Colorado Springs, Colorado - Bill Ramsay, Director of Cody Racing, announced today that after 23 years of running professional and amateur teams supporting track athletes that he would not be applying to the UCI for a Professional Track Trade Team for the 2008/2009 season.

Ramsay noted that at the end of the 2007/2008 Track World Cup Season the assets of the program would be sold off to cover debt incurred in running the team this past season. “Teams and individuals should expect some great equipment to be available soon,” Ramsay promised cheerlessly.

In 2006 Cody Racing Team broke new ground. With the help of a generous sponsorship from the Colorado Springs-based BioTest Laboratories the SPIKE Professional Cycling Team, one of the first UCI Professional Track Trade Teams, was created. This sponsorship allowed Cody Racing to run its team following all the UCI standards for Track Trade Teams. Ramsay explained that the UCI standards are set extremely high to ensure teams are run in a manner that reflects the title of “Professional”. UCI standards include: 1) a one year contract approved by the UCI, 2) minimum wage (of the registered country) for team athletes, 3) health insurance for athletes, 4) disability insurance for athletes and 5) employee status for athletes. In addition to these requirements for the athletes, a full time paid support staff of world-class expertise must be assembled to make sure the professionalism of the team can be maintained. The annual expense required to participate in the UCI and World Cup schedule based on these requirements for a full team is approximately $750,000 to $1,000,000, which makes running a professional team in the United States cost prohibitive.

“I fully support the UCI and their creation of Track Trade Teams and the standards they have set forth. I also think an audit system needs to be put into place to ensure teams are adhering to these standards,” Ramsay says. “Unfortunately many of the UCI Track Trade Teams are not following these standards,” Ramsay concluded saying he does not want to contribute to this growing problem.

With the need of such a large budget, Cody Racing Team’s staff has spent the last year seeking a new title sponsor with no positive results. Ramsay describes the problem as many-fold. First of all, in the current climate of cycling world wide, companies are reluctant to associate their name with cycling. Secondly, the lack of a professional national race schedule caused disappointment to those US companies that were initially interested in a sponsorship opportunity. That lack of a national professional series, coupled with an absence of any data related to events’ media coverage, spectator totals, no set requirements for said items to be part of a national schedule, etc., made it impossible to confidently invest the required dollars. In addition, sponsors stated they did not see a unified front between governing bodies and promoters to put into place standards for events. An additional problem, as Ramsay points out, is that track cycling must compete for sponsorship dollars against sports that are not handicapped by the problems he described.

Cody Racing Team had hoped to be able to keep the infrastructure of the program together long enough to find a new title sponsor but this has not been possible. Ramsay concluded by saying, “My staff and I still love the sport of track cycling and feel that the UCI and USA Cycling are headed down the right road but need a little help to bring all the components together. I will be attempting to work with Pat McDonough and USA Cycling as well as the UCI to fix the problems that were brought to my attention in my team’s sponsorship search in the past year and hope to be able to field another Professional Track Trade Team in the near future.”

Fans Can Watch on WCSN and WCSN.com

World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) will provide exclusive coverage of the 2008 UCI Cyclocross World Championships from Treviso, Italy, on January 26 – 27, 2008. Cycling fans can tune into WCSN TV and WCSN.com to watch same-day coverage of the Men’s and Women’s Elite races, as well as the Junior Men and Under-23 competitions, from Lago Le Bandie.

Current men’s world champion Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) is expected to compete along with rainbow jersey favorite Lars Boom and his Dutch teammates Sven Nys and Bart Wellens. The top-ranked American, Jonathan Page, silver medalist from the 2007 world championships and 18th in the world, will be joined by fellow Americans Ryan Trebon, Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers.

In the women’s race, top contenders include Hanka Kupfernagel of Germany, a seven-time medalist in the Cyclocross World Championships, and Marianne Vos of Holland, the 2006 winner and the 2007 Road World Cup champion.

Representing more than 21 countries, 271 riders will take part in the 2008 World Championships. Producers will put 25 cameras on the course– including a fly-cam running on a cable all along the riverside– to ensure a great experience for fans tuning into the broadcast.

Fans can follow world-class events and their favorite athletes on television via WCSN’s 24-hour network and online with complete coverage via a $4.95 monthly subscription with free access to results, video highlights, breaking news, behind-the-scenes features, and more. Visit www.WCSN.com/cycling for detailed schedules.

