Good morning and happy hump day.   Lots going on in Velo-ville this week, so let's get right to it!

Upcoming Events

A feature of the web site you might find helpful is our Calendar of Events.  We keep this calendar up to date with all the key events for the team, including the organized rides some or all of the team is participating in, along with events like Lunch and Learns, Bicycle Clinics, Packet Pick-Ups, etc.   Another way to see what is going on is to check our Event Schedule, which focuses exclusively on the training rides and organized rides we do, including weekday rides like the Hillfest and the FFR (Family Friendly Ride), along with weekend funfests like the LBJ 100 (which I'm really looking forward to - I love that part of Texas) and the Fiesta Wildflower Ride.   Don't be bashful - check out what's going on, and if it fits into your schedule, come join us!  We don't bite (very hard), and I guarantee you that we'll get you in the best shape of your life, introduce you to some extremely fun people, and help you make a contribution to the community you live in.   (Now, we don't offer refunds on this guarantee, but to be quite honest - no one has ever asked, and I don't think they ever will...)

An event I'm really looking forward to - toobin' down the San Marcos River during the San Antonio Tour de Cure!

Crank Up that VVM

As we get closer to the start of the Tour de Cure event season (which begins May 4th, with Dan's team from Benicia riding in the Napa Valley Tour de Cure), let's start cranking up the Velo Valero Mojo (VVM).   This means as you train during the week and participate in organized rides like the LBJ 100, wear that Velo jersey and those team socks, throw on a few Velo tattoos, wear a red ADA wrist band or two, and tell everyone you meet on the road that you are a proud member of the finest cycling team in the land, one that has stepped up once again to the challenge of being a National Team in the battle against diabetes.    If you need wristbands or tattoos - come on by.  Look for other Velo Valero riders while you are on the road, and if you don't know them, introduce youself.   And finally, if you're a San Antonio rider, mark your calendar for Sunday, April 27th.  That is when Velo is going to host the joint Tour de Cure training ride for all the other teams in the area.  I want to show some mad love to teams like the Cool Cats and Team Faaster that have done such an awesome job hosting rides for us this spring - more details to come!

NOTE: For those of you who ordered a jersey this spring, they should be coming in the last week of April - I'll keep you posted.  We'll definitely have them by the Valero HQ packet pick-up on May 6th.

Extreme VVM in action - riders at the start of the 2007 Bike to the Beach - you can almost hear those whistles blowin'!

Fundraising Status - "Yippee! We are over $20,000" (actual quote from David earlier this morning)

 Here's the current status of our fundraising from our resident guru, David Sloan -

As of Thursday, April 17, there is only ONE MONTH remaining until it's wheels on the road for the 2008 San Antonio Tour De Cure!  That means it is time to make that final fundraising push.  If you have been using your Tour web site to send e-mails to your prospective supporters, and are wondering if they are getting through those ever more sophisticated spam filters, here is what I am doing to be sure that the message is being received.

• Click on the "Follow Ups" button.  This will bring up the list of people in your database, and also shows who has donated.
• At the top of the "Contacts List" window is a drop down menu. 
• Click on that and use the Filter - Those who have not donated on  your behalf for this event.
• Click on the "GO" button to bring up the list of people that have not yet donated
• Now, either print the list or download the list
• Pick out the folks who have not opened any of your previous e-mails and assume that their spam filter has prevented your message from getting through.
• Personally e-mail each one of those individuals using your home e-mail.  This does two things for you:
• First, your personal e-mail will very likely get through any firewall
• Second, if the e-mail address is no longer working, you will get a response that will allow you to update your list

Yes, it's a little work, but then so is training for the ride.  Don't forget, the money goes to find a cure for diabetes.

- David

As of today, the San Antonio team has pushed over the $20,000 mark, and nationwide, we are almost at $31,000.  The glass is filling, my friends, but there's still plenty of empty space for our fundraising to occupy.  I know I sound like a broken record on this, but hey, it's my job and this is such a great cause that I truly believe in - If you riding in a Tour de Cure event this spring and haven't raised the minimum yet, what are you waiting for?  If you've raised the minimum, why stop there? To see our current fundraising totals, click here. 

Rider of the Week

Our new rider of the week is (drum roll please!) Tanya Carrasco, who works in the Organizational Development (OD) department at Valero HQ.  Tanya is training hard for the upcoming San Antonio Tour de Cure - to read more about her and why she decided to ride this year, click here.

...see ya' on the road!

- Peter

P.S. I'll be out Friday on a recruiting trip in Austin, and on vacation next week, so please contact David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com) for any team related matters during this time.