I like to get up close and personal when I do interviews. Lucas, me, Levi

Lucas Euser did not have an easy 2009 racing season. He came off a strong 2008 season and was aiming to ride the Vuelta in 2009. However, he was struck by a car in May 2009  resulting in broken ribs, fingers and a shattered patella, effectively ruining his season. Released from Garmin-Transitions for the 2010 season, Euser is getting back into the peloton with the Canadian team, SpiderTech presented by Planet Energy. I caught up with Lucas Euser as he was putting in early season miles in Santa Barbara and discussed his injury, the hardship he’s had to overcome to recover, the new team as well as his plans for the future. I’ll post the full interview soon. For now I thought I’d leave you with his answers to questions I received from Twitter.

@Lowcadence: Is Hannah (Lucas’ sister) faster than you on foot versus you on a bike?
Lucas: I think if she was a cyclists she’d be a wicked good sprinter. I did get her on a bike and she pedals now and then. But the answer is no, she can’t out run me on a bike, but she sure can out run me on foot, even if I was 100 percent healthy. She would crush me.

@Kirkflinte: How many marshmallows can you put in your mouth?
That’s a task I’ve never tried, but willing to take on. I’ll try it tonight. I will say that I like the triple marshmallow smore. It’s chocolate intertwined and it makes a delicious treat.

@GregKnottLeMond: How was your experience at Levi’s Grand Fondo?
It was extremely difficult for me with me knee not being 100 percent and riding 105 miles. It was pretty friggin hard! But I had some good support out there and I finished. It was a good boost for my motivation. I had a great time out there. The event he put on is incomparable to any other event put on in the U.S. The way he captured all the excitement in NorCal, and cycling all over the world for that matter, and to translate that to a bike was awesome.

@Districtcycling: What are you listening to on your iPod?
My latest kick is Mumford and Sons. They are an Irish quartet. They do all their percussion with string instruments and they all sing. They all have great voices. Look up “Little Lion Man”. I think it’s one of the best songs on the CD. It’s not crazy upbeat, but it gets you in a good positive mood. I like that folky, alternative, indie, whatever you want to call it music. Bon Iver, Soul Season, Drive-By Truckers.

Tim Johnson: Tell him sorry we didn’t make it to the movies last night. Was it good?
It was awesome. We had man night out. We invited Tim, but he was connected to his partner. He didn’t want to have fun. We saw Youth in Revolt. I’m here in Santa Barbara with a few of the Team Type 1 guys. It’s a killer movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, go see it. The best part about it was that there was not one cell phone in the entire movie. That’s awesome to be able to capture a movie without modern technology in it. Check it out.

Michael Creed: How’s it like to be a hippster?
I’ll answer that if he answers: What is it like to be a disgruntled ex-Postal employee?

Zabriskie will be defending his TT title for four more years with Garmin

Slipstream Sports LLC and its chief venture, Team Garmin-Transitions, is once again poised for a big year. Coming off the 2009 Tour de France, where the team placed second overall with two riders in the top 10, along with three stage victories at the Vuelta and success at the Tour of Britain and the Sun Tour, the team has officially unveiled its 2010 roster. Team Garmin-Transitions features 10 Americans among a total of 27 riders from eight different countries. Christian Vande Velde, 8th overall in the 2009 Tour de France, David Zabriskie, U.S. Time Trial Champion and sprint sensation Tyler Farrar will return to the squad along with stars Dan Martin, Ryder Hesjedal and David Millar.

New additions include Jack Bobridge, Australia’s U23 Road Race and Time Trial Champion, Johan Van Summeren, two-time top ten finisher of Paris Roubaix, and expert lead-out man Robbie Hunter.

Vande Velde, Martin and Zabriskie have all renewed contracts with the team that will extend through 2012, 2012 and 2013, respectively.

“I’ve come an long way with Team Garmin-Transitions in a short time,” said Vande Velde. “I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve done as part of this team and I’m excited to see what the next three years have to hold.”

“The progress we have made together in the past two seasons shows what a perfect environment Garmin-Transitions is for a young rider,” said Martin. “I’m really excited to have the chance to continue to improve, grow and have fun in what is the perfect team for me.”

“It’s a beautiful thing,” added Zabriskie. “To commit for four years myself, and to have the team commit to me is something really special.”

