September 1/07 11:17 am - Hesjedal to Slipstream in 2008

Posted by Editoress on 09/1/07
 

Slipstream Announces 2008 Roster and Invites Fans To “Get In The Slipstream” with a Contest to Design the Official 2008 Team Jersey
Courtesy Slipstream Sports

Slipstream Sports LLC and its chief venture, the Slipstream/Chipotle Professional Cycling Team, is poised for a big year. The powerhouse, dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions, today unveiled it’s highly-anticipated 2008 team roster, announced that it has signed Chipotle Mexican Grill as a co-title sponsor, and plans for a world-wide competition to design the 2008 team jersey.

The 2008 Team Slipstream/Chipotle roster is comprised of: David Millar, Christophe Laurent, Julian Dean, David Zabriskie , Christian Vande Velde, Magnus Backstedt, Tyler Farrar, Maartijn Maaskant, Tom Danielson, Dan Martin, Chris Sutton, Trent Lowe, Ryder Hesjedal, Danny Pate, Pat McCarty, Will Frischkorn, Jason Donald, Lucas Euser, Tom Peterson, Mike Friedman, Huub Duyn, Kilian Patour, Timmy Duggan and Steven Cozza.

Slipstream Sports, in partnership with the Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), created the most aggressive anti-doping program in the professional sports world in 2007. All athletes on the 2008 Slipstream/Chipotle Team will voluntarily participate in this program and will be tested over 1,200 times during 2008. This is more than 20 times the number of tests that most professional cyclists are subject to annually through the sports’ governing body, Union Cycliste International.

“We are poised for an outstanding year and are excited to have grown our relationship with Chipotle,” said Doug Ellis, Slipstream Sports’ Chairman and majority owner. “This is hands-down the strongest group of riders we have ever had. We are continuing to compete at higher levels and in 2008, you will see us at bigger races – hopefully the biggest. But the goal of our team remains the same: to re-establish cycling's credibility, re-gain the trust of fans around the world, and re-kindle the hope of fair sport.”

Slipstream Sports LLC continues to seek a primary title sponsor for the team.

Chipotle Signs on as Presenting Sponsor, Increases Sponsorship Considerably

Recognizing Slipstream’s commitment to re-establishing integrity into professional cycling, Chipotle considerably increased its two-year-old sponsorship with the team, signing on as presenting sponsor as the team pursues its goal of going to the Tour de France in 2008.

About seven years ago, Chipotle launched a vision it calls “Food With Integrity,” and started an incremental revolution aimed at finding better alternatives for every ingredients it uses. That commitment has lead the national chain of burrito restaurants to serve more naturally raised meat (meat coming from animals that are raised in a humane way, never given antibiotics or added hormones, and fed a pure vegetarian diet) than any other restaurant in the world.”

“Better food comes from farms that emphasize care over the use of chemicals. Unfortunately, producing food this way has become the exception rather than the rule,” said Chipotle Marketing Director Jim Adams. “We’ve taken bold steps to change that, just like Slipstream has taken bold steps to change the world of professional cycling for the better.”


“Get in the Slipstream” Contest Lets Fans Enter for a Chance to Design the Official 2008 Slipstream/Chipotle Jersey

For the first time in cycling history, a fan will design a professional team jersey. Slipstream’s “Get in the Slipstream” contest will allow fans to submit design ideas for the official 2008 Team Slipstream/Chipotle jersey. The winning design will become the official team jersey, worn by the team in and out of competition for the entire 2008 season. The winner will also receive a full team kit and jersey autographed by the team members.

Fans can submit design ideas from August 31 – September 15, 2007 on the Slipstream Sports Web site (www.slipstreamsports.com). Contestants will only need to incorporate orange and blue argyle, as well as logos for Chipotle, Felt and Slipstream Sports. These logos and other relevant information can also be found on www.slipstreamsports.com.

A panel of judges, including Doug Ellis and Jonathan Vaughters, will select the top 5 jersey designs on September 21, 2007 and the public will then be invited to vote for the winning jersey.

Team Slipstream/Chipotle will compete in a full slate of international races throughout the spring and summer, including the Amgen Tour of California, Tour of Georgia and are poised to compete in Paris-Nice, Criterium International, Philly Week (Lancaster, Reading and Philadelphia), Dauphine Libere, USPRO Criterium, USPRO Road Race, Tour of Missouri, and, hopefully, the Tour de France.
   Vuelta Ciclista a Venezuela

Report by Symmetrics Fuelled By FarmPure

It was a regular day at the Venezuelan office for Symmetrics Fuelled by FarmPure, with very little hills and very bad roads. With potholes all over, many of the riders were seen at the back of the caravan, getting their handlebars re-adjusted. Although a break did get clear for 3/4 of the race, ultimately it came back together for a very hectic bunch spring. Jake Erker managed to finish just outside the top 10, but more importantly, the team stayed safe in the bunch.