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May 2009 - Posts
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WOW! What can I say?? This weekend's 2009 San Antonio Tour de Cure was a thing of beauty and a ride for the ages. The weather was perfect, and routes were amazing, and Velo Valero was once again the largest team and the top fundraising team in this event, and David Sloan and David Pappal were the #1 and #2 fundraisiers.
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For more photos from the 2009 San Antonio Tour de Cure, click here. If you have some photos you'd like share with the team, choose your 3 to 5 best photos and mail them to cycling@valero.com and we'll post them to the site.
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For lots of photos from the event by Joel Spring and RxDesigns, click here.
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For rider testimonials (and to add your own), click here.
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A Round of Thanks for the Board of Directors and All the Volunteers are in Order
Thanks to all of you who stepped up during the weekend to make sure our team received a little extra attention. It was nice to have the team tent for riders when they had questions. As there were plenty.
A special thanks to Phoebe. She is going to school and has been extremely busy. Earlier in the year she asked if she could step down because of her busy schedule. I talked her into staying on and help when her schedule allowed. Without her, I would not have had the opportunity to ride on Saturday. I can't thank her enough for all that she did for us over the weekend.
Also, Grace for taking on the toobers and making all of the arrangements so everyone was able to find their way. She also helped get the team tent and tables from ADA, the VIP parking passes, and provided assistance to two riders who went down on day 1. She made sure their bikes were transported to San Marcos and were able to find the way back to them. One of the riders was on the Velo team. I spoke with her at the hospital on Saturday afternoon. She is doing well and was able to come to San Marcos later that evening to get her luggage and bike. She was hoping to ride on Sunday but was not cleared by the doctor.
Seymour Battle, David Gross, Meagan Lehnhoff, Phoebe McCallum, Patricia Jones, Carl Crawford, John Tenison, and Kirstin Silberschlag, and I stayed after on Friday and where able to get all of the team supplies loaded in the van in just over 1 hour. Without your help, I'm sure Phoebe and I would have been there a lot longer. I was able to get home early and was able to get in a few extra hours of sleep.
Kirstin Silberschlag and Patricia Jones: Even though they were not riding on Saturday, they most likely worked harder as volunteers at the rest stops than us as riders. I know they had early morning duties and worked feverishly during their shift. I'm sure most of us were done way before they were.
I can't forget about John and Chuck. Between the two of you we have been able to provide rides almost every weekend since February. I can't remember a training ride on a Saturday when you were not available to lead the ride. You make sure our wheels keep moving.
Nerissa and Seymour who organized the volunteers. We all know without volunteers this ride would not be possible. It sure was nice to see them out of the route helping riders and being at the rest stop. The baked goods were a big hit. Phoebe even took the opportunity for a little extra fundraising and had a make shift bake sale on Saturday after dinner. I do have one complaint. Not a single motorcycle sag driver took me up on my offer to switch rides. I can't imagine why.
Sylvia, donated a few VTO hats to Bill Miller's for opening early so we could stop by for breakfast. They were extremely thankful and a few of the cooks put them on during their shift. She also picked up the left over milk and donated it to a charitable organization on Monday so it would go to waste.
It really hit home leading the riders out on Saturday morning and having Peter by my side. This was the true moment that the torch was passed to me. I have to say my eyes became a little watery and I felt such pride in all that we have done together to get to this point. I must give most of the credit for the accomplishments of our team to those captains before me. As Peter likes to say "we are a fundraising machine" I simply put in a little fuel to keep it moving. You should be proud of the Velo Valero Cycling team in which you all helped create. Your legacy continues each time we ride and every dollar that we raise.
The past and the present Velo Valero team captains. Monica, Rusty, Terry, Laura, Peter and Andrea
Next on the agenda is the Oklahoma City TdC on Saturday June 27th.
Thanks
Andrea
After Action Report on the San Antonio Tour de Cure by El Hefe
 Received this account of this weekend's Tour de Cure from Peter "El Hefe" Ray, the 2007-2008 Team Captain.