WHAT: 2008 Cyclocross World Championships

TV: WCSN– check your local cable listings

ONLINE: www.wcsn.com/cycling

SCHEDULE: (All times Eastern)

About WCSN: World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) is the premier destination for fans of Olympic and lifestyle sports, delivering an immersive experience via exclusive live and on demand coverage of world class competitions, interaction with top athletes and in depth access to sports news and information year round.

WCSN offers comprehensive coverage of over 60 sports disciplines, through exclusive long term programming agreements across a number of key International Federations and National Governing Bodies. Major championship events in sports ranging from Track & Field, Skiing, Swimming, Gymnastics and Cycling to Volleyball, Karate and Taekwondo are featured online at www.wcsn.com and on television via WCSN’s 24/7 cable sports network. WCSN also markets Olympic sports in partnership with International Federations, National Governing Bodies, local organizations, clubs, sponsors, and through related websites and publications.

SPEEDWAY, Indiana–According to industry experts the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS), presented by Don Walker, sheduled for February 8-10 at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland Oregon, is the main reason for the flourishing high-end niche market for handmade bicycles in North America.

This is good for the whole cycling industry, because as in Formula One car racing, some of the cutting-edge ideas on the industry’s top shelf seep down into the mass market models over the years.

The show, which has grown in the space of four years from 23 exhibitors to a sell-out of 187 booth spaces, with 150 exhibitors, has become the world’s largest trade/consumer show for custom-built bicycles.

Frame builders say this concentration of activity and the media attention surrounding it has helped them take back a share of the high end bicycle market from mass manufacturers. But the effect of the NAHBS is not only to swell the order books of the frame builders exhibiting at the show. Those in and around the handmade frame industry credit the show with focusing public attention on the most desirable machines in the bicycling world, and at the same time raising the quality of work across the board.

“Forty years ago, South London was the center of the made-to-measure frame building universe. Forty years on, the axis has shifted to the USA. Why? Forget the economics, dynamics, mathematics and polemics, the short and simple answer is NAHBS,” says Neil Hassan, who runs www.frameforum.org , the most popular forum for frame building worldwide.

One of the keys to the success of the NAHBS is the industry seminars, in which leaders in several areas of the field give master classes on subjects as diverse as working with carbon fiber and titanium, frame geometry for special purposes, bike fit, and paint choices. Thus the younger builders learn quickly from those more experienced. On the show floor, too, builders can see the work of their peers, often gaining inspiration and motivatin from that. “These are essential parts of the show, in fact, this was one of the main reasons we started the show,” says its founder and chief sponsor, Don Walker–who is also a well-known builder specializing in track bicycles.

Richard Sachs, who is widely regarded as the one of the leading frame builders in the world, says: “Not since the 1970s has there been such an interest in the handmade bicycle frame. There was a time that framebuilders were at the vanguard, and industry often looked to them as the trendsetters and laboratories for all things innovative. The NAHBS weekend is a way for consumers, media, and framebuilders too, to judge for themselves whether the 21st century iteration of this segment is about ye old, or quaint, or, as I suspect, more innovative and technologically relevant than ever. This industry has never been more viable than it is today, and the show in Portland shines a bright light on all the pioneers as well as the Next Wave of framebuilders who will set trends and make markets for generations to come.”

Another big name in handmade frames is Independent Fabrication. Spokesman Matt Bracken says “I am 100% sure that the NAHBS has helped bring the focus back to handcrafted, made in America framesets. Looking at the growth of the show from 2004 to the present is miraculous to say the least. In 2004, 23 builders held the first NAHBS in Houston, and this year alone we will see 100+ builders from all over this great country descending on Portland to show off the love, sweat, and passion for making rideable art. Independent Fabrication is proud to be standing tall with our fellow builders showcasing what is new, what is fun, what is colorful and what can be ridden at the upcoming show in Portland. Spending time with all of these multi-talented builders is a real honor and we hope to make the most of it with swapping ideas, sharing stories, and kicking back meeting all of the enthusiastic cyclists who will be travelling from all over the country to attend this event.

Over the past ten years the industry as a whole has focused on price , value and consolidation. The NAHBS is similar to what is happening across the country in cool micro-breweries in every state. People want taste, character, and unique flavor; all of which can be found at your local frame builder, as well as your local brewery!”

