Palo Alto-Stanford Prologue

RACE DAY – FEBRUARY 17, 2008!

  • Lifestyle Festival – Entertainment, fitness and children’s activities
    11:30 AM. – 4:30 PM, Stanford University Campus
    • Children’s Area at Lifestyle Festival – Be Safe, Be Healthy - Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, City of Palo Alto and the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation are pleased to be sponsoring a variety of children’s activities at the Tour of California Lifestyle Festival from 11:30 AM – 4:30 PM on Stanford Campus. Activities planned include:
      • Climbing Wall
      • Sports activities
      • Arts & Crafts
      • Bike Repair Demonstrations
      • Pedometer challenge
      • Bike challenge
      • Hula Hoop/Jump Rope contest

      Plus lots of great information on local recreational activities, bike safety, children’s health care and keeping safe and healthy.  Come join in on the fun!

  • Charity Challenge Time Trial
    12 PM (noon), City Hall Plaza, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301
    • Watch the 25 winning Time Trial bidders vie for first place in this exciting race on the prologue course, just before the pros take to the route!
    • Encourage Yoriko Kishimoto, 2007 Mayor of Palo Alto, and John Etchemendy, Provost of Stanford University, as they ride the course.
    • Cheer for your favorite local media celebrities as they challenge each other and race against the clock on the prologue course:
      • Roberta Gonzales from KPIX
      • Rob Artigo from KGO
      • Bill Martin from KTVU
      • Steven Seaweed from The Bone
      • Irish Greg from KFOG
  • ATOC Prologue – Overall Start
    1 – 4 PM, Race starts in Downtown Palo Alto and route ends at Stanford University

 

RACE DAY OF EVENTS/LOCATIONS

DOWNTOWN PALO ALTO

  • 10:00 AM - Renzo Staiano performs
  • 11-11:30 AM (Start Stage) - Universal Language performs
  • 11:30-11:45 AM (Start Stage) - West Bay Opera Performs an excerpt from Cosi
  • 11:45 AM (Downtown Palo Alto) - 2008 Amgen Tour of California Professional Cycling Teams Arrive
  • Noon (Start Stage) - Prologue Time Trial Challenge
  • 12:40 PM (Start Stage) - Yoriko Kishimoto, 2007 Mayor, Welcome
  • 12:50 PM (Start Stage) - West Bay Opera performs the NATIONAL ANTHEM
  • 1 PM - Official START of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, Prologue

STANFORD CAMPUS

  • 11:30 AM– 4:30 PM (Stanford Campus) - HealthNet Lifestyle Festival Opens The Children’s Area is hosted by the City of Palo Alto Recreation, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford Athletics, the Center for Longevity, Stanford Blood Center, Be Well at Stanford and the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation.
  • 12 Noon (Lifestyle Festival Stage) - Clifford Yip Master Chinese Drummer and his Chinese
    Lion Dancers. These young people have appeared throughout the Bay Area.
  • 12 Noon (Lifestyle Festival) - Stanford Blood Center Blood Drive and Bone Marrow Registry Open
  • 2:00 PM (Lifestyle Festival Stage) - Interactive Exercise Demonstration - Jeff Kazmucha, Pediatric Clinical Exercise Physiologist invites you to join him for Exercise Fun and Games. \
  • 2:30 PM (Lifestyle Festival Stage) - Sports Basement Bike Art Award Announced
  • 3:00 PM (Lifestyle Festival Stage) - Downtown Streets Team “Row and Ride” Fundraiser Awards
  • 3:45 PM (Awards Stage) - CSC Time Trial Challenge Awards
  • 4:00 PM (Awards Stage) - 2008 Amgen Tour of California, Prologue Awards
While you're downtown, visit the new California Bicycle Museum (a non-profit) located at 539 Alma Street from 10 AM to 3 PM showing a portion of the Pierce Miller Bicycle Collection. The entire collection can be viewed here.

Event Logistics – February 17, 2008

Transportation options for race day - Spectators are encouraged to use public transportation to get to the race. The trains will accommodate up to 1000 riders, although they have limited bicycle car capacity and are encouraging you to leave your bike at home.

  • Palo Alto Crosstown Shuttle: This free city shuttle will run on Race Day between Charleston Road and Cogswell Plaza on Lytton Avenue in Downtown Palo Alto.  Shuttle will follow the regular midday route – for details, see Crosstown Shuttle Route Map. Shuttles will depart from both Stevenson House on Charleston Road and the event shuttle stop at Cogswell Plaza on Lytton Avenue at Ramona Street every 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., on the hour and half hour.
  • Parking - City parking structures R, S and Cowper/Webster are available for public parking. Additional parking is available on the Stanford Campus. Bicycle Valet Parking will be located one block from city hall on Gilman Street.

The following websites have additional information.

As a courtesy to our residents and businesses, the City of Palo Alto and the Amgen Tour of California local organizing committee want you to know about the following traffic, road and parking advisories in conjunction with race day.

