Never has Cayman played host to such a collection of sporting talent as will be on Island next week.
Most of the 2011 lineup of the Garmin-Cervelo professional cycling team will be here for a pre-season team building camp.
The squad includes reigning world road race champion Thor Hushovd from Norway, Commonwealth Games gold medallist and world time trial championship silver medallist David Millar from Scotland, top sprinter Tyler Farrar from the United States, as well as former top five Tour de France finisher Christian Vande Velde of the United States and top ten finisher Ryder Hesjedal of Canada. The team also includes cyclists from Australasia and South America, making it a truly global group.
The team was formed when it was announced earlier this year that Garmin-Transitions, owned and operated by Slipstream Sports, would be joining forces with Cervelo SA to form what can best be described as a super team.
One of the headline stories in the cycling media has been the bringing together of traditional sprinting rivals Hushovd and Farrar in one team, with many commentators speculating that this could cause friction within the team. Although both cyclists were quick to play down any perceived rivalry, stating that they harboured different goals for the season, the international cycling media will be keeping a close eye on Cayman next week to see whether the team emerges from the camp as a cohesive unit or one split along former team lines.
In total, close to 30 riders and a large group of support staff will attend the camp, which will look to bring two groups of former competitors together in one team.
The squad will take part in team building exercises designed to not only bring them together as a unit, but also showcase the best of what Cayman has to offer, so they will be able to tell the rest of the professional cycling community about their experiences in Cayman, according to local organiser Tom McCallum.
The team will also receive their new team bicycles, with the cycling world eagerly anticipating the introduction of the new team colour scheme. There has been much speculation that the distinctive blue and orange argyle pattern that has become so well known as part of the Garmin-Transitions kit would be forsaken, and cycling fans around the globe will be waiting with bated breath to see whether the training camp in Cayman will reveal the look of the new kit.
The Cayman Pro Cycling Camp 2010 will also feature two events on Thursday 2 December at which local and visiting cycling fans will be able to meet the team.
On Thursday at 9am, the Ride with the Pros, sponsored by Walkers, will give local and visiting cyclists the opportunity to join the team on a training ride. The group will set off from the Reef Resort in East End at a leisurely pace toward Rum Point, from where the group will return to the Reef via Frank Sound Road and East End. There will be refreshments after the ride, with an opportunity to meet the riders. Cyclists can enter for just the ride at US$30, or pay US$100 for a package that includes a limited edition cycling jersey autographed by members of the team. There will also be additional jerseys, tech shirts and polo shirts on sale.
At 7pm, the team will attend the Evening with the Pros social and charity auction at Camana Bay, sponsored by Piedra Winery. For CI$100/US$125 guests can mingle with the pros in a casual atmosphere while being treated to catering by Abacus, wine by Piedra Winery and beer by Caybrew. The event will include a charity auction that will feature various items, including cycling memorabilia and three team racing bikes donated by Garmin-Transitions, the proceeds of which will benefit the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. The winners of the bikes will also have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the team member who raced the bike.
According to Steve Abbott, president of the Cayman Islands Cycling Association, this is a unique opportunity for Camyan.
“With the whole team appearing, including supporting staff and management, in Cayman for their first ever training camp, the camp provides a window of opportunity for the local cyclists to tap into a great deal of knowledge and experience, that shall benefit the growth of cycling on the Island,” he said.
The main sponsors of the event are The Ministry and Department of Tourism, the Reef Resort, Piedra Winery and Walkers, with The Cayman Islands Journal as the local media partner for the event.
For more information or to book a ticket to the events, visit caymancycling.com, or call 324-9003.
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