Well, I am sitting at home on a Sunday afternoon after two incredible days participating in the 2009 San Antonio Tour de Cure. This was my 8th TDC, and the one I was the least physically prepared for since I've done no long rides this year, and no back to backs. The 52 miles I rode on Saturday was the longest ride I did all year, and I followed that Sunday with 58 miles. I did a respectable 18.5 mph on Saturday, and dropped to 16.9 mph on Sunday, which officially disqualifies me from the Hammerhead Club. (In fact, some folks - who shall remain nameless - had the audacity to ask where my training wheels were when I announced Saturday morning that I was only doing the 52...) And you know what, I don't care. This was the most enjoyable cycling event I've done in a long time, for a number of reasons -
- Being at the front of the line with Andrea at the Day 1 start, and beginning the ride with her at my side. She said she got a little misty, and I have to admit I got a little verklempt also - it was really a passing of the proverbial torch.
- Stopping at the legendary Gruene Hall on Saturday for a beer (!!) during the ride Saturday with Teddy Bear, The Hammer, etc. - something I would never have done the last few years when I was in Hammerhead mode.
- Climbing that last massive set of hills towards the Blanco Hall dorms at the end of the Day 1 ride, and still feeling strong (largely due to many long hours in spin class with Donna, Stephanie, etc.) I was so worried about bonking or needing SAG because of the lack of training, so it felt really good to finish with a kick.
- Watching Jennifer Owns (aka, J-O) and Valero's very own High Octane band kick out the jams at the Day 1 Lunch tent. Many of the folks in High Octane are people that I hired, have worked for me, or I've worked with for many years, and it's so great to see them doing something they love - i.e., music - and getting better at it each performance.
- Toobin' down the river Saturday afternoon after the ride, a tradition that started years ago when Rusty "Broken Spoke" Ferguson was Captain, and something that has become a touchstone in my life - I told a number of people that it doesn't really feel like summer until I've toobed down the river during the TDC. Well friends, I can safely say that summer is officially in da' house!
- Watching at a distance the awards ceremony Saturday, seeing folks like the two Davids - Sloan and Pappal - win the top individual fundraising awards, and then Team Captain Andrea "Too Tall" Shull accept the top team awards on behalf of Velo Valero. I knew I would have mixed emotions about this since this was the first big team event since I stepped down, but all I felt was pride. I pushed the rock uphill for two years and built a good foundation on top of what Laura did, and now Andrea, along with new Board Members Grace, Nerissa, Seymour, etc., are bringing new energy and new ideas to the team that will take it into uncharted directions and dizzying heights I never imagined - how can I feel bad about this?? Some of the new things that were done this year - such as separating team member luggage based on color coded tags and having the dorm keys at a special VIP tent - were wonderful, and, to be quite honest, were things I never thought of during my time (and should have!!) Way to go Shull - the team is in very good hands!
- Finally, feeling that overwhelming exhiliration and adrenalin as the miles melted away on Day 2, and I approached the finish line at Atkins. It doesn't matter how many years I cycle, that feeling never gets old. The first half of 2009 was a tough 6 months for me - incredible pressure at work, a scary surgery for subdermal skin cancer far too close to my brain for comfort, and a teenage daughter who somehow discovered boys and graduated from high school in the same year. For a few hours on Satuday and Sunday, I was able to forget all about those things and enjoy the open road and clear Texas skies (and rivers) with the best of friends.
And, because no bike ride I do is complete without some sort of story, I give you the following. Well, we had just consumed massive amounts of pizza Saturday night at Valentinos, and I was walking back to the dorm with Veronica, D2, and Guido. We were in the San Marcos square, which is home to a number of bars and other student haunts. I was wearing my favorite Hawaiian shirt, a shirt so loud and electrifying it supplies power to the CPS grid when I'm not wearing it. Well, we're walking down the square, when a slightly tipsy, heavily perfumed, and very blonde co-ed walks by in a more muted Hawaiian shirt. She says to me, "That is a great shirt!" Without missing a beat, I reply, "Do you want to trade?" To my surprise, she answers, "Yes!" Well, we swap shirts, She disappears into one of the countless bars, and we continue walking back to the dorm. (I'm sure a slightly hungover co-ed woke up Sunday morning with that shirt on, looked in the mirror, and started screaming, "OH-MI-GOD!!") Somehow, these sorts of things always happen to me when I'm doing a ride. Whether it's catching Angie's baby or nearly getting pecked to death by vultures, something always seems to happen when I get on my bike and do a ride with this team. And you know what, that's not a bad thing. One of my favorite songs is Bonnie Raitt's "Angel From Montgomery", where in one verse she sings -
But how the hell can a person
Go on to work in the morning
To come home in the evening
And have nothing to say
The great thing about Velo Valero is you get to ride with good people for truly great causes, and I guarantee you that you will always have something to say when the ride is over. Hope to see many of you on the road in the second half of this year, as we all work hard to prepare for the first ever Valero Ride to the River on October 3rd and 4th.
