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Dear Velo Valero –
Happy Holidays!
2006 is coming to a close and I want to thank each of you personally for your participation in our team this year. It was an extraordinary year – we broke fundraising records for the Tour de Cure and the MS 150, we rode thousands of miles in all types of weather, and we made memories that will hopefully last a lifetime. Each of you should be proud of what you accomplished this year – as athletes, as volunteers, as fundraisers, and as role models for your friends and family.
For those of you that trained hard for our big rides, you know the types of sacrifices you made. I know I could have easily decided to sleep late on those Saturday mornings during the summer when I knew it was going to be 100 degrees in the shade and John “the Punisher” had scheduled a training ride that was somehow 95% uphill. But I didn’t. And neither did you. You trained hard, you rode hard, you had a good time with great people, and in the process, you gave back to the community. That is the real mission of this team. |
Yes, our team reached extraordinary new heights in 2006. And, the heart and soul of our team has been outgoing Team Captain, Laura Vaccaro. No one cared more, worked harder, or rode harder than Laura in the two years she has been Captain. We jokingly referred to her as the “slave driver” because of the amount of work she managed to coax out of her Board of Directors and other team members. But none of us ever complained. She believed so strongly in what she was doing, that she made us believe also. The real test of leadership is the conviction and enthusiasm of those being led. Laura is moving on to bigger and better things, but she will always be a part of this team. For that reason, she's the first official inductee into the Velo Hall of Fame.
When I was asked by the Board to become Captain in 2007, my first reaction was, “No way – those are awfully big stilettos to fill! I can’t do that…” But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was my turn to step up. My qualifications are (in no particular order):
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I’ve been a member of this team since 2000 when I first got into cycling. Some of my fondest memories and some of my closest friendships have been the result of being a part of Velo Valero.
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I’ve worked side by side with the extraordinary Board of Directors that Laura assembled, including great riders and volunteers such as PJ, Chuck, John, Zora, Stan, David, Char, Gwen, Sammy, Kent, and Ken.
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I've eaten the incredible barbeque of Chef Fausto on more rides than I can count.
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I've floated in an inner tube after 80 hard miles in the saddle and watched Rusty and Kerry jump from an overpass into the San Marcos River six inches from me and managed not to spill my beer.
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More than once I’ve been part of a 50-person pace line roaring into a Corpus headwind with the power of a freight train (you know what I'm talking about!).
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And finally, I was almost pecked to death by a hungry Hill Country vulture after I passed out from the heat during a solo training ride one summer.
So, I've done my time - it’s definitely my turn to step up.
My goal as Captain is to continue the momentum and programs of my predecessors. The Texas riders on the team will focus on three main rides in 2007. As a full team, we'll do two multi-day fundraising rides (the Tour de Cure and the Valero MS 150), along with a single-day, family-friendly ride (we'll replace the Mission to Mission ride with the Three Rivers Hotter Than Salsa ride). Valero is the presenting or title sponsor for each of these rides, so it makes sense for our team to support them. We’ll continue to run training programs throughout the year for both new and experienced riders. For the fundraising rides we do, we’ll require you to raise the minimum, but encourage you to raise more if possible. It's your personal choice which cause you choose to emphasize with your fundraising. One thing is certain - Valero has always been a pacesetter in our charitable endeavors, so count on us exceeding our 2006 numbers. Finally, we’ll continue to focus on Safety as a core value, and we’ll offer programs to educate all types of riders on riding techniques, performance cycling, nutrition, and bicycle maintenance.
One thing I want to do is encourage Velo Valero team members to ride and ride often – this is, after all, a cycling team. I'd love to participate in an organized team ride every weekend, but I have two teenage children and a wife who (for some reason) want me around the house every now and then. But don't let that slow you down - there are plenty of cycling events in Texas and elsewhere throughout the year team members can participate in, including the BP 150 and the Hotter Than Hell. For these events I want to deputize Ride Captains who will help organize Velo Valero’s presence and participation. This includes organizing our team at the starting lines, coordinating transportation and other logistics, and writing a summary of the event for our web site. If you have an event you want to ride in that is not on our schedule and want to help out, let me know.
In addition, I want to grow the national presence of the team. Valero is a Fortune 50 company, and I want us to be a Fortune 50 Team. This will involve identifying Captains at the Valero locations where we have active riders, and helping them in every way possible to grow their teams. This includes coordinating national apparel orders, negotiating equipment discounts, and providing services on our team web site. We’ll encourage the local teams to participate in regional Tour de Cure and MS rides, so that as a National Team we grow our presence and fundraising totals for these worthy causes.
Finally, I want to do everything possible to make you feel that you are part of an large and growing community of cyclists, volunteers, friends, and family. This is something that Laura did really well, and I want to keep up the tradition. Feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions or concerns about the team. The team is so large, I don’t know if I’ll ever get a chance to meet and greet each and every one of you, but I sure as hell will try.
See ya’ on the road!
- Peter
P.S. John Tenison is leading a series of winter training riders. Give him a shout at john.tenison@valero.com if you want to join in!