And Jan Heine, publisher of the magazine “Bicycle Quartely,” which regularly reports on the handmade bicycle industry, commented that “in the past four or five years, the handmade bicycle scene in the USA has grown tremendously. The NAHBS show has given builders a unified voice and provided exposure. Before that, every builder seemed to toil alone in relative obscurity. Thanks in no small part due to the NAHBS show, the media has given more of a voice to custom builders.”

The NAHBS is the most accessible portal for the media to reach frame builders, and so it has become immensely popular with the press as well as the industry and general public.

About The North American Handmade Bicycle Show

Having started with 23 exhibitors in Houston, Texas, in 2005, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show is dedicated to showcasing the talents of individuals around the world whose art form is the bicycle. It aims to be a gathering point — online and in person — for framebuilders and consumers looking for custom-made bikes, for the sharing of ideas and promotion of this industry and its traditions. For more information, see http://www.handmadebicycleshow.com.

By Lyne Lamoureux

Australian Team wins Men’s Team Pursuit

In the Men’s Team Pursuit, the Danes and the Australians qualified for the final where the four-man teams went head to heard on a distance of 4 kilometers.

“We were the eighth team off, really due to our standards, (we had) average results for us in the last two World Cups so we had to go out and really put it on the line which we did. We rode a really good time of 4:09 just short of the fastest qualifiers.” said Peter Dawson about the qualifying heat which brought the Australian team to the final.

The battle ensued between the Danish team of Casper Jorgensen, Jens-Erik Madsen, Michael Morkov and Alex Rasmussen and the Australian quartet of Jack Bobridge, Peter Dawson, Mark Jamieson and Bradley McGee. The Danish team led off with an advantage over the first few laps with a gap of one second (1:105) after one kilometer, and less than two seconds (1:929) after two kilometers, but then the Australians kept the pressure on and reduced the gap to only 0:344 after three kilometers. The Australian team won the Team Pursuit with a time of 4:06:171 with an average speed of 58.495 kilometers an hour. The Danish team finished with a three second (3:207) gap to take the silver.

According to Dawson, everything went according to the team’s strategy. “The game plan was to go off nice and even, 1:06 for the first kilometer, and then see how we went for the second one and then race the Danes who we knew were going to out really hard, and we were almost one hundred percent certain that they were going to go so hard that they weren’t going to make it to the finish as a team. And it turned out that way which is very good for us.”

“Our coach is on the sideline, he walks a certain amount of steps on the line so we know exactly where we are. so if he’s in front of the line, we know that we’re in front, if he’s behind the line, like two steps, then we’re two ticks down.” explained Dawson on their tactics to keep track of their time.

The team was quite happy with their results and “I think that a 4:06 on this track is pretty impressive.” said a smiling Dawson.

The Ukrainian team finished third for a bronze medal with a fast time of 4:05:770 beating the
Dutch team by more than four seconds.

Men’s Team Pursuit
1. Australia 4:06.171
2. Denmark 4:09.378
3. Ukraine 4:05.770

Czech Jamila Machacova wins her first World Cup in the Women’s Points Race

Twenty-two year old Jamila Machacova from Czech Republic won the Women’s Points Race by garnering 27 points beating Hong Kong’s Min Hye Lee with 23 points and 12 points for China’s Li Yan. With her third place in the last World Cup in Sydney, and her first place in Los Angeles, Machacova takes the lead in the World Cup Women’s Points Race with only one World Cup left in the series.

Machacova did not feel well before the qualifying heat in the morning where she finished fifth in the second heat, but “then I qualified and I started to feel positive and relaxed, and then I try again, and I don’t think what will happen in (the) future, so I try and go and then it was just… amazing.” said a beaming Machacova after the podium ceremony.

Machacova has an affinity with the velodrome in Los Angeles. “I took my first medal (here) when I was a junior, second place in Scratch, so this is my town”, continued a laughing Machacova.

Machacova’s focus is now the World Championships, in March 2008.

Women’s 20-kilometer Points Race
1. Jamila Machacova (CZE) 27
2. Lee Min Hye (KOR) 23
3. Li Yan (CHN) 12

Frenchman Arnaud Tournant wins his second gold medal with the Men’s Keirin

Already a winner on Friday with the Team Sprint with his Cofidis team, 12 time World Champion and 1km world record holder Arnaud Tournant won the Men’s Keirin on Saturday night. He won his first qualifying heat and finished second in the second round of qualifications to move to the final where he took on Italy’s Roberto Chiappa, Australia’s Ryan Bayley, the Netherlands’ Teun Mulder, Greece’ Christos Volikakis and his countryman François Pervis from France.