- El Hefe
P.S. For the record, I did not use training wheels on this ride!
Pausing on the bridge in New Braunfels on Day 1, a long way from work and posing in my legendary Floresville Peanut pose
Rehydraing on Day 1 at the legendary Gruene Hall
J-O (aka, Jennifer Owens) belting out a tune with Valero's very own High Octane band during the Day 1 Lunch
El Hefe last summer in the Hawaiian shirt he no longer owns
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It's time to get the party started
Just a word of caution to all. Over 30 signs were either moved or taken off the course during last year's ride. Please be sure you study your routes prior to the ride since the 80 mile route for day one has a small change do to road construction just past Rest Stop 6. Additionally on both the 50 and 80 mile routes, there are a few spots where the road has been damaged due to the recent rains, so please be careful in those spots. If you have any questions ask one of the many volunteers along the way. There will be plenty of them around. If you get lost, you can always call the SAG support hotline for help.
FRIDAY; MAY 29TH: A group photo will be taken at the Valero Headquarters in the horseshoe by the main entrance at 7:45am sharp. Volunteers are asked to wear their TdC volunteer t-shirt and riders to be in their team jersey. Please show off your colors for the rest of the day since Valero employees have received approval to wear them to work. (NO JEANS)
The San Antonio Tour de Cure is only days away, and I don't know about you, but I'm getting really pumped! Our good friends at ADA are working feverishly on the last minute logistics of what promises to be another glorious weekend of cycling in Texas. I can already feel those rolling hills between San Antonio and Austin and smell that cool, clear water on the San Marcos River! Here's some last minute info you need to know to have your greatest Tour de Cure experience ever -
Be Loud and Proud!
Valero is once again the largest team with 103 riders and still growing, more importantly, we are the top fundraiser at this point with over $55,439 and lots of off-line dollars are still being accounted for. I want each and every one of you to be loud and proud this weekend! We are going to have a great time with great friends for a truly great cause - it doesn't get any better than this!
Saturday Start
- Please wear a current team jersey each day you ride in this event. Please bring your whistle and paste a few tattoos on to show your pride (they are in your goodie bag)!
- Some folks are meeting at the Bill Miller's for breakfast at 6:30am sharp.
Click for map Bill Miller #47 18195 San Pedro Ave.; San Antonio, Texas 78232 (210) 545-4303
The ride starts at the Pearson building (19500 Bulverde Road).
- At 6:30am:
- light continental breakfast at ride start
- registration opens
- luggage drop off
- bike shops available for bike inspection
- Opening ceremonies begin at 6:55am
Riders depart as follows:
80 miles - 07:40 am 52 miles - 07:50 am 14 mile family fun ride - 08:00 am
SAG support hotline is (210)710-4047 and Medical support is (903)746-0976. Don't forget to complete the information on the back of your rider number.
Luggage
- Each rider is limited to two pieces of luggage. (Be sure to write your name and rider number on the tags) Don't waste your time in the long lines. Look for the Velo Valero express luggage check in signs near the luggage drop off area. Use the official Velo Valero Packing Check List for this event to insure you bring everything you need to have a great ride and a great weekend.
- Try to have your bags dropped off before then, along with registering and/or turning in your waiver. That way afterwards you can head straight to the starting line.
Day 1 Finish Line
Dorms
- Keys to your dorm room will be issued at the finish line in the Velo Valero team tent. NOT IN THE DORM ROOM OFFICE. There's a fine if you lose these.
- The beds in the dorm are just bare mattresses - you'll need to bring your own sheets, pillows, blankets, and/or sleeping bags.
- You must bring your own towels and toiletries!
