The grueling Amgen Tour of California cycling race covers some 650 miles across some of the Golden State’s toughest terrain. But the most demanding mile is perhaps cycled by non-racers on urban straightaways. An hour before the professional racers stream across the finish line of key stages in the Tour, cancer survivors and their “support teams” ride what’s called a “Breakaway Mile” to raise awareness of the disease and of the free services available to patients. Although these rides are ceremonial, the reception these cyclists get is anything but. Cow bells clang raucously. An ESPN television crew follows their progress. And super-sized video screens broadcast the event to the cheering crowds lining the route.

One of the Breakaway Mile riders during the last Tour in February was Brandi Newquist, whose battle for survival began with a breast cancer diagnosis in 2003. Two months after her ride, the Valencia, California resident was diagnosed with brain cancer and the disease later spread to her liver. The disease finally claimed her life in August, her husband Bobby Newquist says. But for Brandi, who liked to ride a mountain bike and take spin classes, the Breakaway Mile was an emotional tribute to her courage and strength, he says. “Hearing everyone ringing the bells made you feel like a professional athlete,” says Newquist, who rode on Brandi’s support team along with her oncologist, friends, and Amgen’s Joe Miletich, senior vice president, research and development. “That was something you didn’t get when we walked into a chemotherapy room.”

Before cancer overtook her, Brandi did all she could to raise awareness of the disease, taking part in three clinical trials and volunteering as an organizer with a fundraising event organized by the American Cancer Society, Newquist says. Brandi saw the Breakaway Mile as a chance to honor people who helped her along the way, he adds. “They all played a part in trying to get her to feel better and to deal with the disease on a daily basis,” Newquist says. “That experience for her was exhilarating. She was so overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone.”

Just as professional cycling teams have support staff including coaches, mechanics, and doctors who help them win, Breakaway Mile participants ask some 10 individuals including oncologists, spouses, and friends who have helped them battle cancer to ride along with them. “Once a person hears the words ‘you have cancer,’ they don’t hear anything else,” says Kathryn West, Amgen’s oncology advocacy director. “You do need people who are advocating for you and supporting you. That makes a difference in people’s outcomes.”

Biotech giant Amgen officially announced its sponsorship of the eight-day Tour of California, perhaps the largest pro cycling race in the United States, in 2005. It was unusual for a company like Thousand Oaks, California-based Amgen to sponsor a sporting event, says Amgen spokeswoman Mary Klem, as such events usually receive backing from consumer products companies seeking opportunities to market their products. Amgen medicines aren’t sold directly to patients, but rather are prescribed by doctors for serious illnesses. Amgen viewed the sponsorship as an opportunity to help educate people about biotechnology and raise awareness of the services available to people with cancer. As a complementary component of the tour, the Breakway from Cancer initiative, of which the Breakaway Mile event is a part, was born. The initiative also helps support free programs offered by The Wellness Community and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, two national cancer support organizations.