TOC Roadside: Greetings, PEZ-Fans, from Sacramento, state capital of California, and site of the prologue for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California! We’ve got boots on the ground to bring you the best coverage off-the-beaten-path. Today we talked with George, Thor, Master Phil and many more. Read on!

Stage One of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California (AToC) on February 15 is an eclectic sampler of Northern California cycling. From pan-flat farmland to rocky canyons, fields of flowers, and meandering vineyard paths that end in abrupt 20% climbs. With camera and notebook in hand, we rode the 107 miles from Davis to Santa Rosa.

Stage 3 of the 2009 Tour of California runs 104 miles (167km) from San Jose to Modesto, and unlike other years, tackles to steep and nasty Sierra Road right from the gun. Always a race breaker, it could be a launch pad for a long break this time. I rode the climb in 2007 and endured measurable personal suffering on it's slopes...