Tour of California Teams

earth_dweller

The 2008 Amgen Tour of California roster includes the following 17
professional cycling teams:

• Astana (LUX)
• Bissell Pro Cycling Team (USA)
• BMC Racing Team (USA)
• Bouygues Telecom (FRA)
• Crédit Agricole (FRA)
• Gerolsteiner (GER)
• Health Net Presented by Maxxis (USA)
• High Road Sports (GER)
• Jelly Belly Cycling Team (USA)
• Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast (USA)
• Quick Step (BEL)
• Rabobank Cycling Team (Netherlands)
• Rock Racing (USA)
• Saunier Duval-Scott (ESP)
• Team CSC (DEN)
• Team Slipstream Powered by Chipotle (USA)
• Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team (USA)

More ProTour teams than I expected. I am surprised to see Bouygues at this event. The other surprise in a negative way imho, is that USA Development Team is not listed.

confusedfan

yeah, even though they're not a ProTour race they seem to be leaning more heavily in a PT-sort of direction - kind of negative in the same sense that the Tour Down Under, as a Pro Tour race, had to get special permission to allow an actual Australian team into the race this year .

My favourite PT and non-PT teams aren't going to be there, so I guess I'm not so disappointed I'm not going (we went last year) - makes sense that Lotto isn't there again this year seeing as they lost their 2 American riders (Fast Freddie and Horner, whom I suppose will both be riding the TofCali with their new teams), but disappointed that Canadian Symmetrics didn't get an invite. Oh well... Tuft will just have to steal the US Open victory again this year .

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lucybears

The other surprise in a negative way , is that Rock Racing IS listed.

helmutRoole2

+1. Very surprised. There's a couple US-based team they could have left out in favor of Symetrics.

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"Bait in 08" --nns1400

earth_dweller

It seems that all the domestic team except Toyota are sponsors of some sort, so it explains how Jelly Belly got in with a relatively waek team.

okay, checking on the sponsor list:

- JellyBelly : check
- Bissell: check
- healthNet: check
- Rock : check

Bro Deal

These are not nine man teams, are they? Seven or eight? It seems they could have added a few more teams if they wanted to.

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Cobblestones

Can someone explain why JellyBelly sponsors a cycling team? Eat plenty of JellyBellies and you'll get a body just like Rasmussen???? Isn't JellyBelly the exact opposite of cycling? Don't get me wrong, I love jellybellies (way too much), I visited their factory once with my kids when we were in CA, and bought altogether too many of their jellybeans (they sell misshaped jellybellies at the factory for a greatly reduced price and aptly call them 'belly-flops').

Well, maybe it works that way: slob sees cyclists, slob gets jealous, slob does comfort-eating -> jellybelly ???

nns1400

They've come out with something called Sports Beans or something like that...with vitamins in them maybe? I don't know...I guess they taste like GatorAde...

My uncle went to the factory too, and set something off at the airport and they searched his stuff to find....Jelly Bellys. They said some of the ingredients in candy are similar to those used in bombs... Makes you want to eat some candy, doesn't it??

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This stuff is just crap...Hitchy

nns1400

Yep...Sport Beans...

http://www.sportbeans.com/

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This stuff is just crap...Hitchy

Bro Deal

Ridiculous pricing on those. The profit margins on regular Jelly Bellies must be extremely high; the margins on their sports beans have to be almost criminal.

I like Cliff Shot Blocks better. Their Luna brand has a similar product that is made especially for women.

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Crankyfeet

Cycling sponsors are random.

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nns1400

So you've tried them? What do they taste like?

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This stuff is just crap...Hitchy

Crankyfeet

Although the thought of reaching behind and scooping out a handful of Jelly Bellies from my jersey pocket doesn't seem that bad...

And they are getting good value for their sponsorship dollar on this forum.

Apologies to the OP Edie for going off topic...

It would be good to see more North American teams...and Bro's point is a good one on the fact that teams are smaller...which could allow for more teams.

And I want to go watch it...Anyone else?

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Bro Deal

Sort of like regular jelly beans but not as sweet, maybe more tart. You can tell there are electrolytes in them, which makes them taste a little strange.

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates