Cycling star Lance Armstrong talks with a police officer after signing into the Amgen Tour of California on Feb. 15. Despite rainy conditions, tens of thousands of onlookers gathered in Davis to witness the 136-rider field embark on the 107.6-mile Stage 1 phase that ended in Santa Rosa later that day. A co-sponsor of Amgen, UC Davis offered help with an academic symposium on the science of cycling, the California Bicycle Museum, and parking and shuttle bus assistance for the Davis crowds.