Lucas Euser, In Conversation - Part One

This week at the Sports Basement in San Francisco, we sat down and talked at length to pro cyclist Lucas Euser.

Lucas told the crowd in SF how he got started in the sport, what life is like on a pro cycling team, dealing with a serious injury and his plans for the future, both on and off the bike.

In part one of our conversation, Lucas goes back to his roots, growing up in Napa, riding BMX and mountain bikes, and eventually making it on to the Garmin-Slipstream pro team.

But it's not all guts and glory. Lucas reveals some of the less-attractive aspects of the sport, including the salaries for beginning pros, in this CycleTo audio file.

Riding with Team VBF - "The Opportunity of a Lifetime"

EDITOR'S NOTE: When we offered a ride with the Vera Bradley Foundation team as one of our recent CycleTo freebies, little did we know that we'd pick an honest-to-goodness journalist as the winner.

Katherine Fuller is a San Antionio-based writer and rider. She agreed to recap her experience with Team VBF for all of us.

Here are the words and pictures from inside a pro cycling team's training camp, seen through the eyes of a CycleTo freebie winner.

Fahlin Out - Emilia on the Sidelines in California

Swedish cycling champion Emilia Fahlin was forced to watch from the sidelines on Saturday and Sunday.

A nasty cold kept Emilia off the bike for both races of central California's Merco Cycling Classic, so she spent the days in the usual roles of spectator and and babysitter for Sophie, teammate Ina-Yoko Tentenberg's dog.

Emilia says she will return to racing in two weeks, but...BREAKING NEWS ALERT...it looks like she won't be back in NorCal to defend her title in the women's criterium at the Tour of California on May 16th in Sacramento. Bigger, better races beckon in Europe for the HTC-Columbia star.

First things first. Emilia talks about her lingering illness, and her plans to get back on the bike, in this CycleTo video.

This Week's Freebie - Bigger and Better...and Bars!

We're making some changes to our always-popular freebies here are CycleTo...and we think you'll like what we're doing.

Starting this week, we're offering bigger, better freebies. And we'll be keeping each freebie up on CycleTo for a longer period of time, to give more people a shot at winning free stuff.

First up...one of the new WCS Alloy Curve Bars from Ritchey Design. You can see all the details, and sign-up for this bigger, better freebie, here.

Ina-Yoko on Merco - "I Was Quite Suffering"

OK, pop quiz...which pro cyclist won the most races last year? Cavendish? Contador Cadel?

Nope.

The pro with the most wins was German champion, and HTC-Columbia star Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. She won an astounding 24 races in 2009.

Ina opened her 2010 season with back-to-back victories at California's Merco Cycling Classic this past weekend, wining the downtown Merced Criterium on Saturday and the Foothills road race on Sunday.

She opened up a gap on the field after the first of three laps in the road race and held that gap for nearly 30km, but it all came down to a final sprint. Teutenberg out-kicked Peanut Butter and Company's Shelley Evans to the line, with Kelly Benjamin of the Colavita-Baci team in third.

We caught up with Ina after her road race triumph. She talks about winning in America, defending in Flanders, and assesses her overall early-season fitness, in this CycleTo video.

This Week's Freebie - Signed George Hincapie Photo

We have another one-of-a-kind freebie for you this week.

At the recent BMC training camp in SoCal, we photographed US road champ George Hincapie while he was out on a ride in his full-on championship kit. With a bit of help from BMC's US press officer Sean Weide, we were able to get one of our photos printed before the boys broke camp...and George personally signed it for us, to give away to one lucky CycleTo-er this week.

For all the details, and to sign-up for this week's CycleTo freebie, go here.

Happy Anniversary, CycleTo! It's Time for an Upgrade

This week marks the second anniversary of the launch of CycleTo, and we're doing some work to upgrade the technology behind the site.

Over the next few days, we'll be upgrading our servers and databases. When we're finished, you'll see all the same great content that you expect on CycleTo, and things will be working much more efficiently on the back-end.

You may experience short outages while we're migrating and upgrading, but don't worry...the interruptions will be temporary, and you should be able to access all the stories, photos and videos ASAP.

Thanks for hangin' with us.

Women to Race Tour of CA Course in Sacramento

The on-again, off-again women's race at the 2010 Tour of California is on again.