“The Keirin is not an easy event because there are a lot of riders on the track. We are 6 riders at the same time, in a sprint discipline which makes it very, very fast and sometimes brings heated and even dangerous sprints. For me today, the strategy was to take the lead of the race, to put myself in the first positions. I found myself in the lead, and I wanted to keep this position but I did not give it full gas immediately. At the beginning of the last lap, I gave it everything and it worked.” said Tournant.

Tournant was confident before the final, “I finished second at the last World Cup in Beijing, so I knew that making it to the final was within my reach. So after I qualified for the final, I didn’t have anything to lose, being in the top 6 already, so might as well give it everything to win.”

The 29 year old Frenchman has announced that 2008 will be his last season after eleven years as a professional cyclist, and is focusing on the World Championships and the Olympic Games.

“First, the World Championships because they are coming really soon. In longer term, there is the qualification for the Olympic Games and the Games are really important. I’ll have to focus on all those and try my best. It is difficult as there are 6 or 7 men for three or four spots.”

Men’s Keirin
1. Arnaud Tournant (FRA)
2. Christos Volikakis (GRE)
3. Ryan Bayley (AUS)

Xterra Adventures provides a unique vacation opportunity to ride the 2008 AMGEN Tour of California

TRABUCO CANYON, Calif. — Xterra Adventures, a multi-sport adventure travel company, has teamed up with Specialized Bicycles, the Specialized Riders Club, and the organizers of the Tour of California, to offer a unique cycling vacation opportunity in conjunction with the 2008 AMGEN Tour of California.

On this trip, cyclists start their adventure at Specialized headquarters in Morgan Hill, California, then wind through miles of rolling hills and breathtaking ocean views to ultimately finish in Pasadena, California along with the conclusion of the official Tour. This fully supported seven-day, six-night tour will allow guests the exclusive opportunity to ride the course, meet some of the professional racers, attend private industry and VIP events and even a chance to ride along in the team chase vehicle. The experienced guides at Xterra Adventures as well as several riders, engineers and designers from Specialized will accompany you on the route as you follow the Tour’s race course.

“We are excited about the Specialized Riders Club trip during the 2008 Tour of California. This guided tour is designed for the cycling fanatic, with behind the scenes opportunities unavailable to the general public. Xterra Adventures is pleased to offer a trip that allows Specialized Riders Club members and our guests to ride some of the best routes of such an epic race. We are providing the experience of a lifetime, from the moment they arrive in San Jose through the last stage in Pasadena,” said Roman Roth, President of Xterra Adventures.

Specialized Riders Club Manager Ian Dewar added, “Our excellent relationship with sponsored teams and with the AMGEN Tour of California organizers puts us in a unique position to offer unprecedented access at the race and the opportunity to ride during the first of this year’s great races.” Find out more about this trip and the Specialized Riders Club at www.SpecializedRiders.com.

Xterra Adventures is committed to giving each guest the ride of their life in the world’s most exceptional locations. This one-of-a-kind adventure company has differentiated itself from competitor’s services by focusing on assembling an impressive list of guides and unmatched personal service. The team at Xterra Adventures loves to ride and lives for the ride.

About Xterra Adventures

Xterra Adventures (www.XterraAdventures.com) is a multi-sport adventure travel company specializing in mountain bike and road bike tours, combined with other activities and cultural experiences, to create unequalled tours for recreational enthusiasts to hardcore athletes. The company provides custom, full-service and hassle-free tours to the cycling industry for new product promotions, training camps and off-season events.

About Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc.

Specialized Bicycles, founded in Morgan Hill, CA in 1974, designed and manufactured the first production mountain bike, which now resides in the Smithsonian Institute. Specialized is a company of devout cyclists obsessed with creating cutting edge, functional and technically advanced products that provide a true performance benefit for the cycling enthusiast. Specialized products are available exclusively through Specialized dealers or on the Web at www.Specialized.com.

© 2007 Xterra Adventures is a registered trademark of For the Ride, LLC. All rights reserved.

Las Vegas, Nevada - Tandem riders now have a source for lightweight, full-performance wheels: Lew Racing.

