Peg’s Posts: relive Millar’s epic stage 6 ride

We all know it takes guts, experience and a ton of training to pull off a performance like Millar’s stellar stage 6 ride in yesterday’s TdF. But for those of us not lining the rain-soaked roadsides in France or streaking by in our skivvies, we’re a bit removed from the true race experience. Just how fast was Millar going on the downhills? What was his max speed? Average speed? And just how long does it take a pro to ride 112.2 miles? You can see these stats and more thanks to the data collected by the Garmin Edge 705 that guides David and all other members of Team Garmin. Check out Millar's stage 6 ride in Garmin Connect. The Edge 705 is the only GPS-enabled bike computer that combines GPS positioning, maps, speed/cadence, heart rate, power compatibility and more on one display. And the same technology used by the pros is available to you. Already have the Edge? Check out our latest Edge training videos that Jake and our video team here at Garmin have been cranking out. These short, topical videos can get you up to speed quickly on the top features of the 705. Some may say the Edge’s so intuitive a child could use it, but since Jake likes to talk and our customers like to listen, we aim to keep everyone happy, so we'll keep cranking them out.    

 

Millar on the attack in stage 6, tastes a stage win

If you’d been following the TdF news today and heard all but the final results, one look at these pics of Team Garmin’s David Millar could fill in the last words. He gave his all in a valiant fight for a stage victory, and in the end, his spent body couldn’t keep pace with his spirit. For today’s 181.5k stage, Millar rode into a main breakaway at the 50k mark and was hailed “the virtual yellow jersey”. He then surged for a solo attack 29k from the finish, but was caught in the final two kilometers. Tomorrow, Millar will wear the prestigious ‘red-on-white’ numbers to distinguish him as the most aggressive rider for the day. Be sure to watch the stage 6 highlights video and tune in for more TdF highlights when Jake returns from his overseas adventure.

Incidentally, when the bloggers back home saw these finish line pics of a Forerunner-decked forearm ready to wipe David Millar’s brow, we were sure it was Jake in action. He assured us it was not, but that the entire Team Garmin crew (staff and riders) have been training with the Forerunner 405CX and are learning their fav features.

 

Jake's Journal du jour: Team Garmin close second in team time trial

In the end, it came down to a matter of seconds in Montpellier. Team Garmin-Slipstream rolled out of the starting chute on a mission. With three times behind them in the starting order of the team time trial, they had to top the times already on the board while setting a standard that would truly test those yet to ride. The argyle armada did just that, posting the fastest time at the halfway point and getting to the third checkpoint 31 seconds faster than the previous best split. The key to the team time trial is getting your five fastest guys through the course as quickly as possible, and the clock stops when the fifth man crosses. So the crowd was cheering wildly as Christian Vande Velde, Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, Dave Zabriskie and Ryder Hesjedal flew through the final stretch of the 39 km course. After finishing second by 19 seconds, Team Garmin has four in top 12: Wiggo 7th, Zabriskie 9th, Millar 10th, CVV 12th. Visit our team page for more Team Garmin news and stage videos and for up-to-the-minute posts of the TdF action through the weekend, follow Jake on Twitter. Don't miss Jake's guest post on social media.

Garmin Garage: Take a Tour with Team Garmin

As Team Garmin races around the globe, we thought it would be fun to create a new vehicle bundle for the 2009 race season. Of course, we couldn’t release these vehicles without approval from the team. So Team Garmin Director Matt White stopped by the Garmin Garage to take a look. While he was visiting with us, we quickly realized that Matt would make a great co-pilot for nüvis far and wide. A quick recording session was set up and through the magic of technology, Matt was nüvi-fied. So now you can download Matt’s voice to your nüvi and he can guide you wherever you need to go. Matt's personality really shines. And if you have half as much fun listening to Matt as we did recording him, you’re sure to have smiles for miles (or kilometers). Pedal over to the Garmin Garage today and show your support for the Argyle Armada with our Team Garmin bundle. It’s free and it’s a lot of fun. But hurry – Matt’s waiting!  

Jake's Journal du jour: Farrar sprints to second in second stage

 Team Garmin's day began in muggy Monaco with Bradley Wiggins in the green jersey and third place overall, and it wrapped up in balmy Brignoles with Tyler Farrar following a beautiful leadout by Julian Dean and Danny Pate to finish second on the stage. As the vast majority of the peloton finished together, the top of the general classification didn't change. Wiggins still sits in third place, just 19 seconds behind the race leader. And though Tyler didn't quite take the stage win Sunday, he was a popular pick to win and turned heads with his strong finish. Check out VeloNews to read about his stellar sprint, and you can also follow his progress in his own words as he and other Team Garmin cyclists post rider diaries on various sites. We'll highlight more over the next few weeks, and you can always find links at the newly redesigned Team Garmin site.

Jake's Journal du jour: Team Garmin's Wiggins makes prologue podium

On a muggy day in Monaco, the ice vests used in Team Garmin's warmups really had their work cut out for them. And on the tricky 15.5 km prologue that started with a 7 km climb, Team Garmin kept its cool while placing four cyclists in the top 17 finishers. Bradley Wiggins sparked an ovation among the argyle armada - all of which were outfitted in special Fourth of July T-shirts - when he flew through the finish and set a new time to beat. Even though Wiggo's time would be topped before day's end, seeing one of our stellar time trialists take his place on the podium set the tone for the rest of the Tour.

Team Garmin prides itself on its depth and consistency. So it wasn't a surprise to see Wiggins (3rd), Dave Zabriskie (13th), David Millar (14th) and Christian Vande Velde (17th) all finish within a minute of the stage winner. And the crowds around the bus - of both fans and media - reminded us just how much people love showing their argyle affection. ESPN, The New York Times and the Versus crew were fixtures at the team bus where our guys would emerge throughout the day to work up a sweat on their trainers before heading out on the streets. Versus even had a camera mounted in the Garmin chase car to capture the action as it happened. And Joe Lindsey of Bicycling magazine even found a way to be in two places at once, interviewing David Millar at the bus while sending a mini-cam with me in the car following Martijn Maaskant. And I can attest to the difficulty of the course. I wasn't even cycling - just along for the ride in the car - and I had trouble keeping my balance. Of course it may have been because I was taking pictures, shooting video, drinking water and updating Twitter amid the excitement. Well, the action continues tomorrow (Monaco to Brignoles) and the next day (Marseille to La Grande-Motte) before things really get interesting at the Montpellier team time trial. If you want updates, candid photos and behind-the-scenes access, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@JakesJournal) and check the Team Garmin site. The fun is just beginning.

Peg’s Posts: Team Garmin fans tuning in

While Jake’s getting a sideline view of the action as Team Garmin prepares for 3 weeks of racing around France, we stateside fans are prepping in our own way. When the party gets started tomorrow, we’ll be tuning in for instantaneous updates from Jake on Twitter, behind-the-scenes pics on Flickr and of course daily coverage on Versus. It’s the one time of the year I actually sit still long enough to watch a little TV (not counting once every four years for the Olympic marathon and track event coverage). I think my son might follow the TdF action even closer than I do. No surprise, since his favorite things involve speed and wheels or just pure sport. Tomorrow as he rides his two-wheeler in the neighborhood 4th of July bike parade, he’ll be decked in some form of Team Garmin gear, showing our support for the “hometown team.” Be sure to follow the latest tour news and promotions on the Team Garmin page.