A complete roster follows:

Jack Bobridge, AUS
Kirk Carlson, USA
Steven Cozza, USA
Tom Danielson, USA
Julian Dean, NZ
Timmy Duggan, USA
Tyler Farrar, USA
Ryder Hesjedal, CAN
Robbie Hunter, SA
Fredrik Kessiakoff, SWE
Michele Kreder, NED
Trent Lowe, AUS
Dan Martin, IRE
Maartijn Maaskant, NED
Christian Meier, CAN
Cameron Meyer, AUS
Travis Meyer, AUS
David Millar, GB
Danny Pate, USA
Thomas Peterson, USA
Peter Stetina, USA
Svein Tuft, CAN
Johan Van Summeren, BEL
Ricardo van der Velde, NED
Christian Vande Velde, USA
Matt Wilson, AUS
David Zabriskie, USA

“We’re poised well for 2010. Our roster is strong and versatile with some of the world’s best riders returning to us, and the addition of others,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports management company. “This year we will look to build on Tyler’s success by adding lead-out guys, we’ve added climbers to help Christian in the mountains and we’ve rounded out our Classics team. With Christian, Dan and David signing on for the next few years, we’ve built a foundation that we will be able to enhance in years to come. Looking ahead to 2010, we expect to be competitive throughout the year.”

Team Garmin-Transitions will compete in a full slate of international races throughout the spring and summer, kicking off with the Tour Down Under in January 2010.

Team Sky - Dogma with Di2 group.

The RadioShack squad isn’t the only big shiny new team for 2010. Team Sky has scooped up some strong British and European talent with the goal of putting a British rider on the Tour de France podium in five years. Their recent acquisition of Bradley Wiggins with a four year contract shows Sky is serious about reaching that goal. The monetary pay-off had to have been significant to get Wiggins out of his 2010 contract with Garmin. In the end it just would have been a messy legal battle that only would have prolonged his departure to Sky, created more tension within the team, and would have only benefited the lawyers. Garmin-Transitions is putting up a brave face and are sure they have a strong squad to contest the Tour. Rest assured,  Team Sky manager David Brailsford isn’t going to get any karma points by poaching a rider that was still under contract. At this point cycling is a free market and contracts can and will be broken if enough Euro is splashed around.

January 4th Sky will unveil the complete team kit. The question remains to the loyal argyle fans who cheered for him during the Tour -  are you Team Wiggins or Team Garmin-Transitions?

Word is that Adidas is the clothing supplier

Roster
Kurt Asle Arvesen (NOR)
John-Lee Augustyn (RSA)
Michael Barry (CAN)
Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR)
Kjell Carlström (FIN)
Sylvain Calzati (FRA)
Dario Cioni (ITA)
Steve Cummings (GBR)
Russell Downing (GBR)
Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP)
Chris Froome (GBR)
Simon Gerrans (AUS)
Matthew Hayman (AUS)
Greg Henderson (NZL)
Peter Kennaugh (GBR)
Thomas Lövkvist (SWE)
Lars Petter Nordhaug (NOR)
Serge Pauwels (BEL)
Nicolas Portal (FRA)
Morris Possoni (ITA)
Ian Stannard (GBR)
Chris Sutton (AUS)
Geraint Thomas (GBR)
Davide Viganò (ITA)
Bradley Wiggins (GBR)

In the Garmin car at ToM. We discussed fashion and the appropriate time to use a Windsor knot.

It was with great sadness that I read today that Bradley Wiggins – someone who you had recognized as raw talent – was leaving Garmin-Transitions and joining Team Sky with a four year contract. I know how disappointed you must be to have a potential Tour de France champion leave the team. All is not lost. Christian Vande Velde can still be a threat for the podium at the Tour, and you yourself have mentioned David Zabriskie could have a breakout year. And let’s be honest, Team Sky paid you a bundle to get Wiggo out of his remaining year – that’s a lot of cash for POM-martinis. However one piece of the equation is still missing – another Englishman.

Me and my BFF

Taking a page from Fat Cyclist, I am proposing you bring me onto the Garmin-Transitions team. On the surface you might have some reservations. Yes, I’m a hair over 40 and perhaps past my ‘prime’. And yes, technically I have dual citizenship with Ireland due to my father. However, my mother is British and all I need to do fill out a British citizenship form, pay 460 pounds and before you know it I’m singing God save the Queen. With my move to South Carolina I have been able to get in great training miles and I’m getting good sensations in my legs. But I can bring more to the table than just cycling skills. Let’s face it, you need someone on the team that ‘gets’ Zabriskie. I’m that guy. I understand his love of comics and can match him with his random movie quotes. Let’s not forget David Millar. Dave and I got on famously a few years back, putting back a few cold ones and discussing our love of Underworld. While I don’t quite have the accent that Dave has, after a few months of hanging out I’ll develop an outrageous British accent that will finally make my parents proud.