The Lew Racing tandem wheels are made with the same materials, technology and expertise that have gained Lew Racing legions of fans all over the world. The tandem wheels combine Boron and Carbon to produce the PRO VT-1 laminate that is used to make the rims.

But a wheel is only as good as its spokes. The carbon spokes used in the tandem wheelset weigh only three grams each but are five times stiffer than their steel competitors with three times the compression strength and double the tensile strength. Plus, the spokes maintain their shape at the very critical rim/spoke interface (unlike steel spokes which loose their blade shape) and boast unrivaled cross-wind handling. The result is a super low-aerodynamic drag system that behaves like a bladed steel spoked wheel at a fraction of the weight.

The tandem wheelset features 24 spokes on the rear wheel for incredible strength and stiffness and 16 on the front. Plus, the spokes are seamlessly integrated from root-to-tip with hand-crafted Lew rims. It all adds up to an incredible ride on wheels that never need adjusting and stay true for the life of the wheel.

“Tandem riding presents a curious problem for wheel building,” says Paul Lew, Founder of Lew Racing. “You need to make sure the wheels are strong enough to handle two riders, but also lightweight so that the riders’ power is not wasted. And above all the wheels have to give a great ride. I believe we have achieved the strength/weight/performance balance with our new Lew Racing tandem wheels.”

MSRP of the Lew Racing tandem wheels is $15,000 and are available now.

For more information on Lew wheels, contact Lew Racing at (702) 743-5508 or go to www.lewracing.com.

About Lew Racing
Paul Lew began designing and manufacturing bicycle wheels in 1991. Eleven years ago he developed the Race Lite, a 34 Msi carbon rim — the first and original unidirectional carbon fiber rim. Lew introduced his hybrid 34 Msi and 43 Msi carbon Sub One wheel in 1998 as the first production 1000 gram wheel set.

Mr. Lew boasts over 17 years experience in advanced product design, advanced composite materials and manufacturing processes. Besides being President of Lew Aerospace, he remains Chief Engineer of Lew Racing. He continues to lead the company with design and manufacturing innovations ensuring Lew Racing’s demanding customers’ expectations are not just met, but are exceeded.

ATLANTA, Ga. – Officials from the Tour de Georgia Foundation, Inc. and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) unveiled today the new branding for the spring’s world-class cycling event, which will become the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T. As the Presenting Sponsor for 2008 Tour, AT&T will own exclusive rights for “Communications Services” for the event, scheduled for April 21-27.

“AT&T is pleased to continue its involvement with the Tour de Georgia this year,” said Sylvia E. Anderson, president of AT&T Georgia. “The Tour brings Georgia families together and attracts fans and participants from across the nation and around the world to enjoy the world class cycling event in the context of Georgia’s natural beauty. The Tour brings substantial tourism and economic development dollars to our state. On behalf of AT&T, I offer my congratulations to the Tour and to Lt. Governor Casey Cagle for his leadership in making Tour de Georgia not only an economic success for Georgia, but an important philanthropic contribution, as well, by associating this event with the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.”

Last year, AT&T signed as one of the Tour’s Founding Partner sponsors, which included naming rights to the Overall Leader jersey awarded after each stage. As the Presenting Sponsor in 2008, AT&T will maintain ownership of the AT&T Leader jersey and will receive prominent branding at all venues for race week, in all pre-event promotions and in all sections of the website. The event website, tourdegeorgia.com, was one of the most visited bicycle race sites worldwide in 2007. The entire site has been redeveloped to reflect the AT&T partnership.
“The new Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T is going to be special. It is the sixth year for the event and I am confident that AT&T will help us make this year’s Tour the biggest and best yet, for spectators and cyclists from all across the state and all around the world,” said Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, who serves as the chairman for Tour de Georgia Foundation, a 501 c3 organization that recently took ownership of the sports property. The Tour had previously been operated by the Georgia Partnership for Economic Development (GPED). A board of directors oversees the marketing, business operations and strategic partnerships for the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T.
AT&T is encouraging all employees to volunteer at the Tour through the AT&T Pioneers program. Pioneers are people who want to give back to their community, allowing them to utilize their own unique skills and interest to make their community a better place to live and work. This volunteerism is also a way to help the event beneficiary, the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be involved with such a wonderful organization such as the Tour de Georgia,” said Shelton Stevens, Senior Development Officer for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “We have no doubt that this monumental event will help the Aflac Cancer Center in its mission to find a cure for childhood cancer and blood disorders.”