Jake's Journal du jour: Stars come out in Monaco

Neither jet lag nor lost luggage could dampen my mood right now. Plopped down on a lobby couch, looking at Team Garmin physiologist Allen Lim's Forerunner 405CX data and chatting with Kozo Shimano (yes, that Shimano), I was in mid-sentence when a figure strolled up decked out in orange and blue argyle from his smiling face to his lightning-quick feet. You'd never think that someone could bounce back so quickly from fracturing five vertebrae, yet here stood Team Garmin leader Christian Vande Velde looking like he could conquer the world. First stop, Monaco.

Even though bicycling's biggest race doesn't start until Saturday, this tiny shoreline nation is buzzing with excitement as the world's top cyclists, their just-like-clockwork staffs and top-tier sports journalists gather for the 96th running of this epic race around, outside of and across France. After chatting with Christian a bit, I talked with Martijn Maaskant and Dan Martin just as the news was breaking that Dan's nagging knee injury meant that Martijn would take his place. Handling it with more maturity than his 22 years would suggest, Dan wanted what was best for his team and his own long-term health. Then came the U.K.'s dynamic duo, David Millar and Bradley Wiggins, whom I last saw at training camp in Boulder. David paused for a Twitter picture, and Wiggo explained that his buzzcut was all business. "This is the Tour, man, no time for a rock star."

Well you wouldn't know it from looking around the busy streets. Larger-than-life banners cast shadows on ornate team cars, and cameras and microphones are as prevalent as the lean cyclists themselves. Seems we're surrounded by cycling's rock stars, and they're ready to perform on the world's biggest stage. Stay tuned to the Team Garmin blog and my @JakesJournal Twitter feed for updates.

Ride like a pro: Buy a Felt bike, get a Garmin Edge

As all eyes turn toward France for cycling’s biggest race, now you have a chance to ride with the same gear that Team Garmin’s elite cyclists use. We’ve hooked up with fellow team sponsors Felt, CamelBak and Pearl Izumi for the “Celebration of Excellence” at select* Felt dealers. Throughout the month of July, while supplies last, you can go into participating* Felt dealers, test ride one of their many fine bikes and walk out with more than you could’ve imagined. Because if you purchase a bike like Team Garmin pushes through the professional peloton – the specially-priced AR2, AR4, Z1R, Z15, ZW1, ZW2 and F2 models – you’ll also get a free Garmin Edge 705 GPS, which helps you monitor location, heart rate, speed, cadence, altitude and gradient – even power from ANT+ compatible powermeters - all on the same display. And when you stop by the Felt shop, you might even end up scoring a CamelBak bottle or Pearl Izumi socks, but you have to hurry because all of these products are in limited supply and high demand. So find a participating* Felt dealer near you, stop by for a test ride and see how you can get geared up like Team Garmin.

*Not all Felt dealers are participating in this promotion, so we highly recommend you call ahead.

Team Garmin documentary "Blood, Sweat + Gears" premieres Monday on Sundance

Whether you're a diehard cycling fan, new to the sport or just want to learn more about it, we have a can't-miss film for you to watch. Documenting Team Garmin-Slipstream's 2008 debut in France at cycling's biggest event, Nick Davis Productions’ movie, “Blood, Sweat + Gears,” will premiere on the Sundance Channel on Monday, June 29th at 10:30pm ET and will show throughout the month of July.

Starring David Millar, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters, Magnus Backstedt, Mike Friedman and the rest of the argyle armada, the documentary features behind-the-scenes footage of a team racing for all the right reasons. From the scenic European landscapes to the punishing pace of the peloton, Davis captured it all. To give you a quick glimpse, we have the trailer here for a sneak peek. And be sure to check the newly redesigned Team Garmin site and Jake's Twitter updates for more news and views from France this July.

Team Garmin unveils roster for Tour de France

Team Garmin-Slipstream today announced its much-anticipated Tour de France roster. The riders that will represent the American team in tackling the world’s toughest sporting event are:

Julian Dean
Tyler Farrar
Ryder Hesjedal
Dan Martin
David Millar
Danny Pate
Christian Vande Velde
Bradley Wiggins
David Zabriskie

“We are bringing a diverse and versatile squad to the 2009 Tour de France,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports, LLC and Director Sportif, Team Garmin-Slipstream.  “We had an incredible first Tour as a team last year and this year we hope for GC contention, possible stage wins and even the yellow jersey at some point.”

Jake's Journal: Why June 18 is better than my birthday

Today is a good day. Scratch that, an excellent day. Two years ago, on June 18, I walked into Garmin's headquarters on my first day of work ready for a new adventure. A big reason I was hired is because of my fondness for fitness and the outdoors. Since June 18, 2007, I've completed my first marathon and finished three more in the past eight months. I've hiked the Rockies of Colorado and the hills of Cinque Terre in Italy. I've ridden the California coast with some of the brightest minds in cycling. I've raced in two events on opposite coasts, finishing by wading into different oceans a week apart. I've done it all with the best GPS technology available, and the adventure is still just getting started.

On June 18, 2008, I was honored to be the one announcing Garmin's title sponsorship of the Slipstream elite cycling team. Since then, I've been with Team Garmin at the finish line for victories, in a helicopter above the peloton in France, in casual conversations with champions from countries near and far, and proud to be a student of an amazing sport with the best teachers imaginable. And the education continues next month when I spend time in France with Jonathan Vaughters, Matt White and the argyle armada that makes us proud every time they hit the roads with Garmin on their chests and the Edge 705 on their handlebars. And I'm going to be looking for suggestions from you as to what I should ask them, which pictures I should take and what you'd like to see on the Garmin blog from France. Shoot me a note on Twitter - I'm @jakesjournal - and I'll take everyone's suggestions with me across the ocean.

So how is this June 18 measuring up? Not too shabby. I joined a friend for 8 miles this morning with temps in the 80s, and there's a department picnic after work. And while it may not go down in my personal history books like the past two years, I sure do like barbecue and badminton. I can hardly wait to see what happens next year.

Jenna hitches a ride with Team Garmin

Garmin-sponsored triathlete Jenna Shoemaker shares her training and racing experiences with the Garmin Edge 705 and Forerunner 405.

As luck would have it, Team Garmin happened to come through Davos, Switzerland for two days this week for the Tour de Suisse. Davos is the small town, about three hours from Zurich, where I am based for the European summer. The timing of their visit was perfect, as I had a bit of a recovery day on Sunday after the small double sprint race I had the day before in Zug (near Zurich). Sunday happened to be the same day that the boys rode Stage 1 of the Tour, which departed from and then returned to Davos. The Team was nice enough to let me accompany them in the team car for the stage, so I got to hang out with the team director and the mechanic for a few hours. I knew many of the roads that the guys had to race on, so it was really fun to get to watch them ride the same climbs that I use for training. Of course, they ride them about four times as fast as I do and they descend like maniacs! It’s also great to know that I’m using the same Garmin training gear as these pro cyclists — the Edge 705. Although it was a pretty quiet day in the peloton, partly because the first 40-some ks were straight downhill, being in the team car is a real experience and one that I'm really glad I had. Hopefully I can manage to get myself to France to see a stage or 2 of the Tour this year!

I am now in my last few days of preparation for the two big races I have back in the USA. I head off on Thursday to Washington, D.C. for the World Championship Series race on June 21. We will swim, bike and run in the heart of D.C., on Pennsylvania Avenue, which is really exciting and should be a very memorable experience.