And just like Wiggins, I also look dapper in a scarf

Sure Wiggins was fourth at the Tour, but he was a PR nightmare! He was a deer in headlights whenever the camera was turned on him and then there’s those drunken Tweets sent out after a few Guinness (well I can’t 100% guarantee no drunken Tweets). I’m a natural when it comes to speaking on camera and can drone on forever about myself, the team or how fabulous POM is to drink after a race. Finally, I’m a big deal on Twitter, which as you know, is how all communication will be done. To further sweeten the pot I suggest we put a philanthropic angle to my arrival to the Garmin-Transition team. We need a cause that really tugs at the heart strings. The world needs a charity for children who have never felt the joy of an Egyptian silk shirt with pearl buttons against their skin or even the sheer pleasure of owning an ascot, never mind even wearing one. And instead of a charity wrist band we could get scarfs and cummerbunds designed with our charity’s hand stitched logo. You and I have spoken in the past of the importance of fashion. How can you let the children of today become the Old Navy wearers of tomorrow? Is that a world you want to live in? I know I don’t.

Your public relations person has all my people’s information so lets talk soon and iron out the details. And remember, we’re not doing this for me or for you, but for the children.

]]> http://neilbrowne.com/2009/12/an-open-letter-to-jonathan-vaughters/feed/ 8 http://neilbrowne.com/2009/12/garmin-transitions-statement-on-wiggins/ http://neilbrowne.com/2009/12/garmin-transitions-statement-on-wiggins/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:20:08 +0000 admin http://neilbrowne.com/2009/12/garmin-transitions-statement-on-wiggins/ Bradley Wiggins will not be racing for Team Garmin-Transitions in 2010. Although we understand his strong desire to be a part of the UK’s first-ever Pro Tour team, we would have loved to continue with him through 2010. His departure is not the outcome we hoped for. That said, Team Garmin-Transitions has an incredible group [...]]]> Bradley Wiggins will not be racing for Team Garmin-Transitions in 2010. Although we understand his strong desire to be a part of the UK’s first-ever Pro Tour team, we would have loved to continue with him through 2010. His departure is not the outcome we hoped for. That said, Team Garmin-Transitions has an incredible group of riders assembled for the season. As always, we have worked hard to build a team that will be competitive throughout the year. The team features Christian Vande Velde who was 8th overall in the 2009 Tour after significant injuries; including five broken vertebrae; sprint sensation Tyler Farrar, David Zabriskie, David Millar, Dan Martin and other outstanding athletes that we’re fortunate to work with. In addition to the great new talent we have signed including Johan Van Summeren and Jack Bobridge, we have renewed our partnership with Garmin and added Transitions and POM Wonderful to our family of sponsors. And we’ve expanded our sports science program to include some of the best sports scientists in the world. We will continue to give our fans many reasons to cheer in 2010 and we look forward to exciting racing in the months to come.

Will the kit change color in various weather conditions too?

UPDATE: According to team PR person, Marya Pongrace, Team Garmin-Slipstream will continue the argyle themed kit for 2010.

Team Garmin-Slipstream, the elite American professional cycling team dedicated to ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions, announced today that it will become Team Garmin-Transitions with the addition of Transitions Optical as a new sponsor of the team. Transitions Optical is world’s leading manufacturer of adaptive eyewear, offering the most advanced photochromic technology in the widest selection of spectacle lenses such as Transitions lenses as well as Transitions SOLFX® sun wear. From the mountains of the Grand Tours to the cobbles of the Classics, Team Garmin-Transitions athletes will wear Transitions® lenses as they race and train around the globe in various lighting conditions.

“The riders of this team have set the standard for ethical competition while racing and training with the best technology available,” said Brett Craig, President of Transitions Optical. “As we looked to replicate the success of our PGA relationship in North America with a similar relationship in Europe; cycling, and specifically Team Garmin, was the perfect fit for our organization. We share similar goals rooted in innovation and ethics and we are proud to join this elite squad as it continues to build on past success.”

Transitions® technology is ideally suited to the sport of cycling. The athletes of Team Garmin-Transitions are competing over hundreds of kilometers per day and continuously going through different lighting conditions. Training and racing with Transitions® lenses provides the team a true technological advantage that will increase visually acuity, reduce visual fatigue and have a profound effect on riders’ response times during decisive moments of racing.

“Our riders are constantly going through different lighting conditions while training and racing. If we can increase visual acuity and reduce visual fatigue, that gives us a big advantage on the road,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports, the sports management company that owns the team. “Like the team, Transitions is driven by innovation and a commitment to excellence. We are thrilled to work with them.”

As part of the sponsorship, Transitions will launch a major European marketing campaign featuring the team. According to Lindsay Brown, General Manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa for Transitions, “In the team, we have found a true partner that can help us deliver our brand message to millions of our partners and consumers in a meaningful, impactful way. We are excited to kick off this relationship and look forward to working with the riders and staff for years to come.”

