Johan Bruyneel Receives 2009 Flanders-America Award

The maestro wins again! JoJo picked up another piece of hardware for his trophy case, this time one doled out by his countrymen. Check it out here: http://www.astana-cyclingteam.com/news_press/flandersaward.html

How’s That for a Finish?

I’m back in Wisconsin now, and after 16 hours of continuous sleep and some quality mid-west hospitality, I’m finally readjusting to sedimentary office life in the frigid north. Sunday’s final stage provided the excitement and results needed to cap the week off fantastically—Levi took home is third consecutive AToC Final Stage yellow jersey and Team Astana took home the overall team classification (not to mention some oversized novelty checks that I’ve always wondered if banks actually cash). I had the luxury of being in the media coral during the podium ceremony and couldn’t have been happier to get soaked with Champaign while watching cycling’s greatest enjoy their moment of glory. Levi even had to stop and take a picture of the crowd, which I was lucky enough to find and repost from his twitter site.

Props to Levi and all of Team Astana for their monumental win, to the AToC for successfully pulling off the largest US cycling event ever held, and to the Trek Road Crew for working some long, hard hours to spread the Trek gospel throughout the rain, hail, snow and sun. I’m very lucky to have been a part of the whole thing and to have had such a memorable experience.

Here’s a few photos from the last stage you might enjoy.

A Long Trip Ends with a BANG!

Congratulations Levi on winning the 2009 Tour of California!

I have been in California since January 29th, that is a long time to be living out of a suitcase but it was all worth while when Levi crossed the finish line in Escondido with the yellow jersey on his back.  The past month has been a major roller coaster but all in all it was a fantastic month.  We are still missing two of the four stolen bikes but other then that everything turned up roses.  Here are some photos from my trip.....

Levi's Custom TTX, photo taken in his garage...

Check out the crowd, it was insane in Solvang!

That's me with Popo and Jani.  Both of them are really good guys

The guys warming up before the Time Trial

Bob Roll is a man of his word.  He said he would shave his head if they could race $5,000 for the LAF, looks like they raised the money to me.....

Lance’s New Ride, Bling Bonty Wheels, and Proof that Some People Get What They Deserve

We’re set up right next to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for Stage Seven today, and I couldn’t think of a place I’d rather be. The last couple of days have been action packed, so much so that I didn’t get a chance to post yesterday. Solvang went off as planned, with Levi edging out Zabriskie to take his third consecutive AToC Time Trial. Let me just say the guy was pumped. If you’ve been following along on the internet, you’ve probably already seen the photos of him holding up three fingers during his podium time. From a guy as humble and determined as Levi, it was a confirmation that yellow really is his favorite color. I like to think the custom painted ursus-themed TTX Levi was riding helped give him the edge he needed to pull it off.

Speaking of edge, I’ve been getting questions about the super-edgy wheels we’ve been displaying all week, the Bontrager Aeolus 9.0. At 90mm deep, they’re the most aero of the Aeolus wheel family. The Astana team began using them in training just a short while ago, and our Bontrager Hard Goods Brand Manager tells me they just became available to the public. They feature the same great Swiss-built hubs as the Aeolus 5.0 and 6.5’s, as well as Wisconsin-made full OCLV carbon rims. If you are looking for the epitome of aero wheels, these are the ones. The rear disk that the team is using is a proto that’s not currently available, but you can check it out up close in the pic.

You wanna know what else has edge? The new 1274 TTX that Project One worked so diligently to provide us with following the theft of Lance’s original in Sacramento. We just got it yesterday, and it now spends the night in my hotel room. By night, I mean the two to three hours a day that I loose consciousness before resuming the bike ridin’ carny lifestyle the Trek road crew has been living this past week. Sleep is for sissies anyway. Some things, like bike races, are more important. The Trek Project One team proved that by pulling off the replacement in such a short amount of time. Mega-props goes out to the P1 peeps!

And finally, maybe you’ve heard about the encounter that Lance had with the so-called “LiveClean Devil” the other day. I was sellin’ t-shirts and talkin’ bikes while it happened but these pictures filled me in pretty quickly. Hopefully you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. Captions aren’t even needed.

http://drunkcyclist.com/2009/02/20/caption-this-54/

More Photos for Your Viewing Pleasure

It was hard to beat yesterday’s weather, but today might be even better. We’re in Paso Robles, one heck of a friendly little town with a great event set up. The crowds the past couple of days have been manageable, and everyone seems to be walking around with a perma-grin, myself included. The Tour provides plenty of incentive for race fans and curious locals to kick off work for the day, soak up some sun, and enjoy the plentiful excitement. Yesterday’s finish was another entertaining sprint, with Levi again retaining yellow. Today’s stage is the longest of the week, but early on Astana appears to be leading the peloton and effectively setting Levi up to increase his lead in the GC standing.