Team Garmin: Farrar four-for-four in winning Holland tour

Sunday was a day of firsts for Team Garmin's Tyler Farrar (left) at the Delta Tour Zeeland in Holland. First place in the sprints classification. First place in the points classification. First place in the Best Young Rider competition. And best of all, first overall in the general classification. Simply put, from the first day when he won the prologue and donned the race leader's jersey, Tyler dominated this tour. Victory in Friday's prologue put him in the driver's seat with valuable seconds on his fellow sprinters. On Saturday, Tyler finished close behind a formidable foe, Alessandro Petacchi, but widened his lead to 6 seconds with one day remaining. Sunday, he was second again - but ahead of Petacchi. That consistency - never finishing lower than second place - paid off as he took the top spot on the podium.

Elsewhere in Europe, Team Garmin made a splash in the final day of Dauphine-Libere as Timmy Duggan (above right) pushed the pace, made the key breaks and showed off his deft skills on the final descent. Timmy stayed exactly where he needed to be, right up to the final meters, and finished a nailbiting second by less than a wheel. In the overall GC, Garmin's David Millar capped a solid week by finishing ninth. The excitement of these final tune-ups for France continues this week at the Tour de Suisse, so be sure to check the Team Garmin blog and minisite for updates!

Jake's Journal: Keeping up with Team Garmin, Christian's recovery

It's a good thing that keeping an eye on Team Garmin is part of my job because it's hard work tracking cyclists in various countries and time zones, staying on top of injury updates and roster news, all while getting ready for a busy month of July when the world focuses on France. OK, it's not "hard work" but that's what I tell the boss so play along. Here are the headlines from yet another busy and successful week with the argyle armada.
>> Winning bidder secures spot at finish in Paris: Last night we were honored to join a group from the University of Missouri-Kansas City to watch the final hour of bidding on a VIP package that sends four people to Paris for an all-access weekend with Team Garmin. And a flurry of activity in the closing minutes of the auction resulted in a hefty sum of money being raised for UMKC's Bloch School of Business and Public Administration. I'll share more details later as I learn more about our winners. 
>> Vande Velde to race in Tour de Suisse: Yes, Christian will be at the start line Saturday in Switzerland after bouncing back quickly from his Giro crash that left him with seven fractures, including five vertebrae, one rib and his pelvis. "Less than a month ago he was in a hospital bed in Italy," Jonathan Vaughters said. "To come back this quickly is truly a testament to his character."
>> Millar third in Dauphine time trial, high in GC: Showing great form in the Stage 4 time trial, David Millar (above) was the fastest from the middle time check to the finish, placing him on the podium at Dauphine-Libere. "I had a lot of fun though," David wrote in The Millar Diaries. "It’s been a long time since I’ve gone that fast for so long on a bike, for about 10km on the way back I was well over 60km/h." And proving once again that he's far from a one-trick pony, David entered the weekend in the top five of the GC.
>> New Team Garmin site unveiled: You can find the latest team news, learn more about the sponsors and their innovative technology, share your pictures and videos in the fan zone, get connected with me and the team on Twitter and - we saved the best for last - enter to win some amazing prizes in the Tour with Team Garmin Sweepstakes. 

Ways you can win with Team Garmin

As Team Garmin gets ready for its biggest race of the year this summer in France, you can join in their winning ways simply by filling out a form and testing your luck. By entering the Tour with Team Garmin Sweepstakes, you have a shot at winning the grand prize of one Felt Team Replica F1 frameset and one Garmin Edge 705 with heart rate monitor, speed/cadence sensor and data card preloaded with City Navigator U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico street maps. The other top prizes are also impressive - First prize being a Zipp 303 wheelset and a Second prize of a 3T LTD set consisting of one bar, one stem, one seatpost and one roll of handlebar tape. And even if you're not lucky enough to be one of the big winners, Team Garmin-Slipstream and great sponsors such as Clif Bar, Pearl Izumi, CamelBak and Pedro's have kicked in more than 200 great prizes for their fans. So don't hesitate, enter the Tour with Team Garmin Sweepstakes today!

Of course, one superfan out there will get an unbelievable experience in Paris this summer, spending a weekend of VIP access with three friends and Team Garmin. Visit http://www.ebay.com/teamgarmin for details, and don't forget to check out the Team Garmin site for the latest news and rider data downloaded from Edge 705.

eBay winner will join Team Garmin in Paris for unforgettable weekend

Here's your chance to join Team Garmin for a once-in-a-lifetime weekend this July with behind-the-scenes access as they cross the finish line in Paris, France. An auction for VIP access to pro cycling's biggest finale is up for grabs on eBay to the highest bidder. And the winner will be helping education as the proceeds benefit the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).

Here's what you'll be bidding on in this limited-time promotion at www.ebay.com/teamgarmin
-- Experience Paris and the race’s final stage for four people. (July 25-26, 2009)
-- VIP spectator access to team staging areas and events, refreshments included.
-- Seats in exclusive sponsor viewing area near finish line on Champs-Elysees in Paris.
-- Shuttle service to/from airport and to official events.
-- Two hotel rooms each for 3 nights at sponsor’s designated hotel. (July 24-26, 2009)
-- VIP access to restricted Team Garmin areas.
-- Attend the post race Team Garmin party on July 26th.
-- Garmin Edge 705 cycle computer and Team Garmin gear.

Wiggins 2nd in final Giro time trial

The cobblestone streets of Rome paired with pelting rain made yesterday’s final stage of the Giro d’Italia exciting and excruciating. Despite a technical course that brought down some leaders, Team Garmin’s Bradley Wiggins placed 2nd, a mere second away from a stage win. Excerpts from the Daily Peloton: “Wiggo was possibly the fastest man on two wheels in Rome today. He was fastest at the second time check by a sizable three seconds until disaster struck in the form of rain making the course too dangerous to negotiate at his speed to that point. He subsequently slowed to finish agonizingly close to the winner one second down in 2nd place.” Disappointing to come so close to a stage win, but Wiggins knows there’s more just around the corner: “Now I can consider that I have moved on enough in this Giro to be a real contender for the TDF prologue with the help and support from the best support staff and management team in the world of cycling today - Team Garmin.”

In other Team Garmin news, Tom Peterson, a Tour of California stage winner, finished 8th in last week’s Tour of Bavaria, while the team finished 3rd in the GC. Follow more racing action as the team gears up for the biggest race of the year in France. Enter the Tour with Team Garmin sweepstakes for your chance to win a Felt bike equipped with an Edge 705 plus many other prizes.

RaceTracker, Pate's place on podium fuel Giro fever

A blogger's cubicle confession: When it comes to watching the Giro d'Italia online or filling out an expense report, the Giro wins. Especially when Team Garmin is mixing it up. Ever since Garmin-Slipstream and Universal Sports teamed up to offer the RaceTracker online with live video, commentary and tracking, we've been tuning in to see Tyler Farrar contest the early sprint stages, David Millar, Dave Zabriskie and Bradley Wiggins push the pace of the peloton and Danny Pate survive in today's breakaway that placed him on the podium for Stage 18. We were huddled around a desk, cheering as Danny attacked and countered all the way to the finish line. We figure it's work-related, what with the Garmin logo emblazened everywhere on the kits of the argyle armada and the on-screen analytics of the RaceTracker.

