Urgent Press Release: Team Announcement

I've been itching to share this since Interbike; awesome news from our professional racing team. And yes, they're still on Masi!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy Debuts Industry-Supported, All-American UCI Team

COLUMBUS, Ohio (October 3, 2008) – A new UCI Continental Pro Team is set to debut in 2009! The team formerly known as Team Inferno has become Kenda Pro Cycling presented by Spinergy for 2009 and beyond, signing a talented roster to challenge the domestic road racing scene on all fronts.

While primarily a criterium team with international fire power in 2007 and 2008, the team’s management, cast of sponsors and financial backers have unanimously opted for something unique: a purely industry-supported and American-driven professional team. This means not only a 100% American roster, but all staff are US citizens as well.

“This has been a long and challenging road, but we could not be happier with the idea, or the final product!” said team Director, Chad Thompson. “We have spent 4 years learning, 4 years building and 4 years networking to make a truly special program. And, this was not all Inferno Racing’s design. Stefano Lumbaca of Kenda actually contacted us with the idea and it simply took off from there!”

While the program will miss its international contingent dearly, the concept is one that Inferno believes is important. Many teams have collapsed in this pained economy and as such, fewer teams will exist domestically in 2009. This means American racers will be without a home, and to have talented racers from abroad take the few openings that remain simply is not in the best interests of American cycling. This sport is experiencing resurgence in America, and Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy aims to have Americans at the helm.

With the addition of long-time sponsor Spinergy as the presenting sponsor, the team finds itself in the unique position of being the only domestic team backed entirely by bicycle industry support. “Apart from the newly announced Cervelo Test Team, which is a Pro Tour team, we are the only other professional team of its kind that I know of. And, we are a single citizenship team. This means our entire roster can line-up at our National Championship races!” stated Thompson.

While most sponsors have returned for 2009 through 2011, some new partners have joined to support the team in the domestic peloton and to adjust their sights on races such as the Tour de Georgia and the Tour of Missouri. Team assistant manager/rider, Remi McManus exclaimed, “There is no doubt in my mind that this team will turn heads in 2009 and that every team backer, fan and fellow competitor will be impressed!”

While the team’s complete sponsor and supporter details are to be released in the very near future, the roster has been finalized with all riders putting the ink to paper shortly after Interbike.

2009 Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy roster:

Professional – Chad Burdzilauskas, Jaime Gandara, Bennet van der Genugten, Remi McManus, Benjamin Renkema, Jacob Rytlewski, Tyler Stanfield, Timothy Swain, Scottie Weiss, Matthew Winstead.

Elite – Marco Aledia, James Baldesare, Jeffrey Braumberger, Ryan Gamm, Richard Harper, Ryan Rish, Russell Stevenson, Chadwick Thompson.

Team updates are available at www.kendaprocycling.com or www.infernoracing.org and in any issue of ROAD Magazine!

I'm really happy about this news and can't wait for the next season to begin!

Tim

My team is better than your team!

I love my guys...

Scroll down to the leader boards. That's what I'm talkin' about!

Tim

Random is me...

Warning; Whine about to begin...

So, yes, I've been "hella" busy for as long as I can remember. I was trying to do more posting with substance and whatnot, but it's been damned hard. Things in the office are so busy that posting from work has become totally impossible. For about a year now, it seems, I've been saying "things are really busy"... well, I guess "busy" now has a new definition.

The good news to all of this, is that there are a lot of really cool things happening. The future of Masi and the product is really exciting. I won't give everything away right now, but there are cool products coming that I am more than a little confident you will dig... a lot... and some stuff that you wouldn't exactly expect from Masi (in a good way). Suffice it to say, I'm damned weary, but also damned excited.

Here are a couple things I can share with you right now... the Speciale Fixed;

Now there will be two colors of the bike that has been a runaway hit this year- Orange (like the current model, but with the decal colors reversed) and the all-new Shamrock green (a gorgeous green that has a gold metal flake base coat). Both bikes will now come with a new steel fork that uses a lugged flat crown and lugged dropouts. It's a really beautiful fork. Please keep in mind that images are just for color and decal approval, so this isn't the exact bike you'll see on the floor... but it's darned close. For example, the Shamrock Green has a beige/ creme colored fill in the large panels and the bar tape is a really cool marbled brown that looks like a cross between wood grain and cork... it's really nice looking. The actual bikes, like the current version, will not have a sloping top tube like these images. Other than that... man are they gonna be pretty...

Since I'm in a giving mood, I'll share one more with you, to keep you salivating...

Here's the next version of the Coltello track racing frameset. This sideview does NO justice to the actual paint- trust me, I got the tube sample today... this is going to be another truly beautiful frame (yes, Squirrel, I know you want one when they come in). On the framset front... the CXR cross bike will actually be available as a frameset and the 3VC carbon frame will be available in a super cool Team Issue version with special graphics... so sexy it'll make you cry. I promise.

Speaking of the team... I've been a terrible cheerleader. On May 25th, Rich Harper of the A&F team rode a stellar race at the Raleigh Downtown Crit.

Stolen from CyclingNews.com- photo by Robert Harvey (the team bought the rights to this... I hope...)

This was another NRC event packed with all-star US pro riders. Rich worked his ass off and got into the winning break that lapped the field and held on for third place (his first podium appearance in an NRC event) in front of his friends and family in his hometown. "Harpoon" is a certifiable nut... I mean, he's got papers to prove it, I'm sure. That said, he's one of my favorite riders on the team, even if he is a time trialist trying to pass himself off as a real sprinter (HA!).

Much to my disappointment, he got rid of the hair...

Not only did Rich rock the team kit, but at the podium interview, he even gave a big thanks to Masi. He also managed to lay down the law; the interviewer made a comment roughly to the effect that the team was the dominant amateur team of the year and he quickly corrected him with, "who you callin' amateur?" I love this wacko.

On top of that, Mark Hekman, winner of Athens Twilight and the Southeast Crit Series overall, has continued to ride strongly and still occupies the #1 bib number in the NRC series. Mark is riding strong with the excellent support of the team and they are truly proving their worth in the races along with all of the "pro" teams. These guys are riding with such amazing heart, it makes me proud to be associated with racing again. With all the dope in the peloton, it's great to see these guys racing clean and winning with heart, passion and straight up determination. Keep an eye on these guys as they keep racking up the wins and continue to be dominant.

Nice work guys!

Ok, now I have to get back to staring at spreadsheets and writing a new catalog. Joy of joys...

Tim

Hot!

Go here...

See this...

Awesome!

Tim

I may have been wrong...

Previous claims of mine that "I am not dead", may have been a little premature.

Instead of "dead", it looks like I am just simply "sick" with what looks to be a really nasty case of bronchitis. I feel like death warmed over in a microwave... and my chest, back and throat hurt like hell from the very hard cough. I've been in bed for most of the day today and may find myself in the same spot again tomorrow, as I wait to get an appointment with my doctor.

So posting will be flat for a while still.

The boys from the A&F Pro Development team have received their team frames and forks and are hurriedly building them and driving to Macon, GA for their team camp. I attended camp last year and had one of the very best times I've ever had on a bike with a bunch of guys. Last year's team was simply amazing and from what I've seen so far of the new team, things are only going to be getting better.

As soon as I am able to sit up a little longer, I will begin to put up the rider bios and the remaining team press releases- along with pictures from camp (as they show up).

Sorry I can't be there this year guys... so send me cool stories and more incriminating pictures.

Tim