Palo Alto Road Closures - On Sunday, February 17, 2008, access within the downtown area will be subject to closures and delays. Hamilton Avenue, between High Street and Webster Street, will be closed from 6:00 AM. to 6:00 PM. University Avenue will be closed between Webster Street and the Stanford border from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The north/south side streets between Webster and the Stanford border will also be closed between 6:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

Best Places to Watch the Race - Come out early and catch a glimpse of the athletes in the team parking areas located in the 500 and 600 blocks of Ramona and Emerson Streets, as well as the 100 and 200 blocks of Hamilton Avenue. The impressive start gate, with live television coverage, will be located directly in front of City Hall at 250 Hamilton Avenue. A big screen Television will be placed at Hamilton and Bryant with great viewing from City Hall’s King Plaza. The length of University Avenue, along with Lytton Plaza, will be a great place to watch the cyclists wiz by at roughly 35 mph.

PREVIOUS WEEKS' ACTIVITIES - Week of January 6, 2008

  • January 9 – BMC Cycling Team Visits Hobee’s -  to sign autographs and speak with fans
    • 6 p.m., Hobee’s, Town & Country Village, Embarcadero Road/El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA
  • January 10 – BMC Cycling Team Visits PASTA? – to sign autographs and speak with fans
    • 8 p.m., Pasta?, 326 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA  94301

Week of January 13, 2008

  • January 13 – Team Kelly Benefit Strategy – visits Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
    • 2 - 4 p.m.,  725 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA  94304
  • January 17 – 2008 Amgen Tour of California - Team Announcement Press Conference
    • 9 a.m., Palo Alto Bikes, 171 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA  94301

Week of January 20, 2008

  • January 20 – Race Like a Pro! - Bidding begins for Charity Challenge, The 2008 Amgen Tour of
    California Prologue
    • Place a winning bid to have the chance-of-a-lifetime to race the two-mile Prologue route, just prior to the Prologue-Official Start in downtown Palo Alto on February 17
    • Bidding starts today
    • Call your bids in NOW to 1-800-341-0310

Week of February 3, 2008

Week of the RACE - February 10, 2008

  • February 10 - Break Away from Cancer™ Charity Ride with George Hincapie, 11-time Tour de France Veteran
    • 9:00 AM, Stanford Blood Center, 3373 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA  94304
  • February 11 - Bike Safety and Awareness Presentations at middle schools in Palo Alto
  • February 12 - Bike Safety and Awareness Presentations at middle schools in Palo Alto
  • February 11 - "Bike Week" - After-school Youth and Teen Center Activities
    • 3:30 – 5 PM, Mitchell Park Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA  94303
    • Bike safety scavenger hunt
    • Bike-themed movies
    • Activities are geared towards middle and high school students
    • Contact Recreation Coordinator Adam Howard at (650) 329-2192
  • February 12 - "Bike Week" - After-school Youth and Teen Center Activities
    • 3:30-5 p.m., Mitchell Park Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA  94303
    • Bike parts sculpture competition; teams compete against each other and judged by a panel of their peers and staff.
    • Awards to Bike Art Competition winners
  • February 13 - "Bike Week" - After-school Youth and Teen Center Activities
    • 2-5 PM, Mitchell Park Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA  94303
    • BMX demonstration by Chris Duncan
    • Visit from a professional cyclist
    • Bike obstacle course
    • Drawing at 4 p.m. for a new bike, helmets and shirts
    • Light refreshments
  • February 14 - "Bike Week" - After-school Youth and Teen Center Activities
    • 3:30-5 PM, Mitchell Park Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA  94303 p.m. p.m. End of the week Bike Cake!
  • February 14 - Autograph Event with cyclists
    • 5 - 7:30 PM, Crowne Plaza Cabana Palo Alto, Mediteranean Room, 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306
    • Bring anything you want signed
    • Professional photographer to capture the moment, for additional fee
    • Cost: $25, proceeds go to charity
  • February 15 - Amgen Tour of California's Gala Evening Celebration in Sausalito, CA
  • February 15 - FINAL BIDS DUE for Charity Challenge
    • 12 noon, DEADLINE for Charity Challenge bids
  • February 15 - Meet the pro-cyclists of Team High Road who are taking on the Tour de France one leg at a time
    • 2:00 PM, Cubberley Theatre at the Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA  94303
    • The team presentation will be hosted by legendary cycling commentator Phil Liggett.
    • Team High Road is the only US based ProTour team, which is the most elite level of cycling in the world.
    • To RSVP for this exciting event, please contact Christine Eastman at (949) 481-5561 or ceastman@cox.net
  • February 16 - Exercise and the Brain, Public Symposium
    • 9:00 AM - 12:00 noon, Stanford University Schwab Residential Center, Vidalakis Dining Room
  • February 16 - Community Bike Ride from Mitchell Park to Downtown Palo Alto
    • 9:30 AM, Mitchell Park Bowl, 3800 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA
    • Join Council Members and other Palo Altans on this fun ride! Ride down East Meadow to Bryant Street (the Ellen Fletcher Bike Boulevard). Ride ends at Lytton Plaza in downtown Palo Alto. Ride the entire route OR join in anywhere along the route!
    • Contact Carol Anderson at candersonb@aol.com or (650) 853-1590 or call Kathy Durham at (650) 329-2568.
  • February 16 - Downtown Streets Team, Row and Ride Competition
    • 11 AM - 1 PM, Lytton Plaza at Emerson Street and University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA
    • Face off against another team on staionary bikes or rowing machines while raising funds to aid our local homeless population.
    • Contact Eileen Richardson at Eileen@downtownstreetsteam.com or call (650) 462-1795.
  • February 16 - Davis Phinney Foundation Gala, "Power the Parkinson's Peloton"