Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today that it has extended for an additional three years its title sponsorship of Team Garmin-Slipstream, the ProTour cycling team dedicated to ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions. The extension for the U.S.-based team comprised of elite talent from around the world is an addition to the company’s current sponsorship through 2010, marking one of the most significant multi-national sponsorship deals in the history of professional cycling.
“The success of the team spans the globe and surpassed our expectations for the first year and a half of our title sponsorship, bringing Garmin’s reputation for quality, commitment, performance and productivity into countless households in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia,” said Jon Cassat, Garmin’s vice president of communications. “Our objectives were – and continue to be – to integrate our products on sports’ biggest stages and to build global brand awareness. Whether capturing victories around the world, winning national championships or working to develop future generations of talent, Team Garmin has helped us achieve those objectives and has made an impression on billions of potential customers.”
Team Garmin-Slipstream continues its strong end-of-season showing by showcasing the depth and versatility of this elite squad. At Australia’s Jayco Herald Sun Tour, sprinter Chris "CJ" Sutton (left) won his third consecutive stage today after another successful leadout by Bradley Wiggins, who sits in third place in general classification heading into tomorrow's 10km time trial. At just 43 seconds back, Wiggo looks set for a strong finish as the best time trialist in the race.
One contest that's already wrapped up is the King of Mountains, where Tour of California stage winner Tom Peterson took the polka-dot jersey in stage 3 and strengthened his hold in stage 4 as the final KOM points were up for grabs.
With grand tours in Italy, France and Spain behind us and Tour of Missouri and Interbike also in the rearview mirror, it's easy to think that Team Garmin is done making headlines for the year. But the argyle armada is still going strong. This weekend, after winning the first two stages, Team Garmin-Slipstream’s Tyler Farrar sealed the
victory at the Circuit Franco-Belge on Sunday, despite puncturing in
the final five kilometers. But after a quick change and some hard
chasing, Farrar finished with the peloton to top three categories: the final overall,
sprint and best young rider classifications.
“This is it. This is the one we’ve been waiting for.” Spoken by a professional triathlete and echoed by hundreds of others visiting the Garmin Interbike booth, this type of praise has been the consensus reaction for our newly announced Edge 500 cycling device. At half the size and half the price of the popular Edge 705 – yet still packed with features such as ANT+ power compatibility, high-sensitivity GPS and customizable data fields – Edge 500 has been a hit with retailers, athletes, window-shoppers and journalists. Within the first half-hour of being in the booth Thursday, I had already done three on-camera interviews about the Edge 500 and its cross-training cousin, Forerunner 310XT. And though its official launch is in December, Edge 500 made its racing debut this week at the USA Crits Finals here in Las Vegas. Garmin’s own Karsten Hagen, our west coast fitness sales manager and cycling specialist, shook things up in the Industry Cup. With 10 km left, Karsten was leading the peloton and two laps left was part of a break that looked like it had a chance. In the end, the race was decided by the sprinters and we cheered Karsten’s strong showing and studied the stats (above) on his Edge 500, including an average speed of 29 miles per hour.
Edge 500 hasn’t been the only star of this show, as the pros of Team Garmin have had a chance to meet fans and sign posters, shirts and jerseys. Christian Vande Velde, Dave Zabriskie, Will Frischkorn and Danny Summerhill were busy Wednesday afternoon in our booth and also spent time with Felt, Pearl Izumi, CamelBak and Shimano, our partners in the peloton. It all added up to five frenzied days in the sand and in the Sands, packed with savvy salesmen and curious customers telling glory stories of Garmin-enabled adventures and looking forward to getting the Edge 500 into their shops.
Everyone noticed the shoes. I knew I would be the only one wearing them for today's Interbike media ride, yet I also didn't think I would stand out as much as I did last year during Sea Otter when I wore track pants and running shoes on an industry ride with everyone else in full kit. And yet, despite my argyle Team Garmin kit and my brand-new Edge 500 secured to my featherweight Felt AR2 loaner road bike, they still noticed the shoes. Because instead of top-notch cycling shoes that maximize your efficiency while you ride, I was proud to be wearing my trustworthy Tevas. That's what happens when you're a runner out for a ride with top cycling pros Dave Zabriskie, Christian Vande Velde and Will Frischkorn, and you've invited top tech journalists to join the fun.
