Large crowds will greet the competitors of the 2007 Amgen Tour of California when the race kicks off with a short, intense time trial through the streets of San Francisco.

The first rider will leave the start ramp in front of the Ferry Building at Pier 1 at 1 p.m. for the 1.9-mile prologue stage sponsored by Union Bank of California. After a fast ride down the Embarcadero, riders will make a sharp left onto Bay Street for a steep climb up Telegraph Hill.

Amgen Tour of California - Prologue

It will take most riders somewhere between five and six minutes to complete the painful effort. Last year Gerolsteiner’s Levi Leipheimer posted a winning time of 4:53, five seconds faster than runner-up Bobby Julich of CSC. Both those riders will again be gunning for a win in San Francisco.