Once the stage is done, there's always plenty to digest, with the race updates on the Team Garmin blog, including different cyclists' Edge 705 data from various stages. For example, did you know that Millar topped out at 944 watts of power in Stage 14? And speaking of impressive power, Wiggins averaged 377 watts during Stage 12. Throw in behind-the-scenes video from the Giro and other races, and it's amazing we get any emails answered before lunch. Especially when you factor in the success that Team Garmin is having at other big races. Irish road champ Dan Martin and his argyle/shamrock jersey landed on the podium of the Volta a Catalunya. Chris Sutton was the runner-up in the opening stage of the Tour of Bavaria. The only real way to keep up with the nonstop action of Team Garmin is to read the team blog, check out Graham Watson's behind-the-scenes pictures on Flickr and follow @TeamSlipstream and @JakesJournal on Twitter. OK, time to go, we have to watch Wiggo talk about his haircut.

Team Garmin update from Giro d’Italia

Team Garmin’s much-anticipated performance at the Giro d’Italia has already been marked by tragedy and triumph. Heavy stuff first: team captain Christian Vande Velde was injured in today’s stage 3 and the latest is that he’s in an ambulance headed to the hospital with possible lower back or hip injuries. Teammate Tyler Farrar pulled off a 2nd place finish today, moving him into 2nd place overall. Yesterday, Farrar’s sprinting skills shone on a flat finish, putting him in the top five. “The team put in a great ride for me today,” said Farrar. “Danny, Cam, and Tom did a fantastic job riding the front, and Dave, Bradley, and Julien took care of me for the final. I was feeling good and picked off the intermediate sprint. But I just didn’t quite have the luck in the end. I know that the legs are good, and the team is flying so I think a stage win is definitely in the cards!” In Saturday’s opening time trial, Team Garmin took 2nd overall, just six seconds behind Columbia. With today’s racing over, our thoughts are with Christian and the rest of the team members who could be facing the possibility of 18 more stages through Italy without the company of their team leader. Get continuing Giro coverage at www.garmin.com/teamgarmin.

Team Garmin unveils roster for Giro d'Italia

Team Garmin-Slipstream, defending Team Time Trial champion of the 2008 Giro d’Italia, today announced its much-anticipated line-up for the 2009 edition of the race. Christian Vande Velde (far left), the first American rider to wear the Maglia Rosa since 1988, will be joined by Bradley Wiggins, Cameron Meyer, Danny Pate, David Millar, David Zabriskie, Julian Dean, Tom Danielson and Tyler Farrar.

“We are bringing an incredible group of riders to the Giro d’Italia, and we have some big goals we want to achieve,” said Matt White, Director. “The team has been training hard for this race and we’d of course love to get the Maglia Rosa again, but we will be happy with a few strong performances.”

When asked about the difficulty of choosing the list, White added: “Narrowing down a Grand Tour list is always difficult, especially when guys like Ryder Hesjedal have been having a tremendous season. But we need to keep our goal of helping Christian at the Tour de France in mind, and preserving someone like Ryder now could be a huge benefit to us later.” The team will look to defend last year’s Team Time Trial victory on Saturday.

Jake's Journal: Carless commute? What about B-O-B?

This Sunday, Team Garmin will compete in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, part of the Belgian classics and one of five "Monuments" of the European professional road cycling calendar. The race covers 261 km and goes from Liège to Bastogne back to Liège. Yep, it's not just a clever name. And that's why my carless commute - which I did for the first time this week on Earth Day - will now be known as "Brookside-Olathe-Brookside". There are some interesting similarities between Team Garmin doing L-B-L and my B-O-B. We're both on bikes (for the most part). We both count on the Edge 705 to show us color mapping and our real-time data, such as time, speed, distance, heading, elevation and GPS location. We both use Garmin Connect. (Here's recent data from Team Garmin's Ryder Hesjedal. Here's the data from my trip home.) We both have a lot of traffic to avoid. In Belgium, they're navigating through the world's top cyclists and overzealous fans. On my bike trails, I'm dodging joggers and walkers with babies in strollers and pets on leashes. And ... I think that's where the similarities end.

At Liège-Bastogne-Liège, there are 11 recognized climbs, with one being 4km long and one heartbreaker at a 12% grade. Now don't get me wrong, Brookside-Olathe-Brookside has plenty of hills. And at least one spanned more than two blocks. L-B-L starts in the heart of town and finishes in the northern suburb of Ans. B-O-B starts in a southern suburb and finishes in a neighborhood right in the heart of KC. Oh yeah, and probably the biggest kicker aside from the distance (261km vs. 83km) is that Team Garmin gets on the bus after the ride is over. For me, the bus played a big part in the Brookside-Olathe leg (5 miles of bike, 21 miles by bus). But the 26 miles home was all pedal power. And it was exhilarating. The one regret is that I forgot to turn on Auto Lap to help me overanalyze each mile on Garmin Connect, which replays the route on its map player. I'll have to remember that for the next edition of B-O-B.  

Team Garmin video: Behind the scenes in Tuscany

If you're not checking the Team Garmin blog, you're missing out on great updates, cyclist profiles and race recaps. You can even buy the Paris-Roubaix jersey off Steve Cozza's back! And in this video, you get an exclusive look at Team Garmin-Slipstream "behind the scenes" during the recent Eroica Toscana cycling race in Tuscany. Catch a ride inside the support car with director sportif Matt White as he details team tactics for the race. See Ryder Hesjedal animated off the front, finishing 10th with the support of a strong squad that rode confidently on the strade bianche.

Montepaschi Eroica - Behind the Scenes with GARMIN Slipstream from Media One Multimedia on Vimeo.

Team Garmin: How Edge 705 helped Cozza's Paris-Roubaix debut

VeloNews caught up with Team Garmin's Steve Cozza this week after Cozza's dazzling debut in the Queen of the Classics, Paris-Roubaix. Undaunted by the famous cobblestones, known for ruining bikes and crushing dreams, Cozza vaulted himself into the day's main breakaway and led the group through the cobbles of Arenberg. Only a late-race crash dampened the day as Cozza was still to finish the race. In the interview with VeloNews, Cozza talks about two things vital to the argyle armada's success: teamwork and technology. You can read the whole interview at VeloNews.com, but we wanted to share his thoughts on the Edge 705's role in the race:

The cool thing that really helped me in the race is the Garmin computers were programmed for the entire race. The 27 sectors of cobblestones were programmed into the unit, so my Garmin would tell me all the details about each sector: how long before I arrived, how long each sector was. It was such a huge advantage. I could rely on my Garmin because you could not remember the entire course.... It’s all done with GPS, so it’s exact. It scrolled through automatically.

Next up for the team: Sunday's Amstel Gold Race, and you can bet Edge 705 will be ready.

Ask Garmin: Any freebies at Sea Otter?

It's another big week in Garmin's fitness world. Team Garmin just got done fighting through tough conditions at Paris-Roubaix and now travel to the Netherlands for Sunday's Amstel Gold Race. Meanwhile, Forerunners everywhere are fully charged for the Boston Marathon next Monday, where Garmin will be on hand for the North American unveiling of the Forerunner 405CX with heart rate-based calorie computation. But first, across the U.S., cycling pros and enthusiasts will gather this week in California for Sea Otter Classic, which we described last year as a rock concert, state fair and bike race rolled into one. And what would a state fair be without some free prizes? This year, we're partnering with fellow Team Garmin sponsors CamelBak and Clif Bar to spice up Sea Otter.