Toobin'
 Toobers in 2008
VELO continues their Toobin tradition with a fun, refreshing toobing experience after the Tour De Cure Day 1 ride in San Marcos! Lions Tubing will be picking up/returning VELO RSVP’s toobers at Blanco Hall! Map to the shuttle pick-up/drop off area
- There will be two group shuttle times, first come, first serve: 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. sharp! Please stay with your toobing group as Lions will be transporting VELO back to Blanco Hall. If you miss the shuttle, you are responsible to/from to the University. It is a short walk!! For those of you who have RSVP’d for the VELO Toobing adventure, please bring the following items:
- Cost of the toobing is $6.00 per person. Please bring extra money for beverage collection and for a tip for the drivers. Pay Grace or Dora at the Lions Tubing.
- If you want to toob and can't locate the team, call Grace at (210) 772-8147.
- If you want to go toobin, be realistic about the pace you will ride. If you plan on a slow to medium pace, please consider doing one of the shorter distances to insure you are on the water at 2:00 pm with the rest of us. You can always do the longer distance on Sunday.
More Saturday Hijinx
- The ADA has an official Saturday Celebration and dinner from 05:00 pm to 07:00 pm. Dinner will be provided, along with live entertainment and awards. This will be held in a outdoor area by the Blanco Hall dorms.
- Afterwards, there are lots of other entertainment options in downtown San Marcos, etc. Two important things to consider -
- Absolutely no alcohol can be consumed on the Texas State University grounds, including in your dorm rooms at Blanco Hall. This does not apply while we are toobin' and when we are off the campus grounds.
- Make sure you get some solid sleep Saturday night, because there's a big day of cycling on Sunday and no hotel wake-up calls are available.
- The Valero band "High Octane" will be playing in the main tent from Noon to 3:00pm. Please take a few minutes and stop by as they are very excited to be part of the festivities this year.
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Sunday Start
- At 5:30am the morning starts with breakfast.
- At 6:00am
- luggage drop off
- Drop off your dorm key in the dorm office. If possible, drop off key prior to heading for breakfast and beat the long line. *NOTE: Lost key fee is $80 per key and cost is charged to participant.
- Bike Shop available for bike inspections / fix any problems from Saturday
- 6:50am opening Ceremonies
Riders depart as follows:
78 miles - 07:10 am 55 miles - 07:20 am 25 miles - 07:30 am
Sunday Finish Line
- Finish line is at Akins High School in south Austin
- Lunch will be served beginning at 10:30 am
- Massages and live entertainment will be available
- Shuttle service to San Marcos and San Antonio begins at 1:00 pm
- Event concludes at 04:00 pm
Miscellaneous and Sundry
- If you are a Valero employee, be sure you have signed up on the volunteer sign up to ensure you receive your volunteer hours.
- Don't forget to thank the Volunteers during the event - they are the ones who really make all this possible. A few Velo Valero board memebers will be out on the course volunteering to ensure we all have a great ride. Laura Vaccaro and Kirstin Silberschlag will be at the Valero rest stop at the OLPH church in Selma. Phoebe McCullum will be in the team tent handing out the dorm room keys and helping both days at the finish line. Patricia Jones will be floating around rest stop 4, 5, and 6.
- Finally, if you have any off-line contributions to your fundraising, please enter them on your personal web site. If you need help with this, please contact Team Vice President and Fundraising Czar David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com). If you haven't done this yet, your funds aren't reflected in our team total.
Thanks for everyone's hard work and dedication to the team as we continue the Velo Valero tradition of being not only the biggest team but more importantly the top fundraising team. My hat goes off to all of you for taking the extra steps needed in these difficult times to support those that need us. Keep the rubber on the road and see you bright and early on Saturday morning.