And it was indeed fun. On a cloudless day around Lake Mead, we were able to forget the hectic days that lie ahead at Interbike in already-crazy Las Vegas. The journalists put their deadlines on the back burners, and the pros took it easy on what would normally be a quick warmup distance. And Karsten and David, my Garmin fitness colleagues, joined me in great conversation with all of them. Then with about 5 miles left, something felt funny. Keep in mind that I'm used to piling up miles on two feet rather than two wheels, so much of it felt funny. But this felt, well, squishy.
The cycling season may be winding down, but Team Garmin is maintaining their winning streak. David Millar pulled in a huge win Saturday in the Vuelta, taking the individual time
trial for Team Garmin’s third stage victory in the season’s final grand tour. Teammates Tyler Farrar and Ryder Hesjedal had back-to-back stage wins on stages 11 and 12. From the Millar diaries: "I am so relieved that I won — I am so happy that I felt as good as I
hoped to — and above all, I am over the bloody moon I won a sword! But what makes this great is that I can share my success with my team." Read his full story as Millar credits his teammates and their accomplishments. While Millar is exceptional with his prose in this account and others, you've gotta read the comments on that post from his fans.
More glory for argyle in Britain where Chris Sutton took 2nd overall in the Tour of Britain. And here at Garmin headquarters, we're still giddy over David Zabriskie's win in our backyard at the recent Tour of Missouri. So our video crew created a quick piece showcasing DZ's "ride to the yellow jersey in 150 pictures." See for yourself.
Here's hoping that what happens in Vegas next week doesn't stay in Vegas. That's because we're going to be at Interbike at the Sands Expo Center showing off a wide range of new Garmin products that suit every type of cyclist on every type of bike, regardless of whether you're a pro in the peloton, an occasional commuter, an off-road explorer or a weekend wanderer. The headliner is the brand new Edge 500, weighing in at just 2 ounces and bringing ANT+ power compatibility to the masses with a lower price tag. And of course, the Edge 705 and Edge 605 are popular choices for two-wheeled navigation, especially with the new cross-country and commuter options we unveiled recently. You can now get Edge 605 with City Navigator's preloaded points of interest and turn-by-turn directions, or you could choose Edge 705 with topo maps for those hitting the trails. And be sure to watch our online video tutorials to get the most out of your Edge.
But our bike options extend far beyond the Edge series, as our outdoor handhelds are compatible with Garmin bike mounts. Dakota offers a touchscreen interface in a compact, rugged handheld. Dakota 20 features a barometric altimeter for more precise elevation data, and the Dakota 10 is available in a hike and bike bundle with topo maps and a bike mount. Learn more about Dakota at Garmin's Buzz site. If you want to capture memories of your ride, you can opt for the touchscreen Oregon 550 or Oregon 550T (preloaded U.S. topo) with built-in waterproof 3.2MP digital camera. All of your photos are automatically geotagged so that you can navigate back to the site and relive the good times.
I could go on and on - Forerunner 310XT is power compatible, Forerunner 405CX has advanced calorie computation, etc. - but you should just find time next week to stop by the Garmin booth #2630, where Team Garmin'sChristian Vande Velde and Dave Zabriskie will be meeting fans and signing autographs Wednesday from 2-3 p.m. Hope to see you there!
It was a hero’s welcome at Garmin headquarters Monday when the Team Garmin entourage rolled in. Following David Zabriskie’s big win at the Tour of Missouri, fans were lined up to greet DZ, Christian Vande Velde and several other team members. After an autograph session outdoors, we headed inside for a short team presentation and Q&A session. From my nearly front-row seat, I must say, the vibe was a bit different from a year ago, when the team made their Garmin visit a couple days before the Tour of Missouri kicked off. Then, the lean, lanky riders sat before a packed house, wide-eyed and full of banter. All but Christian, who was reserved, likely contemplating the upcoming race. His prerace strategizing obviously paid off since Christian took the ToM 2008 title.
