Hello Velo Valero !
Hope this e-mail finds you doing well and enjoying the hot weather of July. We have not sent many e-mails as we know what a busy time summer is and thought we'd give you a brief hiatus post Tour de Cure.
However, if you have been thinking "...October is a LONG time away, I still have plenty of time to start training for the MS 150," you may want to pull out the calendar and take a look. According to my count, the MS 150 is just 13 weeks away! It's hard to believe! So, it's time to dust off your bikes, find your helmets and shoes, wash your Velo Valero jersey and hit the road!
TRAINING PROGRAM
12 weeks is the absolute minimum training schedule you should follow to be ready for the 150 mile distance of the MS 150. It is suggested that to prepare for this distance, that you ride 90-150 miles per week in a staggered schedule with at least one long ride weekly. Remember to build your distance slowly and vary your training routes to practice distance, speed, cadence, climbing, and flat terrain riding techniques. By September, you should also plan to begin doing back to back distance rides on the weekends. This will prepare your "bottom" for the long seat time you will have the weekend of the event. Believe me this makes such a difference!
Our formal training program will begin in August. However, we currently have "leaderless" rides on Wed evenings and Saturday mornings. There are also groups who meet Sundays. Check out the training site for details by clicking on: http://www.velovalero.com/forums/thread/10.aspx
We will be offering a "New Rider" program again this year for those riding for the first time or the first time in a while. All rides will leave from Valero parking lot or Starbucks Leon Springs. Gwen King will be coordinating the schedule. Check the website soon for more details.
In August, we will have our first official team training ride, starting at 7:30 am from the Valero NORTH Parking Lot. Please plan to join us!
APPAREL WEB SITE IS OPEN!
We are pleased to announce that the NEW AND IMPROVED Velo Valero Apparel Store is open for business! Thanks to the efforts of our wonderful webmaster, Peter Ray, we are now taking orders on our web site for team apparel, including jersies, shorts, and bibs. Some of the new features of our ordering process include: (1) Credit card Payments via PayPal (2) Ability to order multiple quantities of the same item in one order (3) A Shopping Cart which allows you to verify/change your order before finalizing. Progress is a beautiful thing!
To access our on-line store, go to our web site and click on the 2006 Fall Apparel Order link in the upper right corner of the screen, or go directly to http://www.velovalero.com/store. Select your items, verify quantities, then proceed to checkout. Payment is required via either Credit Card or PayPal. (You don't have to be a PayPal member if you pay via credit card.) If you are a company employee, please specify your work location as your shipping address because we'll be distributing the items via intercompany mail. We will be making our order to the manufacturer in late August, and delivery ex pected by mid-September in time for the 2006 Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach. Additional instructions are on the web site. One last note: All team members riding the Bike to the Beach require the newest version of our team jersey. Since Valero is the primary sponsor on this ride, team Velo Valero will be the first group of riders at the starting line and we want to look sharp for the TV cameras and photographers.
TEAM WAIVER AND MEMBERSHIP CARD
To ride with the team, we need everyone to sign an "on-line" waiver of responsibility. Click here to access.
MEMBERSHIP CARD
This year we are distributing the team membership card electronically. Click here to access. The team membership card is good for 10% discounts for local SA bikeshops. (We are working on creating cards with discounts at other team locations).
MEDIA DAY EVENT
You are invited to participate in a special Press Conference to kick off this year's event and announce Valero Energy as this year's title sponsor. It will be held this THURSDAY, July 13th at 10:00 am at the ATT Center. If you can break away from work, please plan to join us and don't forget to wear your Velo Valero jerseys or T-shirts. Also, bring your bike. There will be a quick ride around the AT&T center immediately following the press conference to create some "B-roll" footage for media photographers to use as a visual for their broadcast.
2006 MS 150 KICK OFF PARTY - COWBOY DANCE HALL - JULY 19th
Everyone's invited! Join us for our Bike Tour Kick-Off Party in San Antonio on July 19 at Cowboys Dancehall. The doors open at 5:30 pm. In honor of the appearance of David Lander ("Squiggy" from Laverne & Shirley), the 2-hour party is designated a retro 50's bash. Come as you are or dress 50's style: greased hair, bee-hive hair, short-sleeved t-shirts, hooped skirts ... you get the picture. Don't forget your Valero T-shirts!! They will look great with rolled up jeans and a leather jacket.
