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.