AMGEN Tour of California will Ride to the Sound of Cowbells

CORTE MADERA, Calif. – When the AMGEN Tour of California sweeps through the state this February, fans lining the course will be able to cheer on the cyclists with souvenir cowbells made especially for this event by Cowbell.com, distributor of fun and cowbells to sporting events, fundraisers and businesses.

The official AMGEN Tour of California cowbell is a specially engraved MOEN bell decorated with a high-quality black, woven wrist strap for easy noise-making. MOEN Bells of Norway became world-famous as the “cowbell-clang heard ‘round the world” at the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994 and were also the official cheering bells of the Salt Lake and Torino Olympics.

Only 600 official cowbells, in two sizes (2-3/4 inches high and 4-1/2 inches high), will be sold from the official Tour Merchandise truck, making the bell a prized collectible. Add your favorite racer’s autograph and you’ve got gold.

Whether alone on a rural road, or in chorus with thousands of others at the finish line, cowbells create an atmosphere of excitement, add intensity to the competition and make any event that much more memorable for its spectators. “There is nothing like cowbells to pump up the crowd and bring the cyclists into the final stretch of each long day,” says Elisabeth Halvorson, founder of Cowbell.com, who relishes her ability to bring fun and excitement to events.

The sound of cowbells has been a major part of sporting events and a key motivator for athletic competitors around the world for centuries. MOEN Bells were first produced in 1922 and are still made of iron and coated with brass recycled from spent ammunition cartridges on Norwegian military practice ranges. Since they debuted beyond the pasture, they have been one of the most popular souvenirs at the Olympic Games.

Various teams, sponsors and communities along the route have ordered smaller, painted bells from Cowbell.com to add pep and happy noise-making to local events along the AMGEN Tour of California route.

The official AMGEN Tour of California cowbell is available online at http://amgentourofcaliforniastore.com/product_info.php?products_id=126 and along the route.

About Cowbell.com
Cowbell.com adds panache to any event with specialized bells and unique ribbons that can be used as jewelry, noisemakers, decoration, or collectibles. The expert on the history and symbolism of bells, company founder Elisabeth Halvorson helps businesses, fundraisers and other organizations “ring in” excitement. Cowbells make spectators into participants and heightens the animation and exuberance of any crowd. The catchphrase “more cowbell” has become a popular slogan and pop culture phenomenon since being featured in a Saturday Night Live sketch with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. For more information, go to http://www.cowbell.com and http://www.cowbell.com/newsroom.