Come register for the Bike Tour ... we'll also roll back to early-bird registration of $25 for the night, but only for registrations submitted at the party. Yes, you can also register your friends, and register as many people as you want this one night at $25 per registration.
Please RSVP by July 14 by calling 1-800-FIGHT-MS (1-800-344-4867) and press 1.
REGISTRATION and FUNDRAISING
If you have not yet registered for this year's event, simply click on http://biketothebeach.ms150.org/btb/ and be sure to register as a member of Velo Valero under team captain Laura Vaccaro.
Also, now is the time to begin fundraising. Velo Valero has set a goal of $125,000 this year. We hope to meet and possibly exceed our goal and sustain our place as the TOP FUNDRAISING TEAM in San Antonio. An honor we have held now for 4 years running. Remember, we need YOU to help us reach this very important goal...Go Velo Valero!
EVENT INFO
This year, the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach Bike Tour rolls through South Texas Oct. 7 –8, 2006, benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Lone Star Chapter.
More than 3,000 participants will roll out from the AT&T Center, home of the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, Oct. 7. After an Overnight stay at the Coastal Bend College in Beeville, the Tour finishes Sunday, Oct. 8, at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi.
Also new to the 2006 Valero MS 150 is the introduction of a “recreational start” on both Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8. At each Day One and Day Two Start Line, riders who want to maintain a brisk cycling speed will depart at 7:30 a.m. Following this departure is the “recreational start” for cyclists who are more comfortable taking a leisurely pace.
The goal of the “recreational start” is to safely address the various cycling experience levels of Tour participants, to more efficiently move participants out of each day's Start Line and to reduce the number of cyclists passing one another.
LODGING
If you have not yet secured a hotel room for October, you may start thinking about camping out. As in years past, the hotel availability in Beeville is basically non-existent. Sinton is the place where most Velo Valero team members will be staying at the Best Western Hotel. I believe this hotel is also sold out at this point. But you can double check by calling: (361) 364-2882. Valero shuttles will provide transportation between Beeville and Sinton. More details regarding the shuttle schedule will be solidified as we get closer to the event. As an alternative to the hotel, there are multiple places to camp in Beeville on the grounds of the college. You can also bring RVs if you have family members who will be serving as your private SAG crew during the weekend.
Many have asked about sleeping under the Valero tent. You can opt for this spot, however, be forewarned that our cooking crew is up and active at 3 am with the power generator going full throttle. I would not recommend this option if you need a full night of sleep to be fresh in the morning.
If you have questions regarding lodging, please do not hestitate to call or e-mail me.
PERKS of Team Membership
As in years past, Velo Valero will have separate transportation for team members for both bikes and luggage. We will have a special drop off point at the AT&T center on the morning of Oct 7th and on Sunday Oct 8th in Corpus. Items will be transported from SA to Beeville and then Corpus to SA on the return trip Sunday. This service is provided free of charge as a benefit to team members.
We will also have a team tent again in Beeville which provides some of the best barbeque in Texas on Saturday evening as well as a delicious breakfast on Sunday morning. On Saturday evening , we will also have some live entertainment in the tent for your listening pleasure. Massage therapy will also be available immediately adjacent to our tent. We will have over a dozen massage therapists on site who have agreed to provide 25 minute sessions for $20 per person. We will have volunteers on site coordinating the schedule again. You can sign up in advance or on-site for your time slot. Appointments will be taken on a first come first served basis.
Finally, personal SAG support will also be provided for Velo Valero team members. We will have a non-published phone # available for all team members to use in the event that you need road side assistance or a ride any time during the weekend. These same shuttles will provide FREE rides from Corpus Christi to San Antonio on Sunday as well. We will have a sign up available on the web site in the next few weeks. We typically have room for about 40 people. So if you want to avoid paying the transportation fee for the MS 150 shuttles, let us know.
IN CLOSING...
I believe this should cover most questions you might have at this point. If not, you e-mail me at laura.vaccaro@valero.com or call me at (210) 345-2500 with your questions. As in years past, friends family and all interested in joining us are most welcome to join our team. We simply require that you have your minimum fundraising of $300 complete BEFORE the event, that you wear a Velo Valero Jersey (latest version), that you wear a helmet and that you complete our on-line waiver form and membership application so that you receive team correspondance via e-mail.
Take good care...see you on the road soon!
Laura