Volunteers being sought for Amgen bicycle race

Volunteer opportunities for the 2008 Amgen Tour of California have been posted at www .amgentourofcalifornia.com.

More than 4,000 volunteers are needed for the professional cycling road race, with about 350 needed to support the new event finish in Pasadena.

Volunteers can apply online for positions that include course marshal, security and medical control.

The 2008 Amgen Tour of California is scheduled for Feb. 17 to 24. International cycling teams will race from northern to southern California in an eightday road race modeled after the Tour de France.

The majority of volunteers are needed to serve as course marshals, providing support for the 75 professional course marshals that travel with the tour and support the local law enforcement authorities in each city. Course marshal volunteers have an opportunity to be on the race route with responsibility for monitoring pedestrian traffic, barricades and street closures.

Volunteers must be over the age of 18 or accompanied by an adult. The online sign-up form offers volunteers the opportunity to rank their top-three job preferences, and every attempt is made to match volunteers to their area of interest.