For this year’s visit to Garmin HQ, the tables were turned. Fresh from their 612-mile journey through the hillacious Missouri countryside, the riders were understandably spent. All but Christian, who was well-rested since he'd had to bow out of the race early due to a fractured hand. An unfortunate event, but perhaps fortuitous for David Zabriskie, who’s had his share of time trial wins, but until Sunday, had yet to take the podium for a grand tour win. Class act by Christian that he was here for the final stage and got to hand David the trophy. Then, in true DZ style, he planted his presenter with a big smooch.
Team Garmin-Slipstream's Dave Zabriskie, a favorite of fans of all ages, has done a lot of things in his cycling career. He's captured a stage at all three grand tours - Italy, France and Spain - and is the only American to do so. He's won five U.S. National time trial championships - including his most recent, which was his fourth in a row. He's a businessman and philanthropist, launching "Yield to Life" to promote safety for cyclists. He's a superhero, morphing into Captain America for every time trial to embody just one of the comic-book figures he loves. But until today, he had never won a stage race. Notice we said: Until today.
In front of thousands of fans gathered in downtown Kansas City, Dave and his Team Garmin crew controlled the seven circuits of the final stage of the Tour of Missouri, and in the end, Zabriskie was the champion of the race that teammate Christian Vande Velde won last year here in the heartland. While Christian's victory tour began in Kansas City, Dave's finished up here in the backyard of Garmin International's headquarters, to the delight of the many Garmin employees who came out to cheer the argyle armada. And even though Christian broke his hand in the opening stage and could have supported Dave by being here in spirit, he was here in person - meeting fans near the finish, taking pictures at every turn and in the end, honoring Dave on the podium with a bottle of wine that looked pretty heavy even for two healthy hands (so we assume Christian is healing nicely). The highlight was, as Christian put it, when "he kissed me podium girl style."
And although Dave, Christian and the rest of the Garmin crew have finished their work in the Midwest, they're sticking around for an extra day. Tomorrow, just as they did last year around the Tour of Missouri, they'll meet the Garmin employees who dream up, create and market the products such as the Edge 705 used on Team Garmin's bikes. And when they're done with a meet-and-greet and casual Q&A, Team Garmin will kit up and go for a 20-mile ride with their extended Garmin family (those of us more used to PowerPoint than a peloton).
Before Tyler Farrar's impressive sprint victory Wednesday in Spain, Team Garmin was lacking that big grand-tour win. Today the argyle armada erased any doubt. In his third grand tour of the season, Ryder Hesjedal (left) flew to the mountaintop finish at the Vuelta, and five-time national time trial champion Dave Zabriskie followed up his recent U.S. championship (pictured here) by crushing the competition in the pivotal stage of the weeklong Tour of Missouri. For those keeping score at home, that's back-to-back Vuelta victories (with Tom Danielson sitting pretty in the overall standings) and a GC leader here in Missouri. And even though Zabriskie is fashionable in his iconic Captain America speedsuit, we think he looks pretty good in yellow as well.
We keep our video crew very busy. And sometimes we even let these super-talented in-house filmmakers get out of the house. While they excel in doing instructional video tutorials with our blog team teaching about various products, the video team tends to have a little more fun on the run. So we sent them to St. Louis as Team Garmin's all-American roster prepared to tackle this year's Tour of Missouri. Defending champion Christian Vande Velde shares a few thoughts as our cameras captured the sights and sounds of Garmin's home-turf tour.
One day after his teammate Ryder Hesjedal finished second at the Vuelta and VeloNews published a tally of Team Garmin-Slipstream's successes and near-misses over the past two years, American sprinting sensation Tyler Farrar flew through the finish for his first stage win in a grand tour, and Team Garmin's first grand-tour victory since last season's Giro d'Italia team time trial.
The online outpouring of support was instant on VeloNews' live tour tracker, with comments coming from cubicles: "My neighbors have no idea what I'm yelling about...nice job, Tyler!" and crowds: "Everyone around me was looking at me funny when I started pumping my fist in the air." and cars: "I parked my car at a yield sign, cars were driving around me. I rarely cheer online updates, but this was one. "
So much for an easy start to the Tour of Missouri. In the closing meters of Monday's opening stage in St. Louis, Team Garmin's defending champion Christian Vande Velde sustained a hairline fracture at the base of his second metacarpal.