ABOUT AT&T
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world’s most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation’s leading wireless, high speed Internet access, and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at www.att.com (c) 2007 AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Knowledge Ventures. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at www.att.com/newsroom.

ABOUT THE TOUR DE GEORGIA
The Tour de Georgia is North America’s premier, professional cycling event and rolling festival of community activities. The Tour was first held in 2003 and has become a spring tradition with a varying route of over 650 miles of racing. Over 2.8 million spectators have traveled to Georgia to watch the event in the past five years, and direct economic impact has totaled over $148 million. The event is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (2.HC ranking), and is part of the USA Cycling Professional Tour USA Cycling, Inc., making the event one of the top stage races for elite athletes around the world. The Tour de Georgia is owned and operated by the Tour de Georgia Foundation (501 c3) and managed by Medalist Sports (www.medalistsports.com). Route maps, host venue information, merchandise offerings and sponsor news will soon be available for the 2008 event at the official website, www.tourdegeorgia.com.

ABOUT USA CYCLING
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 60,000 members and 2,500 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization professional men’s road). USA Cycling is the license holder for the USA Cycling Professional Individual Time Trial Championships and USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championships. For more information visit www.usacycling.org, or contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.

ABOUT THE AFLAC CANCER CENTER AND BLOOD DISORDERS SERVICE OF CHILREN’S
The Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is a national leader among childhood cancer, hematology, and blood and marrow transplant programs, serving infants to young adults. Recognized as one of the top five pediatric cancer centers in the country by Child magazine, the Aflac Cancer Center treats more than 325 new cancer patients each year and follows more than 2,000 patients with sickle cell disease, hemophilia and other blood disorders. The Aflac Cancer Center is one of many programs at Children’s committed to enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research and education. Children’s, one of the top three pediatric healthcare systems in the country, is a not-for-profit organization that benefits from the generous philanthropic and volunteer support of our community. Visit www.aflaccancercenter.org or call 404-250-KIDS for more information.

Tour of California Camp scheduled for Feb 17-20 combines epic rides and pro road racing

Campbell, CA - Silicon Valley Cycling Center (SVCC) is pleased to announce that we are ready to open the doors of our bike studio in Campbell, CA and offer discerning cyclists a unique combination of services and products.

BikeConciergeSM is SVCC’s innovative bicycle charter service and was born from the founder’s frustration with being a business traveler and a cyclist. SVCC will deliver a high-end road or mountain bike, helmet, route guidance and nutritional products to your hotel anywhere in the greater Silicon Valley area - all you need to travel with are your cycling clothes and shoes. BikeConciergeSM makes it easy to get on a bike and ride the epic roads and trails of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Located in the technology hotbed of Silicon Valley, SVCC offers hi-tech products with expert service to give the user a complete understanding of their new equipment and how it helps them improve their fitness and performance on the bike. SVCC partnered with Look Cycle, Ritchey Components, PowerCranks, SRM, Cyclops Power, E-Motion Rollers, Hammer Nutrition, Trailhead Cyclery and Wenzel Coaching to bring best-in-class products and services to the customer.

SVCC’s camps, clinics, coaching and bike fitting offer cyclists of all abilities the opportunity to improve their performance. Most group functions are a maximum of six riders ensuring the highest level of attention possible to each participant. SVCC offers skills clinics for riders to improve specific areas of their riding. Individual coaching programs are available through our partnership with Wenzel Coaching to help riders achieve their goals. A Wobble-Naught bike fit specialist will dynamically optimize your position on the bike enabling maximum performance and comfort.

SVCC’s Tour of California Camp takes place February 17-20 and participants will ride parts of the 2008 race course as well as routes from previous editions. Riders will be tested by the Hors Categorie Mt. Hamilton climb and the leg-shattering Cat 1 Sierra Road. Participants will also experience epic riding in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Marin County, training grounds for many riders from the Pro Peloton. Go to SVCC Tour or California Camp page for more information.

About Silicon Valley Cycling Center
Silicon Valley Cycling Center (SVCC) provides high-end products and services to the discerning cyclist. As an authorized dealer of Look Bicycles SVCC offers a complete cycling experience under the service mark, BikeConciergeSM. SVCC offers custom camps, clinics and coaching through a partnership with Wenzel Coaching and helps cyclists effectively utilize technology to improve their cycling ability.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI. - BISSELL Inc. has augmented its support of professional cycling in 2008 in more ways than one. In September, BISSELL announced its transition from co-sponsor of the 2007 Priority Health presented by BISSELL Pro Cycling Team to the title sponsor of the UCI Continental BISSELL Pro Cycling Team. Additionally, BISSELL Inc. has re-signed and increased its investment as one of Amgen’s Tour of California (AToC) key event sponsors.