Officials at event promoter Project Sport announced today that on Sunday, May 16th, prior to the finish of Stage 1 of the Tour of California, a series of criterium races will be held on the 1.4 mile finishing circuit around the California State capitol.

The Sacramento Grand Prix will begin at 10:15am with a men's Pro/1/2 criterium, followed by the women's Pro/1/2 crit at 11:25am. Award ceremonies for both races are set for 12:25p.

The big boys of the Tour of California will start in Nevada City on the morning of the 16th, and they're expected to finish in Sacramento between 2:30 and 3:00pm.

This Week's Freebie - K-Edge Chain Catcher

This week's freebie solves a problem that we've all faced...how do you keep the chain from falling off when you shift into the small ring?

World and Olympic champion Kristin Armstrong has come up with a perfect solution...the K-Edge chain catcher. It's a small metal arm that attaches to your bike and keeps the chain from slipping off the small ring.

Kristin used it with confidence at the 2008 Olympics...and it could keep you from DNF-ing in your next big race. For all the info on the K-Edge, and to sign-up for this week's CycleTo freebie, go here.

Alison Starnes - What a Difference Two Years Makes

Two years ago, she was a virtual unknown...now, she's she flying around the world to race her bike.

Alison Starnes rode her very first race in February of 2008, competing as a Cat 4 in the Cherry Pie criterium in Napa, CA. Since then, she's risen rapidly up the racing ladder, competing in some of the biggest events in America and Europe.

Starnes' spring schedule will see her cicle the world in the next few months, with pro races near her home in California, and across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The season officially starts next week for Starnes. She gives us the low-down on her upcoming world tour, in this CycleTo video.

Boyer on Rwanda - "Give These Guys a Chance"

He was a ground breaker in France...he hit bottom back in the USA...and he's found redemption in Rwanda.

Jonathan "Jock" Boyer was the first American to ever race the Tour de France, way back in 1981. But more than 20 years after that triumph, he spent a year in jail in America after a conviction on a sexual offense.

Boyer went on to win the "solo enduro" division of the Race Across American in 2006, but he found his real salvation thanks to his friend Tom Ritchey. The founder of the Ritchey bicycle components company convinced Boyer to travel to Africa, and get involved with Project Rwanda.

Today, Jock Boyer is the coach of the Rwandan national cycling team, and an advocate for cycling across the African continent. We talked to Jock at the Interbike show in Las Vegas, and as he says in this CycleTo video, he was initially very reluctant to go to Rwanda.

Ritchey on Rwanda - "A Deep, Personal Journey"

You know him from the bicycle components that bear his name. Stems, bars, wheels, seat posts and more, are emblazoned with the Ritchey logo.

But behind the logo, there's a real guy...on a real mission.

Tom Ritchey made his name...and his fortune...as a maker of high-quality bike parts. He started making bits and pieces for the godfathers of mountain biking in NorCal in the 1970s, and built that into a road, cross and mountain bike component company.

Then, on a 2005 trip to far-away Rwanda, his life changed...and in the process, he changed a country, too.

We talked at length with Ritchey about Project Rwanda at the 2009 Interbike show in Las Vegas. The time is now right to show you that interview, in its entirety. Take a few minutes, sit back and savor what Tom has to say about his life, his work and finding meaning in it all...in this CycleTo video.

This Week's Freebie - Signed Cadel Evans Photo

This week we mark a major milestone here at CycleTo...this is our 100th weekly CycleTo freebie!

To honor this momentous occasion, we wanted to do something special. So this week, we're giving you a shot at a truly unique freebie...an 8x10 color photograph, personally signed for CycleTo by BMC's World Champion Cadel Evans.

How cool is that?

For all the details, and to sign up for our 100th freebie, go here.

Dr. Eric Heiden - 30 Years After Olympic Gold

30 years ago this month, he was the undisputed individual star of the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games. Five races...five gold medals...five Olympic records...one world record.

Speed skater Eric Heiden was the "golden boy" of the 1980 Olympics, as evidenced by his iconic Sports Illustrated magazine cover.

When he put down the skates, he picked up a bike. Heiden was the very first US Pro road race champion, and member of the groundbreaking 7-Eleven team at the 1986 Tour de France.