We also got word yesterday afternoon that Lance’s TTX has been returned, minus wheels. Still waiting on whether he’ll ride the original or the replacement that was received yesterday as well, but I do know he’d like to stick to the tried and true if possible. I'll let you know when I do.

It’s too sunny to sit inside and write long, so I’ll let these photos do the talking for me.

In leau of previous events, we enlisted the help of some extra security. “Step away from the bike…”

The AToC podium girls strolled by our booth and Sam scored himself a new profile pic…they told me later he smelled only slightly better than the guys they usually pose with :) In case you were wondering, yeah, I got one too, but I didn’t really enjoy it Emily, I swear!

The dusty sprint finish in Clovis.

This clown actually freaked me out a little, but I gave him an Astana hat anyway.

Tori provides the local Fox affiliate with info on Lance's 1274:27.5 Madone. What a pro!

Dave staying dry while modeling our stylish Trek ponchos in Modesto.

Finally, Some Real California Weather!

Just a quick update to inform everyone back home in the ‘loo (that’s Waterloo, WI for those of you who were wondering) gearing up for the ensuing blizzard that today is a sunny 60 degrees and I’m wearing shorts in February. Hey, we deserve it. It’s been a cold, soggy tour so far and everyone was ready for the weather to break. The riders are stoked too, I’m sure, they just took off a few minutes ago and the Trek road crew is eagerly awaiting their arrival in Clovis. The racing action should be pretty good today, as things are a lot flatter and the sunshine feeds the competitive spirit. Yesterday’s conclusion in Modesto was a mass peloton finish, with Thor taking the sprint to win the stage. Nothin’ hurt for Levi and Astana, though, although Levi did take a spill but popped up quickly, took everything in stride, and retained his yellow jersey. I’ll have pictures up later, but my pirated internet is slow enough to prohibit much uploading. I’ll leave you with this blog-worthy photo, though, just because it’s too cool not to post. If I could figure out how to include a caption, it would read “Lance and Gary swap spectacles…classic.”

Who Says that Galoshes and Rain Suits Aren’t Stylish?

There’s a lot to be said for positive attitudes, and I’m happy to report that the Trek AToC road crew is holdin’ steady and stayin’ positive, despite some pretty inhospitable weather. Stage One ended in Santa Rosa on Sunday, and we didn’t see the sun all day. Levi moved into second place, though, and the crowd really appreciated that the race route ended with a few laps around the city center. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the race, making noise, and generally not caring that they were so soggy.

After we packed up that evening, we feasted on some Mexican (food, that is, not people) and then headed down to Santa Cruze. Having never spent any considerable time in California, I got a pretty good kick out of the drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and down US Highway 101. The race route for Stage Two on Monday included some of the very same roads we were traveling on, so I got a much better appreciation of what the pro racers had to go through yesterday. It was dark when we were driving them, and we didn’t make it to our super-posh Super 8 hotel until after midnight, tired but still enthused from the drive. I never thought I’d look so forward to sharing a full sized bed with another dude for a mere four hours. The weather reports were worse than the day before, and rumors were circulating that Monday’s stage might be canceled.

Our Monday started at 5AM, early enough that the hotel office wasn’t open yet so we had to forgo coffee and the non-continental breakfast we were looking oh-so-forward to. It monsooned while we were setting up, and we witnessed some near close calls as other vendor’s tents were nearly ripped apart by the wind, rain and hail. Our fearless leader Sam invested in rain pants and goulashes for us all, and everyone’s appreciation could be seen on our faces. We all felt for the riders out there battling the elements and each other at the same time. Our set up routine was starting to get dialed, though, and we were lucky enough to be stationed right next to the entertainment stage that featured yet another great reggae band, a 30-plus member ukulele ensemble, and a hoola-hoop contest throughout the day, just to name a few.

As the day progressed, things got a lot nicer. Santa Cruze was full of cool, quirky bike folks, the kind that come out to enjoy bike races and festivals rain or shine, and the weather improved considerably. The city itself was really enthused, and the race route was lined was scores of people on the street and on rooftops. I scored myself a media pass, and set up shop in the VIP tent (a.k.a. free beer and food tent)  and the media station right by the finish line. I’d been hearing reports of Levi’s super-human pedal stomping, and I wanted to be in position to get photos of his finish and projected podium time. I wasn’t disappointed, and neither were the crowds.

