CARSON, CA (March 24, 2005) - The Super Bowl.  The World Series.  The NBA Finals.  Each of the aforementioned high-profile sporting events represents the very best of their sports.

The UCI Track World Championships are the equivalent of the track cycling world…and that world congregates in Southern California - BEGINNING TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING -- for the 2005 installment of the competition that features Olympic heroes, world champions and record holders.  In other words, the 'best of the best' are at The Home Depot Center in Carson.

\"The World Championships are a dazzling display of speed, tactics and thrilling racing.  There is a reason that this is the premier event in the track cycling world,\" said Gerard Bisceglia, Chief Executive Officer, USA Cycling.

\"The World Championships are probably one of the most popular international sporting events.  It has a long and storied history and people from around the world will be watching to see who will wear the coveted rainbow jersey.  This is indeed the Super Bowl of Track Cycling,\" said Eric Heiden, a five-time Olympic Gold Medallist (speed skating) and former US Professional Cycling Champion.

\"It is the premiere race every year.  It is like the Olympics but it is yearly.  It is our sports big event of the year for sure,\" said Erin Mirabella, Olympic medallist and La Habra resident.

\"You want to talk 'March Madness?'  Hang around the ADT Event Center velodrome for the World Championships.  You are going to have more than 200 cyclists, steep-banked walls and no brakes.  Now that is extreme,\" said Bill Peterson, The Home Depot Center Managing Director.
  
Individual tickets for the event starting at $15.50 are available online at ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge by phone lines at (213) 480-3232 or (714) 740-2000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers including Wherehouse Records, Robinsons-May, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino locations. Tickets are also available at The Home Depot Center box office and the box office at TEAM LA at Universal CityWalk.  Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets at a discount by calling 1-866-LAGROUP or ordering online at www.aegtickets.com.

The 2005 UCI Track World Championships are the third - and largest -- major track cycling event to take place at the ADT Event Center, which opened on June 10, 2004.  The second round of the 2004/05 UCI World Cup of Cycling series took place here this past December (10-12), while the Jr. Track Cycling World Championships helped open the state-of-the-art facility (July 28 - August 1, 2004). 

Beginning tonight with the opening ceremonies at 6:30 p.m., more than 200 world-class cyclists will participate in 15 Championship events, six individual disciplines for men and women and three men's team events during the four days of racing as they battle for a gold medal and the right to wear the coveted rainbow jersey of World Champion.

A schedule of all races follows -- please note that Sunday's 7th session (Womens 5km Scratch Qualifications), originally scheduled to take place from 10:00-10:20 am, has been cancelled:

Tonight, Thursday, March 24  
7:00pm-7:35pm Mens Team Sprint Qualifications
7:35pm-8:25pm Womens 500m t.t. Final
8:25pm-9:10pm Mens 40km Points Race Final
9:10pm-9:20pm Womens 500m t.t. Awards Ceremony
9:20pm-9:30pm Mens Team Sprint Finals 3-4 & 1-2
9:30pm-9:40pm Mens 40km Points Race Awards Ceremony
9:40pm-9:50pm Mens Team Sprint Awards Ceremony

Friday, March 25  
3rd session 
10:00am-10:45am Womens 200m t.t. Sprint Qualifications
10:45am-11:55am Mens Individual Pursuit Qualifications
11:55am-12:15pm Womens Sprint-1/8 Final
12:15pm-12:35pm Mens Keirin-1st round
12:35pm-12:50pm Womens Sprint-1/4 Final
12:50pm-1:10pm Mens Keirin Repechages
1:10pm-1:15pm Womens Sprint-5th-8th place
1:15pm-1:55pm Womens 10km Points Race
4th session 
7:00pm-7:30pm Womens 25km Points Race Final
7:30pm-7:45pm Mens Keirin-2nd round
7:45pm-7:55pm Womens 25km Points Race Awards Ceremony
7:55pm-8:10pm Mens Individual Pursuit Final 3-4 &1-2
8:10pm-9:25pm Mens t.t Kilometer Final
9:25pm-9:35pm Mens Individual Pursuit Awards Ceremony
9:35pm-9:45pm Mens Keirin Final 7-12 place
9:45pm-9:55pm Mens Keirin Final 1-6 place
9:55pm-10:05pm Mens t.t.Kilometer Awards Ceremony
10:05pm-10:15pm Mens Keirin Awards Ceremony