To participate, just pick up the punch card from any one of our booths. At each of the participating sponsors' booths, you'll receive a signature. Once you've visited all of the booths, just head back over to the CamelBak booth and turn in the card. The first 50 people each day will receive a free Team Podium bottle (pictured above). The team bottle will also have a sticker on it with a discount code for the Argyle shop on the team’s site. If you're not in the first 50, you'll still be entered to win daily prizes. The prizes include CamelBak hydration backs and bottles, Clif Bar products, Garmin gear and an Edge 705 cycling computer. 

Daily prize drawings will be at the Garmin booth at 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and the grand prize drawing will be at Clif Bar Happy Hour at 4pm Saturday.

Wiggins Gets First Win on Last Stage

Team Garmin’s Bradley Wiggins picked up his first victory of the season by winning the last stage of the Three Days of De Panne in Belgium. Wiggins successfully navigated the 14.75-kilometer time trial course to win the stage by 20 seconds over the next two riders. "You never know if you had a good ride or not," said Wiggins. "I am pleased, after two close second place results in Paris-Nice and the Critérium International."

And Wiggins wasn’t the only Team Garmin rider to have a good showing in Belgium. Martijn Maaskant took seventh place in the General Classification. Congrats to Bradley and Martijn!

While the 2009 season is just starting to take shape, we’re really looking forward to what’s next for Team Garmin. And if you want to make sure you’re always in the know, subscribe to our Team Garmin RSS feed for late-breaking team news.

Team Garmin: Pate takes place on podium, Wiggins 2nd in time trial

Team Garmin-Slipstream finished the Critérium International with a strong presence as Bradley Wiggins (left) finished second in the final time trial by only six seconds, while teammate Danny Pate took seventh, making it onto the final podium in third on the overall classification! Danny finished a strong second on the second of three stages, chasing down all but one of the remaining breakaway riders on the short but tough stage to Monthermé. Garmin's Canadian champ Christian Meier led a lot of the chasing of the breakaway in the peloton, helping Danny get in position.

In other action this weekend, Garmin-Slipstream's Under-23 squad won the team classification at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, marking the first time an amateur team has won the title, and our Kirk Carlsen was King of the Mountains. Meanwhile at the track world championships in Pruszkow, Poland, 21-year-old Cameron Meyer capped off an impressive week with two silver medals — in the Madison and team pursuit — to go with his world championship gold from the points race.

Team Garmin: Bring home Farrar and Zabriskie highlights

Team Garmin fans and cycling enthusiasts, we have a treat for you. Visit the Argyle Shop now to get the recently printed, limited edition Argyle Hero posters, featuring Tyler Farrar’s huge win at Tirreno-Adriatico, and US time trial champion Dave Zabriskie.

The 26″ x 19″ posters are printed on high-quality paper and are a great gift for any Argyle Armada fan! Visit the Argyle Shop before supplies run out.

In today's racing, Zabriskie, sitting in third overall by just 22 seconds, put the pressure on the leaders in Castilla y Leon, when he attacked the field solo. Meanwhile, Tom Danielson and Christian Vande Velde sacrificed their top ten GC spots to help with the attacking. DZ remains in third overall with one more stage to go.

For Team Garmin recaps and race photos, be sure to check out the Team Garmin blog and our Flickr page, where you can also download team desktop wallpaper.

Team Garmin: DZ third in time trial, now third overall at Castilla y Leon

The stars and stripes were flying today in Spain as Team Garmin's Dave Zabriskie once again torched a time trial against world-class competition. Zabriskie finished third in today's stage at Castilla y León and now sits in third place overall, just 22 seconds behind the race leader. Team Garmin teammates Christian Vande Velde and Tom Danielson also landed in the Top 10 after stellar rides in the windy, flat 28.2km individual time trial. The 24th Vuelta a Castilla y León continues Wednesday with the first of two mountain stages.

Fans of the argyle armada will enjoy this highlight reel of race coverage, edited together by our video crew here at Garmin. For Team Garmin recaps and race photos, be sure to check out the Team Garmin blog and our Flickr page for Graham Watson's action shots and Team Garmin desktop wallpaper as a free download.

Ask Garmin: Pairing Edge 705 to read power

Between the popularity of our Edge 705 cycling GPS device and the success that Team Garmin has already seen in California, France and Italy, questions are pouring in about getting the most out of our technology. Not often do everyday cyclists get to ride with the same equipment used by the world's top pros, but such is the case with the Edge 705, the first cycling computer capable of monitoring GPS position, heart rate, speed, cadence, altitude, gradient and power on the same color display. So how do you get your Edge 705 to read the data from an ANT+ compatible power meter? Check out our newest how-to videos for tips.

Argyle shamrocks for sale at Team Garmin shop

So you've downloaded Lucky from the Garmin Garage for your car, but you're hoping to take advantage of the spring weather by getting some exercise. (After all, it's supposed to be near 80 here in the Kansas City area.) Well, it's still your lucky day. Team Garmin-Slipstream wants you to join us in celebrating Dan Martin's tour as Irish national road champion, with his replica cycling jersey from Pearl Izumi. There's not much luckier than an argyle four leaf clover! And you can keep rocking the shamrock after your ride in a limited edition T-shirt supporting Martin. There's only a small amount of the limited-edition T-shirts, so get them while they are fresh! Visit the Team Garmin-Slipstream shop today, and have a wonderful holiday!

And if you need some motivation to hit the streets, Team Garmin sprinting sensation Tyler Farrar spent his St. Patrick's Day coming oh-so-close to another stage win, finishing second today at Tirreno-Adriatico. And in other big news, the list of teams that will be squaring off this summer in France was just announced, and the argyle armada is there with some great competition. Stay tuned to the Team Garmin blog, as more great races are just around the corner.  

Jake's Journal: Farrar's sprint caps off Team Garmin's week of winning

Friday in Santa Croce Sull’Arno, Italy, Team Garmin's Tyler Farrar topped a who's who of sprinters in professional cycling to win the 166km third stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. It was the second stage win in three days for the argyle armada, following Christian Vande Velde's successful Paris-Nice solo attack. And whether the finish line was a mass sprint decided by fractions of seconds (like when Tyler lunged past the world's fastest men) or a one-man march to victory (which gave Christian time to do a quick rock-a-bye for his new daughter before throwing his arms in the air), that moment is one you want to relive over and over again. Especially if you're stuck in the office an ocean away.

So I hopped on Twitter to see what people were saying and I found love for the argyle like you'd see in Jonathan Vaughters' closet. Steephill.TV captured the raw emotion in Tyler's face at the finish. Replays from the home stretch were being shown on Justin.TV and CycleTo.com. Vaughters chimed in on Twitter: "Once a team starts winning, it just rolls on. Everyone believes more, as the same guy you beat at training camp just won, so why not me? JV" And VeloNews talked to Tyler, who called it "the biggest win of my career." I think we should add a disclaimer - biggest, for now. Tyler has great things ahead of him.

Team Garmin: Vande Velde goes solo, wins stage at Paris-Nice!