Andrea
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Need a good laugh today, watch this video. Funny Bike Video
 Ride leader Carl Crawford provided the following write up: The Sunday Funday Casual Ride started from the Freetail Brewery around 8AM Sunday morning. We had a total of 8 riders that did anywhere from 25-35+ miles that included the hills on Scenic Loop, Cross Mountain and Babcock. Riders included Peter Ray, Alice Yates, Pat Harrington, Bryan and Heidi Lardizabal, and Michael (Team Broadway) and Neil (Team Broadway). Congratulations goes out to Heidi for making it up the long hill on Scenic Loop. She is improving every week and seems to be having a lot of fun along the way – Keep it up Heidi. Also, Peter added miles to his ride totalling 50 miles. This was his longest ride since February. Our rest stop was at the Starbucks in Leon Springs. Peter made an interesting comment while we were enjoying coffee and pastries in the middle of the ride. He told Michael and Neil that “riding with Carl is like being on a moveable feast.” That I cannot deny, I enjoy having fun on my rides and I prefer coffee over GatoradeJ!!! When leaving to head back to Cross Mountain, I decided to take a little detour into a neighborhood to avoid the traffic and rough road on Boerne Stage Road. Everyone seemed to enjoy the detour that included no traffic and a nice new smooth road. After the ride, several of us visited the Freetail for a post ride celebration.
Requirements to pick up packet and rider bib number: Minimum fundraising of $150 per cyclist and emergency waiver. (waivers will be available at each location). Fundraising money/checks can be turned in at each packet pickup location.
Thurs., May 21: 4pm-8pm Wed., May 27: 4pm – 8pm Thurs., May 28, 4pm – 8pm
Valero Energy Corp. Gold’s Gym-Goliad Rd. Performance Bicycle
One Valero Way 2828 Goliad 16648 N US Highway 281
San Antonio, 78249 San Antonio, 78223 San Antonio, 78232
Out of town riders can pickup their packets on Saturday, May 30th at the ride start. Morning registration starts at 6:30am and the ride start at 7:40am.
Breakfast will be provided by Mama Margie’s on Saturday morning for all registered riders starting at 6:30a.m.
Ride Information:
Ride Start Overnight Location Sunday Finish Line Location
Pearson TSU Blanco Dorm Akins High School
19500 Bulverde Rd. 701 Moore Street 10701 South 1st Street
San Antonio, TX. 78259 San Marcos, TX 78666 Austin, TX. 78748
Express Luggage and Dorm Room Check-In
As a member of the Velo Valero Bike Team, we will have express luggage areas during the ride. The ADA will post signs directing you to these areas through out the weekend. Please be sure to use the colored luggage label from your rider packets. Volunteers will be looking for these labels to sort the luggage and determine if you are a Valero team member. Without this label, your luggage will not be identified and, therefore, will not be in the express area.
There will be a Velo Valero Team tent in San Marcos in the courtyard area at the finish line. Please be sure to locate the tent and pick up your dorm room key. You will not be able to acquire your key from the dorm office. There will be several volunteers working in the tent to greet you and help assist you in finding your way. We will have a bulletin board for updates and emergency contact numbers.
Packing Check List Don’t forget to print and use the packing check list as a guide. Most seasoned riders will agree, it makes it a lot easier than trying to remember on your own. Packing a few days in advance is always a good idea. You still have time to get to the bike shop (again) for any last minutes items. If you realize that you forget something don’t fret. Someone on the team probably has a spare or you will end up not needing it. Things always find a way of working out, unless it’s your bike, a wheel, bike shoes, or your helmet. Anything else you can live without.
Still thinking about riding but haven't registered yet. There is still time. The absolute latest time for any supplemental registration form is Thursday, May 28th.
Don't forget the pre ride photo on Friday, May 29th at 7:45am sharp. (Valero Headquarters in the horseshoe at the main entrance) Please try to make it if you can. Riders are asked to be in their team jersey and volunteers in the Tour de Cure t-shirt. This is the only time volunteers will be available to be in the group picture. There will be another photo on ride day if you miss this one. However, most of the volunteers will be well on their way to their designated areas. Please thank them along the route as some of them will be up before the riders to ensure we have a safe and enjoyable ride.
Tanya and Phoebe hanging around waiting for the start of Tour de Cure 2008.
The San Antonio – Austin TDC ride is coming up fast, put don’t forget there are plenty of tour events across the country in which Velo Valero teams will be participating in. Be sure to check the calendar of events or click here and visit the ADA website to find additional tours and dates. Oklahoma is fast approaching. Please contact me if you are interested in receiving additional information regarding this tour event. andrea.shull@valero.com
A few of the Velo team from last year's Oklahoma Tour de Cure.