Saturday, March 26  
5th Session
10:00am-11:05am Womens Individual Pursuit Qualifications
11:05am-12:20pm Mens 200m t.t. Sprint Qualifications
12:20pm-2:25pm Mens Team Pursuit Qualifications 
2:25pm-2:55pm Mens 7.5km Scratch Qualifications
6th Session 
7:00pm-7:10pm Womens Sprint 1/2 Final- 1st heat
7:10pm-7:40pm Mens 15km Scratch Final
7:40pm-7:50pm Womens Sprint 1/2 Final- 2nd heat
7:50pm-8:05pm Womens Individual Pursuit Final 3-4& 1-2
8:05pm-8:15pm Mens 15km Scratch Awards Ceremony
8:15pm-8:20pm Womens Sprint 1/2 Final
8:20pm-8:40pm Mens Sprint 1/8 Final
8:40pm-8:50pm Womens Sprint Final 3-4 & 1-2 (1st)
8:50pm-9:05pm Mens Team Pursuit Final 3-4 & 1-2
9:05pm-9:20pm Mens Sprint 1/4 Final
9:20pm-9:30pm Womens Sprint Final 3-4 & 1-2 (2nd)
9:30pm-9:40pm Womens Individual Pursuit Awards Ceremony
9:40pm-9:45pm Mens Sprint 5th-8th places
9:45pm-9:55pm Mens Team Pursuit Awards Ceremony
9:55pm-10:00pm Womens Sprint Final 3-4 & 1-2 (3rd)
10:00pm-10:10pm Womens Sprint Awards Ceremony

Sunday, March 27  
8th session 
2:00pm-2:20pm Womens Keirin 1st round
2:20pm-2:30pm Mens Sprint 1/2 Final-1st Heat
2:30pm-2:50pm Womens 10km Scratch Final
2:50pm-3:00pm Mens Sprint 1/2 Final-2nd Heat
3:00pm-3:20pm Womens Keirin Repechanges
3:20pm-3:25pm Mens Sprint 1/2 Final
3:25pm-3:35pm Womens 10km Scratch Awards Ceremony
3:35pm-3:50pm Womens Keirin 2nd Round
3:50pm-4:00pm Mens Sprint Final 3-4 & 1-2 (1st)
4:00pm-4:55pm Mens 50km Madison Final
4:55pm-5:05pm Mens Sprint Final 3-4 & 1-2 (2nd)
5:05pm-5:15pm Mens 50km Madison Awards Ceremony
5:15pm-5:25pm Womens Keirin Final 7-12 place
5:25pm-5:35pm Womens Keirin Final 1-6 place
5:35pm-5:40pm Mens Sprint Finals 3-4 &1-2 (3rd)
5:40pm-5:50pm Womens Keirin Awards Ceremony
5:50pm-6:00pm Mens Sprint Awards Ceremony

Leading the list of countries scheduled to compete is Australia, a nation that captured eight medals, including five gold, at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Other perennial powerhouses such as Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Japan, Russia and New Zealand will add to the Olympic-like atmosphere and further raise the level of competition and add depth to the field.

The Home Depot Center is southern California's new home of world-class competition and training facilities for amateur, Olympic, collegiate and professional athletes.  The $150 million privately financed facility was developed and is operated by AEG on a 125 acre site on the campus of California State Dominguez Hills in Carson, California, The Home Depot Center features a 13,000 seat stadium for tennis, a 27,000 seat stadium for soccer, rugby, lacrosse & other athletic competitions and outdoor concerts, a 20,000 seat facility for track & field, the ADT Event Center, a 2450-seat indoor velodrome and other facilities for softball, baseball, lacrosse, beach volleyball, basketball and other sports. Named an Official U.S. Olympic Training Site, The Home Depot Center is home of the USA Tennis High Performance Training Center as well as the national team training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation.  The \"complex, \" which is also the home of the nationally recognized Athletes Performance training center for elite and professional athletes, has additionally be designated \"official\" training sites for USA Cycling, United States Track & Field and the USTA.

Contact: Michael Roth, AEG, 213-742-7155/Lee Callans, AEG, 310-630-2095
Contact: Enrico Carpani, UCI, +41 24 468 58 11