"Luck hasn't been on my side this year," Christian said Monday night. "I went down in the big crash within 500 meters. I crashed into the guys who went down first, then into a fire hydrant. It could have been a lot worse. Racing is going to be painful but I'm the defending champion and continuing is important to me and my team. I'll be at the start tomorrow."
True to his word, he lined up at the start in Ste. Genevieve, but after rolling through the neutral zone, the fracture was too much to ignore. "Christian's had a hard year," director Jonathan Vaughters said, "but as he's shown over and over, he's an incredibly tough athlete."
With Tour of Missouri beginning in St. Louis today, we had to take a moment to relive the glory of last year's race, in which Team Garmin stormed the time trial, taking four of the top nine spots, including a convincing victory by Christian Vande Velde. Christian's margin stood up to four days of challenges, and - as you can see here (and from the video below) he finished the week wearing the yellow jersey ... and a huge smile.
Christian leads an All-American argyle armada into action for this week's Tour of Missouri, which wraps up in the Kansas City metro area, home of Garmin International's headquarters. You can bet we'll have plenty of coverage from our video crew and blog team, including a special appearance by the team at Garmin HQ a week from today.
Weighing a mere 2 ounces, Garmin's newly announced Edge 500 cycling GPS features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, requires no calibration, can be switched quickly and easily between bicycles and connects wirelessly with ANT+™ compatible third-party power meters.
“Using feedback from the best focus group imaginable – the Pro Tour
cyclists of Team Garmin-Slipstream, we’ve developed a lightweight
cycling computer that’s powerful enough for the pros yet simple enough
for beginners,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide
sales.
“Since becoming our title sponsor, Garmin has guaranteed that we have
the best technology available,” said Team Garmin’s Christian Vande
Velde, fresh off his top-8 finish in France in July. “At training
camp we made requests: we wanted a smaller device with a big screen,
easy-to-use buttons and sturdier mount. Garmin listened. The Edge 500
reflects our requests and then some, adding vertical speed, accurate
calories and temperature readings.”
Vande Velde and teammate David Zabriskie, who recently credited his Edge after winning his fourth consecutive U.S. Time Trial championship, will be meeting fans at Interbike in Las Vegas from 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, in the Garmin booth #2630.
The US Pro championship is an important race for me. I love wearing the Stars and Stripes and am proud to wear it again next year. Mike Friedman had a great ride, too.
I didn’t use a radio today, just my Garmin and I knew Mike had set the fastest time for the first lap so I knew what I had to do. I watched my Garmin and when I went through the first time check I knew I’d been fast, so I kept digging after that!
It feels great to hold onto the stars and stripes and I’ll wear them again this year with pride!
Team Garmin sprinter Tyler Farrar continued his amazing week with a second-consecutive stage win Thursday in the Eneco Tour. Tyler now has a 13-second advantage in the overall classification, and he's showing no signs of letting up as he strengthens his grip on the leader's jersey. Click here for the stage recap and get more coverage of Tyler, Bradley Wiggins (left) and Team Garmin at the Team Garmin site, our Flickr photo gallery and Garmin's YouTube channel.
Team Garmin's Tyler Farrar hasn't slowed down a bit. After winning the Vattenfall Cyclassics on Sunday in Hamburg and then finishing second in Tuesday's Eneco Tour prologue - by one second - Tyler sprinted ahead of Tom Boonen and Edvald Boasson Hagen to grab the Eneco leader's jersey Wednesday in Ardooie, Belgium.
"I'm in the best form of my life," Tyler told VeloNews. "The team was totally behind me. I couldn't disappoint. I was already very good in the Tour de France. And now after a little rest I feel even better. I'm very fast." Thursday's Eneco stage covers 178.1km from
Ardooie to Brussels, and the finish looks ideal for Farrar and the other sprinters. Get the latest news, views and results at the Team Garmin site, our Flickr photo gallery, Garmin's YouTube channel and the Garmin and Slipstream blogs.