 MS Camp Can Do write up provided by Patricia Jones - AKA "PJ":
The MS Camp is located outside of Burton, TX. This camp is for adults who have MS. It gives them an opportunity to challenge themselves with fun camp activities in a very supervised manner. You know, in all the years that I have ridden in the Valero MS 150, I thought I had a good idea about what MS is and about how important the money is that we collectively raise for folks that have the disease. However, after going to this camp for my first time, my eyes have been really opened to how this debilitating disease effects folks that have it. I expected to see few people in wheelchairs, but it surprised me that the majority of the campers were in wheelchairs or walkers. Then meeting campers personally, I have come to understand how the disease symptoms progress and how it effects the daily lives of those that have it. Just seeing the smiles on the faces of campers enjoying the camp activities, did my heart great good!!
Just as a side note, my assigned camper was unable to participate in the “ropes” course, so she insisted that I climb the tower and participate in high ropes course on her behalf (Tony and Val Ralf were instigators as well). Well, I made a compete fool of myself climbing poles, shinnying across high ropes and being stuck in the Tarzan section of the high course to my camper’s great joy!! (Actually, I had a really good time as well, and the zip line down was very fun!)
I am so glad that I helped with this camp, and it certainly was a rewarding experience! I already have it on the calendar for next year. It definitely has given me a new perspective on why I ride in the Valero MS 150 and why I participate in other MS fundraising events.
Thanks to all the Valero Volunteers that helped with the 2009 Camp Can Do!!
PJ
PJ flying through the air on the zip line at MS Camp Can Do. Click here for more camp pictures.
Early registration for the Bike MS 2009 Alamo Ride to the River end soon. Also, Schlitterbahn has extended the deadline for reserving a room until July 1st. Once you have raised the $300 minimum, contact me at andrea.shull@valero.com to reserve your room. Click here to register for the ride as a member of the Velo Valero team. Click here for more ride information.
$40 (Reg.) Mar 2 – May 31 $60 (Reg.) Jun 1 – Sep 27
See you tonight at packet pickup.
Andrea
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San Antonio Velo Valero Members Travel to Support our Benicia Plant for the Napa Tour de Cure
Team members Carl Crawford, David Gross and Paige Wright joined by Lindy Mansell (now known as Carl's fiancé) went to Napa to join the riders from our Ca. refineries. While it rained most of the weekend, we enjoyed a nice visit in mostly the Rutherford region and participated in “Passport Weekend” where we got preferential treatment at 12 wineries. We opted out of the bike ride as it was cold and rainy. Several of the Ca. riders opted out as well, but there were several that didn’t wimp out like we did!
David, Page, Lindy, and Carl enjoying the cool California temps.
Napa Tour De Cure ride update provided by Daniel Rubio.
Good thing we don't live in Oregon or Washington! Think rain is a frequent issue there, but it felt like Oregon yesterday at the start. (Sunday, May 3rd)
I have confirmed at least 15 of our riders made the wet trek yesterday. I would say the rain was coming down from 6:15 am to about 9:30 am. Then light rain to 11am. I saw Roberta from Wilmington off by about 7:30 am, did not see her again after the ride, but looked for her. I also saw John Zapanta, John Jr, and Jerry Barker off on their ride. They were planning for the 100 miler but with the rain, modified and did a little more than 50 miles. That was John Jr's first real ride in the rain, way to go! Two of my friends joined our team, Richard and Steve, work with my wife's school district, both great teachers. They headed out for the 100 miler, and completed as well.
The rain did end, and we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon barbeque. We caught up with Doug Comeau, Gary Coleman and his friend Trish. Also had Valero's Team fundraising King, Don Cuffel broke bread with us($4,100.00 raised). David Lindsey, John Zapanta, John Jr, also were there for lunch.
Confirmed Lynne Moore and Marlene Muir were there, but never caught up with them.
Lot's of flat tires out there. Interesting note for me. 2/3 through the fifty miler I started thinking no one had passed me during my ride. Within seconds of thinking that, woosh..... two riders plow by me. A quick gear change and off I went. Caught them in under a half a mile. I bet I hadn't been on their wheel more than ten seconds, a squishy feeling from the saddle, and it wasn't my soaked cycling shorts. Yes, I had been thinking it was a great idea to put new tires on a few weeks ago, not so fast, flat rear tire.... With all the rain, dirt and oil, it was a messy tube change.