Today, he's known more for his scalpel than his skates. Dr. Eric Heiden is one of the most sought-after orthopedic surgeon in American, and a member of the medical staff for the BMC pro team. He admits that "Most of the guys probably have no idea what I did as a speed skater," but he is still closely connected to that sport, as he explains in this CycleTo video.

Miller Mentors TIBCO II - "Race Your Bikes!"

Don't let anybody tell you, "Oh, it was just a Cat 4 race."

To the riders in the race, it was a huge deal...as big a deal to them as a full-on pro race is to the professionals. And sometimes, it's good to remind ourselves that we all had to start somewhere.

For the record, Bobbi Jo Price won the women's Cat 4 race...and the cherry pie...at the annual Cherry Pie criterium in Napa, CA. It was a total team victory for the TIBCO II development squad. Yes, they're racing in the lowest rung of the sport, but a win is a win is a win...and the thrill of victory feels just the same.

But truth be told, Bobbi Jo and her teammates had an edge in this race. Before the gun went off, they were given the same pre-race strategy talk that you'd get in women's pro racing...and they got it from one of the top pros in the sport. Check out Brooke Miller's ecstatic evaluation, in this CycleTo video.

Talk To Chad Gerlach - Off the Street, On the Bike

His battles with drugs and alcohol have become even more legendary that his battles on the road.

Chad Gerlach's life has been well-chronicled in the past year. His fall from the top level of cycling was documented on the "Intervention" TV program, and his resurrection on the bike was one of the top stories of 2009.

Then in the off-season, the word out of Sacramento was that Chad's addictions had taken over again, and he was back on the street. Again.


But this past weekend in Napa, Gerlach was back on the bike, and back to his winning ways, with a victory in the 35+ race at the annual Cherry Pie criterium.

The race, like much of Chad's life, was not without controversy. But after some sorting-out by race officials, Gerlach was declared the winner, with Larry Nolan second and Mike Sayers third.

It's the latest step in Chad's on-going battle...a battle between the bike and the bottle.

We sat down and talked to Chad at Napa. We don't usually run extra-long interviews here on CycleTo, but we wanted to present this one in its entierty, in context and without editing, so you can draw your own conclusions.

We talked about his life on and off the streets, how he deals with his addictions, and what having a young daughter means to him now. We began by asking Chad what happened at the finish of his race, in this CycleTo video.

Nydam on BMC - "I Can Feel the Anticipation"

BMC had a helluva strong team in 2009, but they've really stacked their deck for 2010. And they have all kinds of cards to play.

Both the current and former world champion (Cadel Evans and Alessandro Ballan) ride for BMC. So does reigning US Pro road champ George Hincapie.

Add-in 2009 Gent-Wevelgem winner Markus Burghardt, current US Pro crit titlist John Murphy, and veteran riders Karsten Kroon and Steve Morabito, and BMC is expected to contend in every race they enter. That's pretty heady stuff.

Who better to put it all into perspective than Scott Nydam. He's been an integral part of the BMC team since 2007, but he's watching from the side of the road as this season starts. Nydam is still recovering from the lingering effects of multiple head trauma, but he's eager to get back on the bike.

Until he resumes racing, Scott is in a position to observe and evaluate like no one else...and as he explains in this CycleTo video, he can feel the expectation and excitement.

This Week's Freebie - Ride with the VBF Team Pros

We all like to get free stuff, but sometimes, experiences are worth more than any stuff.

This week's freebie is a chance to ride with the powerful women's pro team sponsored by the Vera Bradley Foundation. The VBF team has scheduled a open ride day for March 6th at their Watsonville, CA training camp.

The ride includes food, drink, mechanical support, a post-ride massage, and swag from Team Vera Bradley Foundation.

For all the details, and to enter you name in the running for this week's CycleTo freebie, go here.

Bahati Foundation Video - "Out of Compton"

We come across all kinds of video content here at CycleTo, and to be honest, much of the stuff we see is pretty awful.

...and then there's the video produced for Rahsaan Bahati, and the Bahati Foundation. It's possibly the most professional production we've seen in a long time. And the message within is equally strong.

On this weekend when much of America is dealing with wicked weather outside, and we can't get out on our bikes, take a few minutes to savor the medium...and the message...in this CycleTo video.

