.

Many locals ride the course the morning of the stage or a day or two before.

Even amateur teams....in 2011 it'll be a Pro Tour race. I don't think they'll still have an amateur teams then. Did they really this year? I thought all the teams were pro - not all Pro Tour nor even Pro-Continental but still pro.

This isn't a tour as in touring riding. If you're riding the ToC you're running with the Big Dogs. Don't know what level you're racing at but even if you're a Cat-1 amateur you'd still be in big danger of missing the time cut on day 1. You need to be racing some of the major US races and attracting the attention of the major US teams before you even think of taking on something like the ToC.

Chris

edit: here's the start list for this year - I don't see any amateur teams: http://cyclingnews.com/road/2009/feb09/california09/?id=startlist

THe first 9 are all Pro Tour, BMC is Pro-Continental. Can't remember the designation for the other 7 but they're all pro teams.

Thanks everyone. I guess the best option would be to do what mkadam68 said.

I realize that it's a pro race and I would not be able to keep up with them. I was just wondering if there was an ameture class in the race. Riding the route will be an adventure in itself, but I want to know what it feels like to race something like that.

In US amateur racing, there is a categorical structure: 5's being the newest/slowest/weakest racers, 1's being the best/strongest. There may be some Cat 1 events, called NRC races (National Racing Calendar), that may be 5-7 days like the ToC, but there are certainly no Cat 5 races like that.


...Riding the route will be an adventure in itself, but I want to know what it feels like to race something like that.

Best bet for this is to do some sort of organized tour, and do it quickly :D PAC Tours (http://pactour.com/) might fit the bill.