In the weeks that followed Team Garmin's successful trip across and around France, the argyle armada has been back on the attack. Just two weeks after cruising down the Champs-Elysees, Danny Pate was turning heads at Vuelta a Burgos as he finished second only to teammate Tom Danielson in the individual time trial and helped Tom reach the podium in the overall. Also working on short recovery, Tyler Farrar took out a field sprint win at the Heusdenkoers kermesse near his European home in Belgium. Tyler followed that up by sprinting to victory in Hamburg, Germany, in the Vattenfall Cyclassics, a prestigious ProTour Classic.
"Winning a classic is something special," Tyler said to Bicycling magazine. "I've been knocking on the door all season. I've shown that when it comes to a sprint I can be there. The team is starting to believe in me and that helps a lot."
Danielson's impressive stage win (left) and the strong showing he and Danny (right) had at Burgos also marked something special. "I was stoked. It was an awesome experience," Tom told VeloNews. "I’m really happy about it. You prepare yourself to do it, but until you really do it, then the mind makes the connection with the body and then you start to believe that you can do this all the time. But you need that breakthrough and then your body follows your mind. It’s a nice feeling after so much hard work."
More hard work lies ahead for Team Garmin with the Tour of Britain, Vuelta a Espana and Tour of Missouri right around the corner. And stay tuned for special reports as Team Garmin caps off the Tour of Missouri at Garmin headquarters. For more behind-the-scenes access and race coverage, visit the Team Garmin site, our Flickr photo gallery, Garmin's YouTube channel and the Garmin and Slipstream blogs.
To see their smiles, you'd never guess they'd just covered 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometers) in just over three weeks. With only two rest days during their trek across France (and a handful of other countries), Team Garmin and the rest of the elite pros in the peloton averaged more than 100 miles on each of their days in the saddle from Monaco to Paris. And when all was said and done, the argyle armada put two cyclists in the top eight - Bradley Wiggins, the revelation of the race, finishing fourth; and Christian Vande Velde, a model of consistency in eighth place overall after finishing fourth last year and suffering five fractured vertebrae just weeks ago.
But the aches, breaks and bruises were nowhere to be found among the argyle armada just moments after delivering American sprinting sensation Tyler Farrar to yet another top-three finish along the famous Champs-Elysees. In doing so, Team Garmin completed the grueling race with all nine riders (an impressive feat in itself) and wrapped up second place in the overall team standings. So it's no surprise that laughs, hugs, pizza and cold drinks replaced the typical post-race recovery of massage, hydration bottles and Allen Lim's rice cakes and stir-fry. David Millar - who I'd last seen in person the day he wowed hundreds of thousands of fans along the roads to Barcelona with his solo attack - was beaming as he signed autographs and took pictures with every fan who asked. Julian Dean, the leadout man who helped Tyler reach the finish line in proper position, embraced team founder Jonathan Vaughters after another successful July. Ryder Hesjedal, the lone Canadian in the peloton, showed off his new aerodynamic racing stripes shaved in his head. Dave Zabriskie, Danny Pate and Martijn Maaskant were greeted by the best fans in cycling, all of which know that every man on the team - and every person on the Garmin-Slipstream staff - played a pivotal role in putting Wiggo and Christian in the top eight. The evening ended with the ceremonial procession down the Champs, the cyclists literally riding off into the sunset, reminding us of the amazing accomplishment we all just enjoyed and the amazing opportunities still to come for Team Garmin.
Bradley Wiggins has been called many things this month. Wiggo. Twiggo. A surprise. A comic. A fluke. (Though that last one didn't last beyond the first week.) But the unexpected leader of Garmin-Slipstream's efforts in France secured a legacy on the way up Ventoux: As an inspirational model of resilience.
From the prologue in Monaco - where Wiggins thrilled the crowd and surprised the experts by grabbing a spot on the podium - to today's epic climb, Wiggins has shown he can shine in the spotlight and live up to the pressure. No stranger to success on the track (with multiple medals to show for it), Wiggo was just recently making a name for himself in mountainous stage races. And now he's given us reason to celebrate tomorrow in Paris.