Scott Nydam on BMC - "They're Lookin' After Me"

The breathless headline screamed from the top of a cycling web site - "Head Trauma May End Nydam's Career"

But the reality of Scott Nydam's condition is much more nuanced...and much less specific...than the hyped headline would lead you to believe.

No one...not Nydam, not his doctors, not his BMC team...knows if or when Scott might be racing his bike again.

Here's the situation: Scott will not be racing for his BMC team until mid-2010, at best, due to the lingering effects of multiple head injuries. But he is still a member of the BMC team, participating in all the activities of training camp...except riding a bike.

Scott seems to be taking it all in stride, but as he says in this CycleTo video, this time off the bike is giving him a chance to step back and assess what is really important in his sport...and his life.

Black CycleTo Long Sleeve Jerseys - All on Sale!

We all need something to get us through the cold days and weeks of winter that lie ahead...here's our contribution.

We're putting all sizes of our black, long sleeve CycleTo jerseys on sale. Our stock of XXS, XS, S and M jerseys are now available at big discounts off the regular price. It's a helluva deal.

And the story on this photo? That's RaeLynn Milley, a SoCal rider, coach, and winner of the black long sleeve CycleTo jersey that we gave away as a recent CycleTo freebie. We shot this photo of RaeLynn at BMC's pre-season camp last week.

The bike in the picture belongs to US champ George Hincapie...sadly, it's not for sale. But if you want your own black CycleTo jersey, you can find all the details here.

A Rare Look Inside BMC's Pre-Ride Work and Play

The basics of bike racing are pretty simple...ride your bike hard, fast and often, and you'll probably win some races. But there's a whole lot more to BMC pre-season camp than just riding bikes.

For the 2010 BMC pro team, building friendships and trust is just as important as building fitness and endurance.

Strength and conditioning guru Todd Herriott was brought to BMC's pre-season camp to work on the team's off-the-bike fitness. He put the team through drills to build their core strength and increase their flexibility, all in an effort to give BMC every physical advantage this season.

But there's another benefit to Herriott's work. While the guys are working out, they're also working together, building confidence in each other...and just having fun.

For more on Todd Herriott's fitness regimen, go here. And watch BMC's George Hincapie, Cadel Evans, Brent Bookwalter, Jeff Louder, John Murphy and Cole House work and laugh together, in this CycleTo video.

Hincapie on Hincapie - "It's a Dream Come True"

For the first time in his pro career, American cycling star George Hincapie will have his own name on the front of his jersey.

The entire BMC pro team will be racing the 2010 season in bibs, jerseys and all the accessories from Hincapie Sports, the successful cycling clothing company started by George and his brother Rich.

This is a big deal...a very big deal...for the Hincapie company. With George in the US champ jersey, and teammate Cadel Evans wearing the world champ kit, Hincapie Sports has claimed a first-ever double in the sport.

...and George could not be happier. We talked to Big George at BMC's pre-season camp, in this CycleTo video.

This Week's Freebie - BMC Pro Team Bag

This is one of the best freebies we've ever offered on CycleTo.

Last week at team training camp, we got our hands on one of the BMC Pro Team's official nylon shoulder bags...and we'll be giving it away to one lucky CycleTo-er this week.

For all the details, and to enter you name in the running for this week's freebie, go here.

A Candid, Up-Close Chat with Cadel Evans

You gotta love a pro bike team's training camp. The guys are looser, the access is better, and in general, everybody is affable and available.

World champ Cadel Evans has been known to have his, er, um...moments...with the media, but we found Cadel to be both easy-going and eager to talk at BMC camp in Agoura Hills, CA.

What started out as a video shoot of Cadel and his bike turned into an off-the-cuff conversation with Cadel about both the man and his machine. It's a rare candid moment with Cadel, in this CycleTo video.

What REALLY Goes On in a Pre-Ride Conference?

It happens before every pro training session. The riders get all kitted-up, and one of the directors goes over the route and rules of the road for that day's ride.

We eavesdropped on BMC director Mike Sayers as he talked to his troops before a recent ride at their Agoura Hills, CA camp.

Listen closely to Sayers' first suggestion, and also the last very comment, in this CycleTo video.