After the race, our booth was mobbed by race fans eager to talk about Levi’s first place GC position as well as his bike. Everyone wants to know if we’ve found Lance’s bike; it’s probably the most common question we’ve gotten all week. (I heard rumors this morning that at least one of the four team bikes that was stolen had been found, but haven’t confirmed.) We managed to tear down without getting wet, witnessed a rainbow, and headed to Modesto. On the way, I had my first In ‘N Out Burger experience and I was so impressed I made the entire crew wear those paper hats the rest of the way to the hotel…wish I had a picture but my camera was full from the days earlier events :)

I’m at a corner establishment now, reviewing my photos and furiously typing out emails and this post. Levi and Astana are in great position for another successful stage, and I’ve got to get ready for the finish. The weather is supposed to be great tomorrow, and I’m ready to break out the flip flop and shorts. In my ignorance, I only packed one pair of jeans, and they desperately need to be retired for the week!

Spreading the Trek Love, Rain or Shine

‘Welcome to sunny California,’ or in this particular case, not-so-sunny and chilly California. The 2009 Amgen Tour of California began two days ago for the Trek Marketing team, when we arrived in Sacramento ready to rock. Despite being Friday the 13th, everyone and their luggage made it in one piece and with minimal hassle. The plane was packed with industry insiders and spectators alike, and the mood was one of hopeful anticipation. If you’ve been following the build up to this year’s AToC, you already know that 2009 packs the peloton with by far the greatest ensemble of riders the ursus state has ever seen. Team Astana is undeniably responsible for a good chunk of that greatness, as the excitement surrounding Lance’s return and Levi’s quest for AToC championship number three could be felt even before we stepped off the plane.

Friday night was spent purchasing supplies, building display bikes and wading through the boxes of tee-shirts we would begin selling Saturday during the Prologue. With all the great help we had, things went smoother than could be expected. Curious onlookers watched as we built up the second of only two custom Madone 6.9 Pros sporting Lance’s super-cool 1274:27.5 graphics. The bike just screams for attention, and never seems to fall upon deaf ears (or eyes). 

Our Saturday began early, as we struggled through the throng of trucks and trailers setting up shop around the California state capitol. If we were going to be ready for the 100,000 spectators the Prologue was expected to draw, we needed to get our set up system down quickly.

Saturday’s crowd showed up early and full of energy as everyone was eager to catch a glimpse of Lance or Levi as they warmed up for their 2.4 mile sprint around the capitol. Team Astana proved they were a force to recon with on the Tour’s first day, as Levi took second in the time trial while Lance re-wet his pro cycling feet for the first time in three years on US soil by taking tenth. After a full day of talking tech, selling tee-shirts, slappin’ on stickers, and unwittingly posing for photo’s with the display 1274:27.5 Madone (I swear I’m going to be in the background of more home movies and photo albums than anyone should be), we ended the day with an hour long Johan Bruyneel book signing. Tear down wasn’t too painful, and we somehow made it to dinner at a decent place despite the fact it was the night of the Prologue of the AToC and Valentine’s Day.

“The show will go on” is a pretty cliché phrase, but it’s probably the most appropriate thing anyone in the Trek/Astana family can say right now. So far the bike thieves are two for two, but they still haven’t stolen our winning spirit. Our first night in Sacramento, the demo team trailer containing the majority of our booth supplies and displays was broken into while we caught the few hours of sleep that we were lucky to receive that night. They made off with a concept WSD Madone we brought for display, as well as our Bontrager Brand Manager’s tool box. While loosing the bike was a real bummer, I think all the bike mechanics out there can appreciate how devastating the loss of one’s tools can be. (A big thank you goes out to Cannondale’s demo Troy for setting us up with a new, burlier lock.) It’s raining on Sunday morning as I write this now, and word has just started to spread of last nights loss; four Team Astana bikes, including Lance’s 1274:27.5 TTX. Fortunately, Astana was able to find bikes for the riders who lost their ride for today's stage, and there's enough time to figure out something for the time trial later in the week.

On a positive note, here’s a few pieces of wisdom I’ve picked up in the last couple of days:

1.    If you type “Brew Pub” into a GPS unit, most any result that comes up will be uber-awesome and worth the drive.
2.    A hotel room crammed full of tired bike geeks drinking Tecate after a log day of work is an aroma that everyone should experience at least once in their life.
3.    French fries in California are best enjoyed with barbecue sauce and gorgonzola cheese.
4.    When I go back to school for my Masters, it will be at Cal Poly for an M.Bra in Wine and Surfing.
5.    Reggae music can make any situation more tolerable.

Lance's Custom TTX Stolen!!!

Be on the look out.  The Astana Team Trailer was broken into this morning and 4 bikes were stolen, including Lance's Custom 1274/27.5 TTX.  There is only one of these bikes in existence so if you see it, you know it was stolen.  Please keep an eye out!