Team Garmin Slipstream went to CLIF Bar HQ with the fixie guys at MASH to talk about the Tour of California.
Some of the usual pre-race quotes from riders about their approaches to the race. This year’s field is mixed with the most talented and some of the most controversial riders making a comeback. They will be tempered with Garmin which features toughman Svein Tuft and an pioneering drug testing program. Garmin poses a squeaky clean images which was balanced out with the riders from MASH.
Trent Lowe
“I think it’s the strongest field ever for this event. It’s absolutely going to prepare us for the grand tours.”
Tom Danielson
“It’s a very demanding race. The thing we’ll be testing here is the team component, and we’ve got a great, thorough team here. It’s really the only way we’re going to succeed – as a team.”
David Zabriskie On how do you decide who on the team is racing to win and the others will support:
“Everyone on this team is in extremely good shape right now. We can all be a threat. It depends on how high a classification a rider has (as the race progresses). It’s good to have options, and we have options.”
Christian Vande Velde Joking to MASH about equipment needs for the Tour of California:
“I break my best stuff and they give me a new one right away. You guys are screwed!”
Tyler Farrar On being on a Clean Team:
“The nice thing about coming to a team like this is that you don’t worry about your teammates doping. You don’t worry about your teammates making you look bad. There is absolutely no stigma attached to this team, and that’s a great thing for all of us.”
MASH are the group of fixie riding guys who actually enticed Lance Armstrong to take a spin with them when they visited Austin. With cool fixies and possibly a Heineken Draught Keg in hand they will ride the same course as the pros with 10 or 11 sprockets in the back.
Here is the video including Lance.
Quotes from the night include:
MASH
Garrett Chow
“I’ve been riding bikes my entire life. It’s a huge part of all of our lives.”
Talking to Garmin riders about Tour of California race-day plans:
“We’ll be starting about 4 a.m. Hopefully you won’t spit on us when you go by.”
Asked by Garmin if they’re ready for rain during the Tour, he joked:
“Yeah, we brought two pairs of jeans.”
On equipment for the Tour, he quipped:
“We’ve got two spare tires and two spare chains. That out to get us through the nine stages.”
Mike Martin: Why doing the Tour
“It’s for the love of bikes, and we wanted to make this project happen. We’ve all got day jobs. We’ve got riders from age 18 to 40 on our guerilla version of the Tour. There’s a plumber, there’s a student. We just want to ride the same route, log the same miles … but on track bikes.”
Here is the full press release.
CLIF BAR Hosts Garmin-Slipstream at 2009 Amgen Tour of California Pre-Race Bash
MASH Fixed Gear Riders Also Make Guest Appearance
BERKELEY, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2009) – More than 250 enthusiastic cycling fans rolled into CLIF® BAR headquarters Wednesday for an entertaining evening of bike talk with eight riders from the Garmin-Slipstream Pro Cycling Team.
The event, hosted by CLIF BAR and benefiting the Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program for children and adults with disabilities, provided an intimate glimpse of these elite athletes just three days before they begin racing in the 2009 Amgen Tour of California.
Garmin-Slipstream and 16 other teams will each send eight riders to the starting line Saturday for one of the most anticipated professional cycling races in the world. CLIF BAR and CLIF SHOT® are Garmin-Slipstream’s official energy providers.
Held in true CLIF style with burritos and beers, the Garmin-Slipstream riders talked about their Tour of California preparations, commitment to being part of pro cycling’s Clean Team, what it’s like in a hybrid individual-team sport and much more.
“I raced in high school because it was a sport that kept me away from drugs and alcohol,” said Garmin-Slipstream cyclist Steven Cozza. “It was really disheartening to see some of the guys I admired test positive. I can guarantee to everyone out there who might be looking up to us, we’re riding clean.
“Garmin-Slipstream has really taken a strong stance to make the sport a better sport. It’s a great opportunity not only to race, but to get this message out.”
The nine-day Tour of California opens with a three-mile prologue in Sacramento and will visit 16 host cities during its grueling 750-mile trek – including a scenic sprint across the Golden Gate Bridge. The race finishes Sunday, February 22, in Escondido.
“It’s awesome that the Garmin-Slipstream guys were gracious enough to take time out of their schedule before such a big race,” said Matt Sharkey, Clif Bar & Company’s Senior Sports Marketing Manager. “They were engaging and offered some great insights for elite cyclists and casual riders. CLIF BAR is extremely proud to support this team.”
Garmin-Slipstream’s world-class eight-some will look to dethrone two-time defending Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.
“California is going to be unbelievable,” said Christian Vande Velde. “We’re anticipating something special here, and everyone really wants to show their best stuff. It’s early in the season, so we’ll all be testing each other and pushing each other.”
In addition to Cozza and Vande Velde, other Garmin-Slipstream riders at CLIF BAR last night were Thomas Danielson (USA), Tyler Farrar (USA), Trent Lowe (AUS), Tom Peterson (USA), Svein Tuft (CAN) and David Zabriskie (USA). Their argyle race kits will make all of them easy to spot in the Tour of California.
MASH to Shadow the Tour of California
Sharing the stage with Garmin-Slipstream were three riders from MASH, a fixed-gear bike crew that will unofficially ride the entire Tour of California – just to see if they can.
The eight-member MASH unit plans to ride seven- to 12-hour days, leaving ahead of or after the peloton. CLIF BAR is MASH’s nutrition sponsor for the Tour of California, providing the riders with the full array of CLIF products.
“We’ll be using the same bikes we ride every day,” said MASH rider Garrett Chow. “We ride them to get a burrito. We all cycle passionately when we can. It’s kind of like, ‘Why do people climb Everest? Because they can.’ We’re giving it 100 percent and seeing what we can do.”
In addition to Chow, fellow MASH members Andy Peterson and Mike Martin spoke from the CLIF BAR stage. Also riding with them in the Tour of California will be Walton Brush, Jos Kadis, Will Meeker, Gabe Morford and Blake Vonknopka.