First Photos of the BMC Team at SoCal Camp

The weather gods were smiling down on the royalty of cycling today.

After a week of wind and rain and cold temps, the day dawned sunny and dry for the boys on the BMC pro team at their Agoura Hills, CA training camp.

Fresh from their rides at the Tour Down Under, world champion Cadel Evans and US champ George Hincapie lead the team through an easy 90 minute roll through the countryside northwest of Los Angeles.

Want to see what it looked like? Ride along with BMC, in the following CycleTo photos, here.

This Week's Freebie - USA Cycling Socks

You may never be selected for the USA national team, but with this week's freebie, you can at least look like you're on the team.

We're giving away a pair of USA Cycling socks, featuring the distinctive logo designed by graphic artist Michael Schwab.

To enter your name in the running for this week's CycleTo freebie, go here.

Love 'em or Hate 'em - Your Opinions on the New BMC Look

Last week, we asked CycleTo readers to give us their honest opinions on the new team uniforms of the 2010 BMC pro cycling squad.

...and you gave us an earful.

Opions ranged from, "Looks pretty badass" to "Cadel looks like he has a beer belly"...OUCH!

The consensus seems to be good...most people seem to like the new design, and the new colors, of the BMC kits.

Check out some of the better comments, here.

Video of Levi Bombing Down on a Mountain Bike

We all know that Levi Leipheimer is a helluva road bike racer, but have you ever seen him on a mountain bike?

During the off-season, Levi spends a lot of time training on the dirt trails in and around his California home.

On a recent ride, his friend Roger Bartels tagged along and captured the experience on video.

The footage is great, and the fact that Bartels could keep up with Levi as he bombed down a hill is even more impressive. Check it all out, in this CycleTo video. And...hang on tight!

Doctor, Doctor Give Me the News - Eric Heiden & BMC

We'd all like our own personal physicians to be able to relate to the passions we have for our sport. You want your doc to understand your various aches, pains and problems.

Who better to consult with the riders on the BMC team than Eric Heiden, the Tour de France veteran and five-time Olympic speed skating gold medalist?

Since his retirement from both sports, Dr. Heiden has built a career as one of the top orthopedic surgeons in America. He and Dr. Max Testa were on hand in California this week, to run the BMC squad through a set of specific tests at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa.

We asked Dr. Heiden if this intense testing was new for the BMC team, in this CycleTo video.

Fit to Ride? Dr. Testa Tests the BMC Team

You would think that all pro cyclists are all physically fit and in tip-top shape, right?

Yes, but before any pro is cleared to race, the UCI needs to know that they can handle the rigors of the road.

The new-and-improved BMC pro team is training in and around Santa Rosa, Californa, this week.

For the BMC boys, pre-season camp includes a trip to Napa for a battery of basic physical tests at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center, under the watchful eyes of Drs. Max Testa and Eric Heiden.

Dr. Testa talks about what they look for when they poke and prod these pros, in this CycleTo video.

Our First Look at Ballan's BMC Rainbow Stripes

The world has already seen the new 2010 jerseys for world champ Cadel Evans, US champ George Hincapie the BMC pro team.

But you haven't seen this one.

This is the special jersey made my Hincapie Sports for 2008 world champion Alessandro Ballan. As a former world champ, Ballan has earned the right to wear the rainbow stripes on his kit. His jersey is the basic red and black of the BMC team, with the blue, red, black, yellow and green stripes of a champion.

Nice.

Black CycleTo Jerseys - Major Discounts on Mediums

The weather outside is frightful in much of North America, and we want to help some of you get out on your bikes.

We've been taking stock of all the CycleTo gear that we have here on-hand, and we discovered that we have a whole bunch of the black, long sleeve CycleTo jerseys, size Medium.

So, what the heck...let's put 'em on sale.

This week, we're selling all the size Medium black CycleTo jerseys at our cost...$74.99. That's a helluva deal on these custom jerseys from Vermarc.

If you want one, you better act fast. We might not be this generous next week! You can order your own black CycleTo jersey here.

The 2010 Racing Season is Here...and There

The 2010 bike racing season begins this Sunday, with Australia's Tour Down Under. Between now and the end of the year, we'll see some pretty serious races, beginning in Australia and then moving to Belgium, Italy, France and on across the world.