Owned and managed by Slipstream Sports, Team Garmin-Transitions is dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions. In 2007, Slipstream created the most progressive anti-doping system in the professional sports world and now works with Anti-Doping Research, Inc. (ADR) and ADSI (the Anti-Doping Sciences Institute) to continue its anti-doping mission.

“From a business standpoint, working with Transitions is a perfect fit,” said Matt Johnson, President of Slipstream Sports. “The sponsorship provides Transitions an opportunity to showcase their products to customers, globally.”

About Transitions Optical
Transitions Optical is the world’s leading manufacturer of adaptive spectacle lenses. Transitions® lenses are everyday prescription lenses that provide comfortable vision and protection for the eyes. As clear as regular lenses indoors, they adapt to light outdoors according to the intensity of UV light to provide more comfortable vision whilst blocking 100% of harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Millions of consumers are satisfied with their Transitions lenses (87% rated the latest Transitions technology as excellent/very good). Transitions lenses are available in practically any prescription and can be fitted in almost any frame style. One pair of Transitions lenses is sold every second around the globe.

In 2009, Transitions Optical has launched a range of adaptive sunwear Transitions® SOLFX™, designed to enhance visual performance in specific outdoor activities. While traditional sunglasses have one fixed tint, Transitions SOLFX products adjust the level of darkness and change colour according to the intensity of sunlight.

Since its foundation in 1990, the US based company Transitions Optical is dedicated to raise awareness on the impact of UV rays on eye health and to promote healthy sight in general. The company owns 80 registered patents that protect its advanced technologies. Transitions lenses are the # 1 recommended photochromic lenses worldwide.

The partnership, which will run through the end of 2013, will provide the team with the opportunity to continue its founding mission: building the next generation of cycling champions. It will also allow Garmin, Slipstream and their partners to develop new technology that will give the team advantages on the road. Most important, the long-term sponsorship provides the team with a platform and foundation for retaining and recruiting the best riders in the sport.

“Since signing with Slipstream prior to the 2008 Tour de France, Garmin has seen an outpouring of support from cyclists and sports fans across the globe, along the roads of major tours and in the stores of our retail partners,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “While providing feedback on product development, the team has shown fans everywhere that the best-in-class Edge® 705 cycling GPS can stand up to the sport’s steepest challenges while suiting the needs of cyclists of any caliber.”

Garmin, which has spent 20 years developing technologies and innovation to enhance users’ lives, has already used the team’s unique perspective and invaluable feedback in developing the new GPS-enabled Edge 500 (expected availability 4th Quarter 2009), which tracks speed, distance, time, GPS position, elevation, calories burned, climb and descent. After the ride, data downloaded to Garmin Connect allows cyclists and staff to study the statistics, looking for any room for improvement for the next day. This data also provides fans and the media access to the riders’ data. The team also benefits from Garmin’s GPS technology in the support vehicles as the iconic Garmin nüvi® helps the team bus and support vehicles travel with speed and ease across two continents. The route-planning capabilities and preloaded maps and points of interest help the team caravan, especially in grand tours when every day brings different destinations and challenges.

“When Garmin first decided to partner with us, we said we believed that a new era of cycling was upon us. Today, with this significant extension, we can now say – the era is here,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports, LLC, the sports management company that runs the team. “Garmin’s commitment to innovation and integrity mirrors our own, and knowing that we have their partnership for the next four years means that we can continue to develop the next generation of cycling champions. We can continue to make technological innovations that will give our riders a competitive advantage on the road. And off the road, we can continue to help better the sport.”

Garmin and Slipstream Sports share similar success stories rooted in hard work and innovation. Just as Garmin is a global leader with facilities in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, the Garmin-Slipstream team assembles elite athletes from around the world. Team Garmin features Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta stage winners and national champions from several countries. Garmin’s employees and customers, like the cyclists, staff and fans of Team Garmin, are in the air, behind the wheel and on the move. And they are always thinking of ways to adapt and improve.

“Garmin’s business goals are to extend the reach and success they have achieved in the US and Europe and to create a global marketing platform for their brand,” said Matt Johnson, President of Slipstream. “The extension of this sponsorship is a testament to the team meeting those business goals.”

Owned and managed by Slipstream Sports, Team Garmin-Slipstream is dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions. In 2007, Slipstream created the most progressive anti-doping system in the professional sports world and now works with Anti-Doping Research, Inc. (ADR) and ADSI (the Anti-Doping Sciences Institute) to continue its anti-doping mission.