It's been a roller coaster this week in France as Team Garmin navigates the ups and downs of the eight stages and 1,250 km of Paris-Nice. The week started off well when Bradley Wiggins set the time to beat in the opening time trial, and his time stood as the standard until the final few riders. In the end, Wiggins finished second in the opener and David Millar came in fifth, but a fall on the wet roads cost Christian Vande Velde valuable time and some road rash. But in a performance fit for "The Race to the Sun," Vande Velde rose up from the rain-soaked streets to launch a successful solo attack in today's Stage 4. He left the sport's best chasers in the shadows, crossing the line 14 seconds ahead of the pack. All in all, it was a great day for the proud new papa, and David Millar remains in strong contention for the overall lead. On a sad note, the race ended early for Wiggins (family reasons) and Irish champ Dan Martin (health reasons). 

For Team Garmin recaps and race photos, be sure to check out the Team Garmin blog and our Flickr page for Graham Watson's action shots. And follow Jake's Twitter updates for race-day coverage. Also at our Flickr page, you can find Team Garmin desktop wallpaper as a free download. Allez argyle!

Jake's Journal: From the peloton to your PC

Three pro cycling tours - through France, Missouri and California - have provided three totally different experiences as we bring the action of the pro peloton and Team Garmin's highlights to you through the Garmin Blog, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr, the most recent being from Dave Zabriskie's Tour of California prologue (click here to see it). We've even helped outfit each video motorbike (left) with a Garmin zūmo so the TV crews can see the path that lies ahead despite the countless distractions and crowded roads. In the end, this stunning footage is hard to top. But read on to see how we strive to bring you the argyle updates that you might otherwise miss - whether we're in a team car, a damp tent, an office chair or a recliner.

Tour of California: Zabriskie finishes 2nd, Danielson 9th as 2 million cheer

Two million fans watching the Tour of California saw what Jonathan Vaughters promised of his squad: Team Garmin will fight for every victory and be a factor in every race, with a deep enough team to have a different star on any given day. The biggest star power of the week for Team Garmin belonged to Dave Zabriskie, who channeled the superpowers of Captain America in finishing on the podium in the week's two time trials. Those two performances, combined with relentless efforts and tireless teamwork on the road stages, earned Zabriskie second place overall on the final podium (shown here with Waylon), just 36 seconds behind three-time champion Levi Leipheimer.

In a nod to the depth of this team, Tom Danielson (left) joined Zabriskie in the Tour's Top 10 as he finished ninth and was always in the right spot as the race unfolded. Other standout performances included 22-year-old Tom Peterson's Stage 2 win, sprinter Tyler Farrar's two Top-5 stage finishes and Christian Vande Velde's resilience that earned him the jersey as Stage 7's Most Courageous rider. And whether they were being protagonists or protectors, Steve Cozza, Svein Tuft and Trent Lowe helped Team Garmin to the highest team finish of any American squad and third overall in the most impressive field ever to race on U.S. soil. Be sure to check out our Flickr page for scenes from an amazing week of racing.

Tour of California: Vande Velde most courageous in breakaway

Today's Tour of California coverage taught Versus viewers about "The Catch" - that moment where the swarming peloton erases any gap that a brave breakaway has tried to establish. Clearly there are 10 professional cyclists - including Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde - who need a refresher course. Christian joined some of the biggest names in the race from various teams in building a gap of more than 4 minutes as they defied the odds that dictate how and when a breakaway gets caught. And Christian's odds got even steeper when he needed a wheel change. As the rest of his breakaway disappeared down the road, Christian watched Team Garmin mechanic Daimean Shanks switch wheels with lightning speed and precision. In a matter of just a couple seconds, Christian had a new wheel and a little push from Daimo, and it wasn't long before Christian had rejoined the rest of the break. In the end, Christian's persistence paid off as he was honored as the most courageous in Stage 7 and donned that jersey on the podium. Christian finished in ninth place on the day, 7 seconds behind the stage winner, and teammate Dave Zabriskie held on to second place in the overall standings. Zabriskie, who used his stellar performance in Friday's time trial to move up a spot in the GC, trails the overall leader by just 36 seconds with one day of racing left in California. Keep checking the Team Garmin blog for updates throughout the weekend!

Tour of California: Zabriskie 2nd in Time Trial in Solvang

The beauty of an individual time trial is there is always something to grab your attention. Someone rolling out of the start. A teammate crossing the midway checkpoint. A mad sprint to the finish. Changes atop the leaderboard. And such was the case today in Solvang for three hours of racing in staggered starts on the 15-mile course of Stage 6 of the Tour of California. 

Excitement rushed through Team Garmin and its fans when Dave Zabriskie, the last of the argyle armada on the course in the fourth-to-final spot, crossed the intermediate checkpoint in 19'19" - beating the previous best split by 13 seconds. And the exhilaration peaked when Zabriskie crossed the line in 30:48, more than 8 seconds faster than the previous leader. Dave Z, sporting his Captain America speedsuit that comes with being the national time trial champion, withstood the challenges right up to the end. But Levi Leipheimer, the overall race leader and winner of this stage the past two years, capped the day with a time of 30:39. In the end, fans of Team Garmin were proud to see their superhero - the four-time U.S. champion - take the podium for the second time in two time trials.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Team Garmin blog for updates throughout the weekend, especially as the crew in Portugal get ready for an individual time trial of their own, with Danny Pate and David Millar positioned well to make things interesting.

Tour of California: Inside the Team Garmin caravan

One goal of our blog team is to bring you behind the scenes - whether we're taking you on a photo shoot, introducing you to a Garmin engineer or sharing tips and tricks about your favorite GPS device. This week at the Tour of California, where Team Garmin helped rein in the Stage 5 breakaway before Tyler Farrar suffered an untimely flat before the field sprint, the argyle armada is getting everyone's attention - from reporters to spectators to the rest of the peloton.

Mark Johnson from VeloNews spent Wednesday's stage in the Team Garmin chase car with mechanic Tom Hopper and team director Matt White.  Johnson says this of Whitey: "Nearly every rider who passes by the Garmin car on their way back up to the peloton gives him a hello, from Belgian grunts to Spanish holas. He often responds with encouraging words." Click here for the entire story and photo gallery. Meanwhile, BikeRadar.com continues its thorough coverage from California by peeking inside Team Garmin's trailer and talking to mechanic Daimean Shanks. Click here to watch as Daimo gives a tour and talks technology. Speaking of technology, CyclingNews took a close look at Christian Vande Velde's gear, from his sleek bike, the Felt F1 SL, to his GPS-enabled Garmin Edge 705. Click here for the full story.

Team Garmin: Frischkorn king for (at least) a day, Solid sprint for Farrar

While most of the cycling world focused on California, Team Garmin was making its mark at the Volta au Algarve in Portugal. Hans Dekkers (left) finished a close 4th in the sprint to cap Stage 1, and Will Frischkorn (right) is atop the King of the Mountain standings after taking 1st and 2nd in the day's two climbs. Will earned enough time bonuses to move into 6th place overall, just 8 seconds off the lead, and Hans is 2 seconds behind in 8th. Keep checking the Team Garmin blog for updates from Portugal.

And hopping back to the States, the Tour of California finally enjoyed some sunshine today in the hilly trek from Modesto to Clovis. For the second day in a row, the stage ended in a field sprint. Team Garmin did a lion's share of the work in bringing back the breakaway so that speedy Tyler Farrar would be right among the other top sprinters. Farrar didn't disappoint, finishing in the top 5 of the field sprint for a second consecutive day. And if you haven't been reading Steve Cozza's blog entries from California, you're missing out. His Stage 3 recap was classic, describing how he totes food and water. "I had four musette bags to carry. Musettes are like purses for cyclists," Cozza wrote. "Each bag has two water bottles and other goodies. So I was carrying eight bottles plus the two on my bike and food. My guess is an extra 15 pounds."

