Oakland, CA - The four-time NRC champion Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis has finalized its roster for the Amgen Tour of California, February 17-24, 2008.

"We've put together a squad the blends overall GC threats with a number of riders who will be in contention for stage wins nearly every day," noted team directeur sportif Mike Tamayo.

In pursuit of the overall title, the team will be lead by 2007 NRC Individual points champion Rory Sutherland and new roster addition Phil Zajicek. "Both riders are strong climbers and time trialists," Tamayo said. Sutherland comes into the race having recently finished second and third respectively in the Australian national time trial and road race.

The remainder of the squad features a number of riders capable of taking out stage wins from either a bunch sprint or from break-aways. Karl Menzies once again used the Tour Down Under in Australia, the first race on the Pro Tour calendar, as preparation for the Amgen Tour of California.

"Karl is an incredibly strong rider," Tamayo noted. Along with his strength in the sprints, the flat, fast prologue course suits his riding style.

Frank Pipp is another rider who possesses a strong sprint, and will be hunting for breaks as he did in the 2007 Tour of Missouri, where he made the decisive break in Stage 2 en route to a second on the stage behind George Hincapie, and sixth overall.

As with last year, veteran super-domestique Tim Johnson will be the captain on the road. Johnson once again spent the "off season" competing on the North American and European cyclocross circuits, earning his second career elite U.S. cyclocross national championship in December.

The Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis Roster for the Amgen Tour of California:

Matt Crane
Tim Johnson
Roman Kilun
Karl Menzies
John Murphy
Frank Pipp
Rory Sutherland
Phil Zajicek