In Thursday's pivotal time trial, Wiggins flew through the checkpoints, setting new times to beat along the way until merciless cramps marred the final 5K. Wiggo, who has turned heads throughout July, fought to the finish and placed sixth on the day - one spot behind teammate David Millar. With the gutsy effort, Wiggins was able to gain time on key rivals in the overall standings to go into the penultimate stage just seconds off the podium. Then today on Ventoux, a legendary mountain that makes champions and breaks contenders, Wiggins was in the right place at the right time. Helped to the front by his Garmin teammates and protected by Millar and Christian Vande Velde until the closing meters, Wiggo stayed strong every time a pundit claimed he had been dropped. And even when the leaders managed to pull away at the top, Bradley used every ounce of energy to keep his grip on fourth place overall by 3 seconds. For a man said to be still learning the nuances of road racing, Bradley Wiggins has proven emphatically that he's on the right track.
But occasionally during my first week with the team, there were a few moments of free time - or at least a chance to look around and appreciate the scenery. In Monaco, I went for a morning run along the Mediterranean and lost myself in the sun-soaked shoreline. (OK, I didn't really lose myself - Forerunner 310XT clicked off the miles and guided me back - but you get the picture.) After Stage 2, we stayed in a 13th century convent. Stage 3 began in Marseille in the shadows of a ferris wheel. Stage 4's team time trial kicked off amid the art and architecture of Montpellier's Place de la Comedie. The final meters of Stage 5 were contested along arched bridges of Perpignan. In Girona, the European home of Garmin-Slipstream, I enjoyed a scenic run through old town with Versus commentator Robbie Ventura and finished off the morning miles atop the stone wall that encircles (and towers over) ancient buildings and places of worship. There's something magical about striding around a city 50 feet above its streets on a two-foot-wide path. From Girona, we followed David Millar's inspirational Stage 6 breakaway to Barcelona and reminders of the 1992 summer games. And with less than a week left before the peloton reaches Paris, there's still time to enjoy the sights and sounds of this epic race.
This won't come as a surprise, but I consider myself a people person. I enjoy making new friends, swapping stories, sharing laughs, learning life lessons - and it's an unbelievable bonus when the backdrop happens to be one of the biggest sporting events in the world. So as Team Garmin and the pros in the peloton powered through Monaco, France and Spain in the first week of July, my appreciation grew not only for the elite cyclists in the race, but also for the supporters (and reporters) joining me on the sidelines. Here are just a few of those friendly faces.
I've enjoyed conversations with Julian Dean ever since he took a tumble on the second stage last July and said to me later that day in passing, "The nice thing about a three-week race is that all of this will be healed by the time we hit Paris." So I wasn't surprised that a guy so impervious to pain thought nothing of his eyes being gouged and cheeks being stretched - by the youngest member of his family. Carole Dean and the kids were some of the many family members to join us in Girona, home to many of the Garmin guys. Two of my favorite trailing companions were Jim and Diane Felt. If that name sounds familiar, it's because you've seen it written on the Felt bikes that Team Garmin rides in every pro tour. The Felts aren't just the name on the bike, though, they're the brains and personality as well. Two of the nicest people I've met, Jim and Diane were in constant motion everywhere we went. Jim was always studying and seeking feedback on the bikes; Diane was chronicling the events with her great photography (some of which you can see at Garmin's Flickr page).
Now that I'm back in the States, watching Team Garmin on Versus and tracking each stage on Twitter, I'm appreciating just how far the excitement for pro cycling's biggest event stretches beyond the roadsides of France. Though I'm sitting in a cube in our office instead of a team vehicle in the caravan, I can still get unbelievable access to this exhilarating event. So when Tyler Farrar stormed uphill to the line in Saint-Fargeau and scored his second consecutive top-three stage finish, I was cheering the Versus telecast along with everyone updating feverishly on Twitter. Finishing less than a bike's length behind the stage winner, Farrar racked up his fourth top-five finish this month, and he's now tied for third place in the overall points battle. Tyler's teammates also continue to impress as Dave Zabriskie, Danny Pate and Julian Dean make the right moves to put him in place for success while Bradley Wiggins (5th) and Christian Vande Velde (8th) hold their spots in the overall top 10.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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-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.”
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.
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.
Sunday was a day of firsts for Team Garmin'sTyler 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!
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 teamon Twitter and - we saved the best for last - enter to win some amazing prizes in the Tour with Team Garmin Sweepstakes.
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!
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.
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.
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