Tour of California: From Dr. Allen Lim's perspective

We've been talking a lot about Twitter as a way to track the Tour of California from different perspectives. Tuesday's stage from San Jose to Modesto offered a glimpse at the insight, expertise and humor that can be found on Twitter, this time courtesy of Team Garmin physiologist Allen Lim (@allencolim). At the end of the day, it was Thor Hushovd winning the sprint to the finish, but our focus was on Allen, riding in a team car with director Chann McRae, providing the best commentary along the way. Below are his stream-of-consciousness updates, with slashes setting each Tweet apart. Have fun reliving Stage 3 in Lim-tastic fashion:

Whitey, Daimo, and Dr. Sovndal (Shan Man) our team doc are in car 1. Neutral laps. Huge crowds. Chann has already started on the chips. // Heading up sierra now. Break has 45 second. Louder bmc, bauke from rabo, brad white ouch, brian vandborg from liquigas // Crowds are awesome on sierra despite rain. Thanks san jose. // Two riders are chasing. Mancebo from rock and matt wilson from type 1. 30 second down. Field gaining. // Chasers caught. Break down to 20 second. Done. 3 km from top of sierra. Brutal out there. // Chann just offered me some gum. He's chewing with great joy and blowing bubbles. So pro!

Jake's Journal: My cure for rainy days and Mondays

For the fifth day in California, I'm looking out my window at rain. Rain that's making headlines nationally and last night flooded the team hotel. In a day where you don't even want to get in the car, the cyclists in the Tour of California will get on their bikes (again) and ride more than 100 miles (again) in a relentless deluge (again). And yet, Team Garmin's spirits couldn't be higher coming off of Stage 2, a day in which Tom Peterson escaped in a key break, bridged to catch the race leader, followed the defending champ and passed him for Monday's stage victory. All at only 22 years old. Bonnie Ford tells us more about Tom and his Tour thus far in yet another great profile on ESPN.com.

Names that are more familiar to Team Garmin fans - Dave Zabriskie and Tom Danielson (Tom's pictured here with wife Steph before the Valentine's Day prologue) - are still high on the leaderboard as they continue to put themselves exactly where they need to be heading into Friday's time trial in Solvang. Zabriskie's current third-place standing overall is a product of his amazing prologue in Sacramento during the only four hours of sunshine I can remember this week - and more important, an exhilirating four minutes that I will remember for years. I had been standing at the finish line, where I had seen Svein Tuft post the early time to beat, when Slipstream President Matt Johnson asked if I wanted to follow one of our guys in a team car. I don't think I've ever been so eager to mooch a ride. First it was going to be Tyler Farrar, as I told the hundreds of people following my Tour updates on Twitter, then Tyler's car filled up before I arrived. Tyler's a great guy - and a stellar time trialist - but I couldn't believe it when I found out that the fallback plan was to trail Zabriskie.

Team Garmin: JV reflects on Peterson's win

One of the unique benefits of being in Team Garmin's Argyle Club - in addition to getting team apparel and free burritos - is hearing behind-the-scenes insight from Jonathan Vaughters and the team itself. Normally saved for club members, this note was too good not to share. To learn more about joining the Argyle Club and getting these notes in your own inbox, visit slipstreamsports.com/argyleclub.

Argyle club members,

Presidents day was a big day for Garmin-Slipstream. Tom Peterson took the stage win in Santa Cruz from the main breakaway of the day. Here's JV's take on Tom's breakthrough win:

I have to say I was getting a bit teary when Tom Peterson won yesterday. Tom is a rider I've worked with since 2005, and personally coached all along. He's grown a lot as a person and as a rider over the past 4 years, which has been immensely rewarding to see.

It's funny, because I can still remember in the fall of 2005 when Doug (Ellis) and I went to watch the team race at the Univest Classic in Souderton, Penn. I told Doug I was also there to watch a certain young man race and to meet him to see what sort of person he was. So, after the race, Doug and I took Tom out to a fine Chinese dinner. Tom did not say one word. We had to pry anything out of him, as he just didn't really feel comfortable talking. Tom was very shy to start out with, very. I think Doug thought I was nuts when I told him I thought Tom was the best talent in the USA for his age group. Perhaps he didn't want to socialize while eating Chinese, but he certainly was willing to talk with his legs, and for that reason I brought him on to the team.

He's already had his ups and downs in his short career, but he's making steady progress. Hopefully, this year, Tom will race his first Grand Tour, and someday, I think he will be one of the big stars of the three-week Tours.

JV

Jonathan Vaughters, Jedi Master

Tour of California: Peterson prevails in Stage 2

Team Garmin CEO and Director Sportif Jonathan Vaughters has often been called a visionary. For starting a team based on clean racing. For choosing top-tier training and technology over shortcuts to success. For identifying young cyclists who are capable of great things. And, today at least, for accurately foreseeing the future.

Just 40 miles into Stage 2 of the Tour of California, JV made a prediction on Twitter: "Tom Peterson is a special kind of diesel engine. We may see the Little Engine That Could come out in force today. JV" Now, granted, Vaughters has insider information and knows each of his cyclists like family. But he really called his shot on Monday as the peloton made its way from Sausalito to Santa Cruz.

About three hours later, team physiologist Allen Lim was succinct in recapping the stage: "Peterson wins. Break all day with (Garmin teammate Steve) Cozza doing most of the work. Riding his own climb... Holdin on to Levi. Takin the sprint" Essentially, Peterson (left) was in the right spot - doing the right thing - at all of the right times as he was part of a 10-man escape, bridged to catch the leader in the mountains and then stuck with defending two-time ToC champion Levi Leipheimer long enough to pass him in the final meters for the stage win. Close behind, Dave Zabriskie and Tom Danielson finished with the pack to hold on to 3rd and 13th places, respectively, in the overall GC. After two stages of nonstop bone-chilling rain, Peterson and Team Garmin warmed the hearts of their fans.

Tour of California: Captain America Zabriskie takes podium

Sacramento's week of rain paused just long enough for the 136 cyclists in the Tour of California to speed through the 3.9km prologue. The argyle armada was led by two national time trial champions as tens of thousands of fans packed the state capital. Svein Tuft, sporting his Canadian speedsuit, was the first out of the chute for Team Garmin - and he set the bar high for everyone who followed. His 4:37.06 stood up to numerous challenges before finally falling, but it was still fast enough to land Svein in ninth place overall. Then it was time for the star to shine.

We're talking, of course, about the giant star on the chest of U.S. champion Dave Zabriskie's red, white and blue speedsuit, which would make Captain America proud. Zabriskie tore through downtown - we know because Jake was following in the team car, and we hope to put his video on our YouTube channel - and finished in 4:35.56, faster than anyone up to that point. When the day was done, Zabriskie's time held up for a third-place spot on the podium. Teammate Tyler Farrar finished 14th in 4:39.42, and proud new papa Christian Vande Velde was 22nd in 4:41.55. Steve Cozza, Tom Danielson, Trent Lowe and Tom Peterson round out the team whose next task is to go from Davis to Santa Rosa tomorrow. In the meantime, we'll try to get Jake calmed down enough from chasing Zabriskie to recap the thrill ride.

