The Field Rolls By My House

Watching the live coverage of the Tour of California, then walking out and watching it roll through was pretty damn cool I have to say.  And, as I mentioned in today's Fruit of the Wise, I'm more amped than ever to have an OrganicAthlete team in a races like this.

Some will ask. "well, why don't you enter?"  It's just not that easy.  The OrganicAthlete team, though young and full of heart, is short on several things that could get in race like this: a pro license, athletic depth, experience, staff, results, and money.  I'll go over these in more detail to give you a sense of how far we have to go.

Pro License
In order to even hope to get an invitation to the Tour of California, a team must be registered with the Union Cyclist International (UCI) as a professional team.  In the US, USA Cycling handles the processing of pro teams.  To be a pro team you need a minimum of 8 riders and a max of 16.  The majority of riders must have a racing age of under 28.  There are also about $10000 in fees associated with registering as a pro team, but this is the least of the worries.

Athletic Depth
I might've been able to hang on to the field on today's stage, but our team riders would have SUFFERED today.   We have some guys who are up and coming for sure, but we're are nowhere near capable of the speed, duration, and power the rest of the field calls easy.   To be able to compete in a race like the Tour of California, our athletes need at least 1-2 more seasons of development to be able to handle a load like this.

Experience
We are a hopeful group of aspiring racers.  In some circles, this means "pack fodder."  In others it means "DFL."  But regardless of where we finish in the races this year, our team has to gain the experience of the work it takes to race at the top.  The Hard Road is a movie that explains this well.  I was just beginning to understand the mental strength required of pro cycling when I stopped racing in 2002.  It's all coming back to me quickly, but I still have a long way to go.

Staff
Right now, our team "staff" is yours truly.  In all but a few exceptions in pro cycling, the role of team manager is someone other than a rider.  I have a hard enough time keeping up with my own training and life, then through on running a team and managing an organization and it gets a little crazy.  [NOTE: I am presently looking for a team manager - someone who believes in the mission of what the OA team is all about and has the passion to see that it grows]

Results
1st in the Apple Pie Criterium is not enough.

Money
Sure, sponsoring a pro cycling team is *relatively* inexpensive compared to a full ad campaign at the Super Bowl, but giving riders a couple jerseys and a pat on the back just won't cut it for racing at the pro level.  The team needs a minimum of $250,000 to play.  Right now, that's 2.5x OrganicAthlete's entire budget. 

We've got a ways to go as you can see, but I'm cheering this team on.  Are you?