I also wanted to say thanks to my wife Mary's teacher pals. Kim, Peggy and Anne all worked the registration desk all morning in the damp cold weather. They were under a tent, but it was chilly at 6:15 am. Thanks for the help there!!!!!
As always the American Diabetes Association will not post results of fund raising until July 10th. Please send me your fund raising results, miles road and fund raising hours, as soon as you can! My thanks for your help with this! Don't want to wait that long!
Thank you all for your participation and enthusiasm,
Daniel L Rubio
Valero Benicia Refinery
View from Tres Sabores Winery Senate Bill 488 - Safe Passing Bill This bill has passed the Texas Senate, but has not yet passed the Texas House. The bill calls for large vehicles to give bicyclists, pedestrians, runners, and other vulnerable users of Texas roadways a clearance of at least 6 feet when passing. Other vehicles would have to give at least 3 feet of clearance.
If you are interested in encouraging you State Representative to vote in favor of this bill, go to ttp://www.house.state.tx.us/resources/faq.htm#who_rep.
Did you know: May is National Bike to Work Month. The week of May 11 is National Bike to Work Week and May 15th is National Bike to Work Day. So now is a great time to consider using your bike to commute. If you would like to try it out, here are a few tips provided by some commuting cyclists in our region: Click here for more information on communiting to work. Prepare yourself for the commute:
· Keep it as simple as possible. You will not stick with it if it is too burdensome.
· Dress for the ride, not necessarily for work (at least at first).
· Work clothes can be prepositioned at the office or carry them with you. Keep a pair of work shoes, a towel, and personal hygiene supplies at the office as these tend to be bulky items. · Know your route. Rush hour traffic is not a good time to experiment with the roadway. The route you take by car might not be the route you want to take by bicycle. Map your route prior to commuting and consider riding the route on a weekend to give yourself practice. (If you would like help in mapping a bike commute route, contact Lydia Kelly at 230-6911 or kelly@sametroplan.org)
· Pay attention to the weather. Be ready with rain, cold and hot weather gear as needed. · Velcro straps or plain rubber bands work great if you ride with work clothes on to keep your pant legs from getting caught in the chain/rings/etc.
· Get a helmet that fits correctly and wear it.
TOOBING VELO STYLE!
Chaos on the water! John Tenison waiving. Chuck Divelbiss (in front of John) and Phoebe McCallum on the right sporting some cool shades!
Some of the VELO toobers are: "El Hefe" Peter, David G., Kent, Jacque, Zora and Alan.
VELO continues their Toobin tradition with a fun, refreshing toobing experience after the Tour De Cure Day 1 ride in San Marcos! Hurry and save a spot! RSVP: Grace.Batres@valero.com
For those of you who will be joining the VELO toobing adventure, please bring:
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water proof wallet
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water shoes
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water friendly clothing
Sunscreen will be provided. Toobers are responsible for paying for their tube rental. Shuttle service to toobing outfitter will be provided. More details to come soon! See you on the road and on the water!
Hillfest Update
Received this update from El Slacke -
...Last night I joined hammerheads Ray, John, Scott, and Ernie on the Hillfest. It was 98 degrees when we started (an all time record for May 13th in San Antonio), and there was a hot swirling wind from the south. We mixed things up by riding Babcock to Scenic Loop, and up to Boerne, and then back on Upper Balcones and Toutant Beauregard, for 35+ miles of hills and thrills. Since I've been working weekends, I haven't been able to get many long weekend rides in where I could get acclimated to the Texas heat. And let me tell you, I felt it. I did reasonably well with the wind at my back and up through Boerne, but when we turned south and began to battle those huge Balcones Fault hills, things were a little different. On some of the steeper climbs, I dropped to less than 10 mph and could really feel the tempurature and the humidity clawing into me. It was a endless, lonely grind to get through it all, but on that final ascent on Babock leading to Chase Hill, as the sun was setting and I felt the last of my energy ebbing away, John "the Former Punisher" Tenison drives up next to me in his car and says, "You're almost there, Pete - keep it up!" I had an immediate flashback to 10 years ago when I did my first Bike to the Beach and was crawling my way into that fierce Day 2 headwind, and Zora Bilicich drove up next to me in a SAG wagon and uttered that classic line in her unforgettable Columbian accent, "You can DO IT!" This is a lesson I've really learned this year as I've spent less time in the saddle and have lost a lot of my cycling mojo - the support and encouragement of your team members is invaluable in helping you through the hard times. Thank you Zora and thank you John - it's because of people like you that I love this team and this sport so much! (Don't worry - I'll get the mojo back in time for the Ride to the River!!)