Jake's Journal: Tracking ToC on Twitter

My first 48 hours in California have been brisk, both in pace and temperature. Day 1 started with the Tour of California press conference, which saw Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde on an all-star panel representing "the strongest lineup to ever compete on U.S. soil." I knew these guys were fast, but I could hardly keep up as I shared updates on Twitter. Among the best quotes, the cyclists talking about following their press ("Christian, I know you Google yourself."), Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson vowing to ride this weekend ("But I'm not wearing those tight shorts.") and defending two-time ToC champ Levi Leipheimer picking his favorites: "This guy to my left." Christian, sitting next to Levi, raised his hand to clarify for the crowd of reporters and photographers.

Day 2 started bright and early, as I picked up NorCal resident Steve Cozza for a live interview on Sacramento's NBC morning news. At the same time, the local FOX crew was interviewing other Team Garmin cyclists and staff, so there was no time for sleeping in. In the green room, Steve and I watched footage of Team Garmin's previous day's training ride, which also landed the argyle armada on the front page of the Sacramento Bee. When Steve had his three minutes in the spotlight, he did a great job discussing the race and giving viewers a break from the coverage of the surprising snowfall in the area. My day wrapped up with meetings in rainy San Francisco. 

The prologue begins just minutes from now, and the 2.4-mile time trial is expected to bring 100,000 fans to the streets of Sacramento. I'll be among them, sharing Twitter updates while monitoring results and reading everyone else's Tour Tweets. To track the Tour from your phone or PC, click "Follow" on the Twitter page for Jake's Journal and Team Garmin-Slipstream. You can search for other Tweets using #ATOC. And be sure to visit our Flickr page and the Team Garmin blog as the week goes on to see the action for yourself.

Team Garmin: Ricardo rolls, NYT touts tough Tuft

Team Garmin - spread out over (at least) three continents - is spreading the love as different teammates make headlines at the Tour de Langkawi, Tour Med and Tour of California. Ricardo van der Velde turned heads in Stage 3 of Tour de Langkawi, winning three time bonus sprints in his three-man breakaway and moving up to 4th overall. Two spots ahead of him in the GC is Chris "CJ" Sutton, who finished 5 cm off the stage winner. With Christian Meier joining CJ and Ricardo in the top 10, Team Garmin sits in third place as a team after three stages. CJ told CyclingNews the team is looking forward to Stage 5's 1,679m Genting climb: "Cameron Meyer is here for me at the moment, but the other four guys can absolutely fly up the climbs. ... Christian [Meier], Timmy [Duggan] and Lucas [Euser] – they’re all going good.”

Ramping up for the Tour of California, Canadian newcomer Svein Tuft took time to talk to Juliet Macur of the New York Times, and her profile of Tuft has been making the rounds - including a great post at Sporting News' blog - thanks to great excerpts such as, "All of those wonderful adventurous stories of riding his bike to Alaska, the railroad-car jumping, yes, those are all true,” his mother said. And Jonathan Vaughters has this memory of Svein (pronounced Swayne), who had ridden his bike from Canada to a 2003 training camp near LA: "He had this really long beard, and he smelled very bad." Well, now Tuft is back in California with his new Garmin teammates and they're ready to pick up where the team left off last year in Missouri. Tuft joins Christian Vande Velde (who told CycleTo about his best and worst days), Steve Cozza, Tom Danielson, Tyler Farrar, Trent Lowe, Danny Pate and Dave Zabriskie when the race kicks off Saturday in Sacramento. Garmin blogger Jake will be there as well, sharing sights and sounds from behind the scenes.

Jake's Journal: Magnus works magic as mentor

The first time I saw Magnus Backstedt - I mean really saw him, who he is and the impact he has - was the Stage 4 time trial last summer in Cholet. Sure I'd been with Team Garmin's cyclists and staff for nearly a week at that point, but one scene summed up what I now truly appreciate about the 6'4" Swedish national champ. Under the watchful eye of his father - who may be the only person able to refer to him as "Little Maggy" - Magnus talked to, laughed with and signed autographs for a group of fans. All in grade school. The kids looked up to him - and up at him - in awe. And the smile on his face spoke volumes. 

Since then, I've had several chances to get to know Maggy - most notably in the basement of a Boulder pub where his bald head brushed the ceiling as we talked - and so it's with more than a twinge of sadness that I now write about his exit from pro cycling's top tier. Effective immediately, Magnus is stepping down from the sport's highest level. It's hard to blame him. His huge frame has been taking a beating for 13 years, during which he won multiple Swedish national titles, conquered the cobbles for the Paris-Roubaix victory in 2004 and captured Stage 19 in France in 1998. But just as he did that day in Cholet, he's turning his attention to the next generations of cyclists. He's going to stay on board as a consultant with Garmin-Slipstream while developing a young Swedish team that he founded, Cyclesport.se-MagnusMaximusCoffee.com.  

Gift of argyle: Team Garmin gear now for sale!

From the moment we announced Garmin's sponsorship of Slipstream's pro cycling team, the most frequently asked question has been, "Where can I buy a team kit?" (The next most common queries are about what Zabriskie is like in person or the current state of Cozza's facial hair.) Well, we're excited to announce that Team Garmin-Slipstream apparel and equipment is now available for purchase through our online store at shopslipstreamsports.com. In addition to accessories and casual wear, you can get Pearl Izumi jerseys and bib shorts that replicate what our pro cyclists wear at races around the world.

So stop by the online store and start shopping today. And whether you're on a neighborhood ride or at a professional event, keep an eye out for the growing argyle armada!

Tour of Qatar: Maaskant 7th in Stage 4 sprint

Here's the latest from Qatar, courtesy of the Team Garmin blog: Our man-on-the-scene, Mike Friedman, kicked off today’s fun with an attack just 15 km in to stage 4. Taking seven others with him, his escape was short lived in a brutal headwind that kept the average pace to under 35 kph.

The intense north wind knocked the weary riders around and resulted in a number of crashes. Huub Duyn and Hans Dekkers went down in one of the many pile-ups, but both finished in fine form. Young Martijn Maaskant had a front row seat for the hotly contested sprint finale and finished 7th in today’s stage with Mike just a few seconds behind.

Be sure to check Garmin's Flickr page for Graham Watson's pictures from Qatar, as well as scenes from Tour Down Under and highlights from 2008, with more to come!

Tour of Qatar: Team Garmin, Wiggins begin with a win

The 2009 roster of Team Garmin-Slipstream has been hailed as one of the strongest team time trial squads on paper. When the Tour of Qatar began, the argyle armada proved it by being the strongest team time trial squad on the road. "We are 1 for 1 in TTTs," team director Jonathan Vaughers said via Twitter. "So, 1 down, 3 more to go this year." Heralded British newcomer Bradley Wiggins, who won gold in Beijing, led the way as Team Garmin took to the podium after winning the opening stage by less than a second. "Gotta love Wiggo," JV said. "Gotta love anyone that can ride 60kph on a road bike for 3kms."

Wiggins walked away from day one with the race leader's gold jersey and Holland's Huub Duyn (left) took the early honors as best young rider. "We made some real good preparation in Girona [Spain] for this," Wiggins told CyclingNews.com. "We wanted to put some details into it, even though we did not have the super big-guns here – Dave Z[abriske], [David] Millar, [Christian] Vande Velde and all those guys – but we still wanted to keep up the reputation that we are a good team time trial squad." Good, indeed.