BISSELL’s involvement with professional cycling is not new. For five years the company sponsored the USPS Professional Cycling Team (renamed later, Discovery), led by seven-time Tour de France Champion, Lance Armstrong. The company’s involvement in the sport stems from their passion and commitment toward healthy and cleaner living. This year, BISSELL’s increased involvement includes sponsorship of AToC’s broom-wagon, the BISSELL Clean Sweep Wagon, which is the last vehicle in the caravan and is responsible for transporting race retiring cyclists or those not meeting the stage’s cut-off time.

BISSELL Pro Cycling is one of seventeen select and recently announced Amgen Tour of California participating pro cycling teams. Led by 2007 break-out superstar, Ben Jacque- Maynes, second overall on the NRC standings; and time-trial specialist, Tom Zirbel, the team will be looking to improve on its 2007 accomplishments. That solid showing, including Jacque-Maynes’ 3rd place prologue and his near takeover of the leader’s jersey the following day at the controversial Stage 1 Santa Rosa finish, will challenge the team to step up even further in 2008.

Vying for the six remaining spots along side Jacque-Maynes and Zirbel are Aaron Olson, Burke Swindlehurst, Garret Peltonen, Omer Kem, Jeremy Vennell, Richard England, Teddy King, and Scott Zwizanski. Director Sportif and former pro cyclist, Glen Mitchell, will be finalizing the roster during the team’s training camp which begins on January 30th in Santa Rosa, CA. “The team will be going through specific training in our lead up to the Tour of California,” Mitchell said. “The final selection will be made there and will ensure that we have the best eight riders from our team at the start line.”

BISSELL’s sponsorship of the Amgen Tour of California and the BISSELL Pro Cycling Team demonstrates the company’s commitment to the pursuit of health and wellness, both inside and outside the home. For more information on the team, please visit www.bissellprocycling.com.

About BISSELL Inc.
A 132-year-old company, Grand Rapids-based BISSELL Inc. is a floor care innovator and international marketer of home cleaning products, including sweepers, vacuums, deep cleaning machines and cleaning formulas sold at retail locations worldwide. The company, in its fourth generation of family leadership, is the seventh oldest privately held manufacturing company in the United States. For more info, visit www.bissell.com.

Pro-Cyclists Ivan Dominguez and Jose Manuel “Chepe” Garcia in Solvang for pre-season training camp preparing for Tour of California will speak at event.

WHAT: Assembly in English and Spanish with Local Schoolchildren (grades 4-6) as part of the educational curriculum of the Amgen Tour of California {ATOC).

WHO: Professional Cyclists Ivan Dominguez and Jose Manuel “Chepe” Garcia of Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team will speak with 200+ students in the 4th, 5th and 6th grades about their careers in cycling. The event is coordinated by 6th grade teacher/cyclist John Padfield (serving as volunteer Director of Education Outreach for the ATOC Solvang Local Organizing Committee)

WHERE: Solvang Elementary School Gym, 565 Atterdag Road, Solvang

WHEN: Monday, January 28, 2008, 2:00-3:00PM

WHY: In preparation for the Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race, a specially developed classroom curriculum is being distributed to fourth- through sixth-grade instructors and students in the 12 California “host” cities selected for the 650-mile race scheduled for February 17-24, 2008. A free English & Spanish booklet given to students provides information about the state of California, including targeted lesson plans that use cycling as a means to teach core subjects such as math, science and geography.

MORE: The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team is conducting its pre-season training camp in Solvang January 17-February 1 in preparation for the 2008 Amgen Tour of California. The team has a solid core of returning veteran racers led by “the Cuban missile” Ivan Dominguez who had 15 wins in 2007–his most successful season ever along with “Chepe” Garcia, 10-year pro-rider and two-time Mexican National Champion. Based in Newport Beach, California, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Cycling, L.L.C, the United Pro Cycling Team is owned and operated by Sean Tucker. Comprised of some of the top cycling talent in the country, it is positioned to be the premier cycling team in America. www.toyota-united.com