November 15th

Luckily, I got into the Boulder Theatre, just off the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, last night for the sold-out Slipstream-Chipotle presented by H3O pro cycling team announcement. A cable channel filmed the sold-out affair so you'll be seeing it soon - and rumor has it that you may see some sort of reality show focusing on the team.

It's a big team and a big organization. When the team and staff were assembled on the theatre stage, they filled it. More than 50 people, I'd guess, and from all over the world. Two mechanics from the Basque County, another from Fort Collins, riders from Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Ireland, England, France, San Luis Obispo, Boulder... I'm sure I'm forgetting several.

I've been to a few of these team introductions, and each time the riders and staff tell you how well everyone is getting along and how bonding is already happening. The same things were said by several of the guys last night, and I gotta say, I believed it. A few of the riders, those who've come from "hardened European pro teams," seemed genuinely relieved and delighted to be based here in the US and riding with this Slipstream bunch. They did appear to be having fun.

And they claim that they'd love to get results, to win races, but that having fun is vital. Many of the riders (staff too) have been beaten down by the traveling circus aspect and the pressure to excel that they've developed allergies to the Europro ratrace. Let's work hard but chill a bit, and see if we don't get to slip into lots of cool celebratory jerseys. Without doping.

David Millar appears to be a serious-minded, sincere guy with a quiet funny streak. Magnus Backstedt is laugh out loud funny and speaks English as well as your college Creative Writing instructor. Dave Zabriskie bounces everything he says off some wall, like a complex pool shot. Christian Vande Velde and Julian Dean, seasoned veterans by now of the Euro wars, seemed happy to be where they are - on a smoothly run, international, clean, green, mean racing team.

The auction, to raise money to support the Davis Phinney Foundation, saw people bidding on dates with a couple of the riders, a full set of team clothing including shoes, a Felt team bike build in series with the riders' bikes, full DuraAce, Fizik, Zipp, fine bike, custom for you, a day at the Fort Collins wind tunnel with a rider or two, two leader's jerseys, one from Paris-Nice, the other from the Tour de France, that brought dizzying prices, two Giro helmets... Cool stuff.

I felt yet again that Boulder-Denver is the center of highlevel cycling in the US. Tamar and I did not know how much we'd like it here, just as we did not know when we moved to Capitol Hill, how much we'd like our new neighborhood.

Now, the most promising US pro team is based within walking distance of our home. I have known some of the riders over the years, and some of the staff. I feel confident that this team will represent us well and make us proud. Go Slipstream-Chipotle presented by H3O!