But there's a less serious side to the sport, too.

One of our all-time faves here in the US is the annual Tour de Nez. Yes, it's a bike race, but it's also a great party, and a great excuse to get away to high country along the California-Nevada border.

The 2010 Tour de Nez is set to run from June 17-19. For more on this celebration of all things cycling, go here. And for a look at the history and the happening that is the Tour de Nez, check out this CycleTo video.

This Week's Freebie - Astana Team Bottle and Cap

Relics of a time gone by may soon become collector's items.

The 2010 Astana team is very different from the squad we saw on the roads in 2009. Aside from a whole lot of different guys, Astana now has new bikes, new clothes and new swag.

We have some great goodies from the 2009 Astana team for our CycleTo freebies this week...an official cap and water bottle, from the team of Lance, Levi, Klöden and Horner.

To register for this week's freebie two-fer, go here.

A High-Tech Cure for the Winter Blahs

Let's face it...across much of the world, it's just too damn cold to get outside and ride these days.

So, what's the alternative? For most of us, it's endless hours of bordedom on the indoor trainer, where the view never changes and the wind never cools us off.

But we may have found an answer. Check this out. Aki Mimoto lives in Vancouver, BC. He's found a way to combine his indoor trainer, his computer, and Google Street View to give him an ever-changing scene that responds to both his speed and where his head is looking.

Aki explains it all, in this CycleTo video.

Travel To Italy with Mari Holden in 2010

If you could design your own dream trip, you'd spend your days riding the roads of Italy, with full mechanical support and staff to take care of your bikes and laundry. Your meals would be prepared by a Michelin-rated chef, you'd sleep in historic mansions and villas, and your guide on the road would be a world champion.

Too good to be true? Nope.

You can live your cycling dream this spring on a trip to Italy lead by US and world champ Mari Holden.

Mari has scouted the roads, the villas and the food, and selected the best spots for her week-long adventure in Italy.

You can read all about Mari's spring cycling camp, here.

And you can check out Mari talking about all the details of her Italian excursion, in this CycleTo video.

Team RadioShack - Out on a Lim?

They're cycling's version of the over-the-hilll gang.

Team RadioShack's 2010 roster features some of the oldest guys in the sport. Both Lance Armstrong and Chris Horner are 38, while Levi Leipheimer is 36.

So, what can anyone tell these guys that they don't already know?

Enter Dr. Allen Lim, a sports physiologist, nutrition and training guru, and refugee from the Garmin-Slipstream team. At age 37, Lim is smack-dab in the middle of RadioShack's seniors. Allen was brought on-board to help the RadioShack guys...all the guys, both young and old... reassess, retool and refine their work on and off the bike. He may be the final piece to a puzzle that propels this first-year team to the top of the Tour de France podium.

Listen to what Dr. Lim has to say about working with, and learning from, the older riders on the RadioShack team...in this CycleTo video.

Does Team RadioShack Have a Secret Weapon?

Pro bike teams are always looking for an edge...something that will give them a leg-up on their rivals. Something that will put their guys on the podium.

The brand-new 2010 RadioShack squad thinks they have the answer. It's not a new bike or some new post-ride potion.

This year, Lance, Levi and the rest of the RadioShack guys will have one of cycling's great gurus giving them advice, counsel and...they hope...the keys to success on the road. Levi Leipheimer talks about the guy who could make a big difference on his team this year, in the following CycleTo video, here.

This Week's Freebie - CyclePassion 2010 Calendar

Our first freebie of 2010 will keep you up-to-date all year.
The 2010 CyclePassion calendar features world cup winners, Olympic medalists and national champions in distinctly non-cycling situations.

Produced in Germany and sold throughout the world, the calendar is already a huge hit.

We'll be giving away the CyclePassion calendar here on CycleTo. To enter your name in the running for this freebie, go here.

Best of 2009 - Bandit Bites Back!

We have one more memorable moment to show you from 2009. For some, this is a moment that they'd probably like to forget.

The scene was Solvang, CA. Levi Leipheimer had just won the time trial in the Tour of California, and in our attempt to get a first-hand reaction from Levi's wife Odessa, we got a lot more than we asked for.

It's one of those moments that happens in the blink of an eye...but it left a big impression. See it again for yourself, here.