- Peter "Nancy" Ray
Keep an eye out for any last minute updates regarding the Tour de Cure. See you at Packet Pickup on May 21st.
- Andrea
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Saturday Tour de Cure Training Ride from Goerke's.
 Saturday morning was perfect for cycling in the beautiful Texas Hill Country! Clear sky and a light breeze from the southeast that continued to build as the day went on. There were 28 riders that came out to ride the 31, 46, and 58 mile routes, with a good number of Velo Valero riders sprinkled in. Kent was there with his brand new cross training bike. In addition, this ride was also used as a training ride for Tour de Cure SAG volunteer Bill Collins.
The ride started and ended at Goerke's on Weil Rd., which will also be the location of rest stop #3 for Tour de Cure. After the start, everyone made the first leg to New Berlin store without difficulty, other than Alan having a flat, but from there the maps were difficult to read, and missing road signs meant that some of the riders did pretty much their own route to the finish. The ride had SAG support, and there are lots of parallel roads in the area so everyone made it back to the finish without any incidents. The only "complaint" that I heard was that Chuck was disappointed that his ride turned out to only be 52 miles.
After the ride, a good number of us gathered at Goerke's for lunch before scattering for our other weekend pursuits. All in all, it was a good day and a good ride!
A few Tour de Cure reminders:
● Get your bike inspected. Most of the local bike shops should be able to do this for you. It's free and we all need to make sure our bikes are in prime working condition for the ride.
● Did you remember to submit your supplemental registration form by May 1st? For anyone looking for transportation for any of the days it's all there. For a small fee they will even transport riders back to San Marcus for those who only were able to ride on Sunday.
● Send your t-shirt size to Nerissa by Friday. This will help the process during packet pickup on the 21st. Nerissa.muniz@valero.com
● Any riders who are Valero employees need to make sure they have signed up on the volunteer sign up to ensure you receive your volunteer hours.
● If you are an out of town rider and will not be at the packet pickup on the 21st please let me know. We will have extra team goodie bags available for you in San Marcus. I would just like to know how many we need.
● At the Packet pickup you will need to have the fundraising minimum either online or to be turned in. The American Diabetes Association will not give out the packets to anyone who does not have the minimum raised at that time. There will several opportunities to get your packet if you miss the one at Valero. Check the Tour de Cure website for more information.
● We are currently working on getting information together for those wanting to go tubing in San Marcus on Saturday afternoon (5/30). Be sure to keep a lookout for this information. We will do our best to make sure everyone that wants to go will have the opportunity.
● If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. Any of the board member's that you see during a training ride will be able to help. If not they will be able to direct you to someone who can.
Wednesday Night's Family Friendly Ride  We had a really good group out for yesterday’s family friendly ride from Bullis County Park. It was really good to see Glennis Bryce back in the saddle, and she even brought a friend, Christina. Based on yesterday, Brian had better look out when Heidi gets a road bike because she was really riding like the wind yesterday!
I had my first flat since getting my new tires back in February. Andrea, Glennis, and Candus were nice enough to stop and keep me company while watching me give a lesson on how to take your time changing a tube. Glennis even suggested that we turn an upcoming training ride into a race against time with the race to include removing the rear wheel/tire, deflating the tire, removing and reinstalling the tube, inflating the tire with CO2 or with a hand pump carried on the bike, reinstalling the rear wheel (correctly), and riding on to the finish.
Sounds like fun, but with the heat fast approaching I think we need to work on doing this indoors or prior to a training ride on the weekend. Look for something in the near future regarding a session or two on changing a flat and simple bike mechanics for the beginner. We have several riders new to the sport and this would be most beneficial to them.
"Many people shy away from hills. They make it easy on themselves, but that limits their improvement. The more you repeat something, the stronger you get." Joe Catalano
Happy Mother's Day to all you Mother's out there. Hope you have a fantastic day.
Andrea
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