DOES PROMAN HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN?

Does Proman have what it takes to win?

As the 2008 preseason begins and thoughts turn toward racing, it is time to evaluate the Proman recipe for success. What makes a cycling team or any partnership successful? Everyone knows that cycling is about teamwork, but what is the essence of teamwork? Why does one partnership win when another blessed with the same quality equipment, talent, and financial support not see the same successes?

Teamwork is the combined effort of the group to achieve a common goal. Key components to the formula are that the common goal is agreed upon by every person in the collective, and that each person in the team works, to the fullest of their ability, to achieve the goal. If there is one person within the group who has any hesitation about the goal, and does not fully commit to the achievement of that goal, the team will not succeed. There will be distrust within the group should one member hold anything back for herself. All people must believe that the common goal of the team is going to benefit each individual as well, and be willing to sacrifice her own personal goals for the betterment of the group as a whole.

In this day of individualism and the destruction of the nuclear family, it is a rare thing to find a group of people all in agreement on working toward a common goal that does not have the individual front and center. Even the amazing Discovery Team had Lance front and center; every athlete knows that Lance would not have had the palmares he did were it not for the hard work, dedication and sacrifice from his Discovery Teammates.

When the group coalesces it is magic and the magic is contagious. Once the group believes in the formula, they can overcome almost any challenge. I have been blessed to work with two teams that have woven this magic. The first was the 2001 - 2003 Saturn Team. We used to say, "It does not matter who wins the race, as long as it is a Saturn Jersey on the Podium." With this as our mantra we won the World Cup Series twice and were the Number One ranked UCI Team for two consecutive years. The second team is the Proman Squad. The mutual respect and teamwork begins at the top with Niki and me working side by side to ensure that our teammates have what they need to achieve the goals of the team.

We work to balance personal goals with those of the group and in return ask each teammate to set aside her own goals when asked in order to form a cohesive, winning team unit.

Continued from newsletter & blog.........

A good team and a great team are separated by fractions of an inch at the finish line. Riders on a great team will fight until they are empty to ensure a team victory, whereas an athlete on a good team will keep something in reserve for herself just in case she finds herself in a place to capitalize on an opportunity leading to personal success. It is difficult to teach personal sacrifice for the betterment of the team; those who ride it, live it in their daily lives and treat all of humanity as part of their community with respect, love and trust. When asked to sacrifice for the team, they are willing to do so, trusting that their work will benefit the unit and in doing so, ensure the continuation of the team and therefore benefit them and their sport.

The teamwork formula is delicate. Tread upon by disrespect, dishonesty, or selfishness, it us uprooted, shattered in dismay and can rarely be rebuilt. I have been witness to this many times. Big years, like Olympic years, pose real threats to teamwork. Although an individual qualifies to represent her country at the Olympics it requires a team to get her there. Lean sponsorship years also wreak havoc with a cohesive team unit. When there is less to go around, the typical response is one of individual greed, and in doing so the individual shorts her teammates, thereby denying the necessary ingredients for the team’s success.

Teamwork requires each individual to come to the group with trust in the mission, love for their sport and an understanding of what is required of them as members of the team. The 2008 Proman squad will be tested in the year to come, but I am confident that the team that Niki and I have assembled from our sponsors, to our athletes, to our partners has what is required to face the challenges head on and finish at the top of life’s podium.

Thanks for reading - Giana Roberge

World Cup #1 Sydney, Australia

Around the World and back again.. A trip to remember

World Cup #1: Syndey, Australia

We started our trip on the busiest travel day of the year, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. When we first booked our flights, it made a lot of sense as we were coming back to do the talent pool test, to fly into and out of L.A. So, Niki, Dave, and I began our trip with a 6-7 hour drive from the South Bay down to L.A.to catch the overnight flight to Australia.

Photo: leaving for LA

It was a long couple of days of traveling and we finally arrived mid-day Tuesday to the Sydney Airport, where we met up with our teammate Kele Murdin who had flown in from Seattle, Washington. Also at the airport that day, we met our most gracious host Doug Robinson, who kindly helped us with our massive luggage and guided us back to his house in Manly Beach, where we would be staying for the next 6 days.

The drive back to his house was interesting for us as foreigners because in Australia, they drive on the opposite side of the road. I'm not sure how many times Niki or I yelled that we were going the wrong way, but it was pretty funny. After a while, we got used to it and brave Niki even ended up driving alone to the track one day, which is something I would never have been able to do.

Photo: dinner with hosts in manly beach

The track was located south of the city and we were staying in a house north of the city, so everyday we would drive the rental car out to the track and train during our 1.5 hour assigned time. The time of day would change every day, but usually we were on the track with the same teams, which were mostly U.S. teams. The teams were the U.S. National Team, Momentum, Verducci, South Bay Wheelman, Cody Racing, Jamaica, Slipstream, and usually a couple of other countries like the Korean team or Iran. It was a unique experience when the other countries were there because they did not speak our language. But, you get the idea pretty quick about what means, "Get out of the way" or "Stay" despite the language barrier. For the most part, everyone was very friendly and polite, but it was a very serious atmosphere and the athletes and coaches were very focused.

Photo: Manly Beach

We trained every day leading up to the races. When we weren't training we spent some time shopping, touring around the city by car or by bike, and even swimming in the ocean. Manly was absolutely beautiful and it was just beginning to be summertime. The scenery out at the ocean was crystal clear water and blue skies.

Finally, race day arrived. I was so ready to race, I couldn't stand just thinking about the race anymore. I needed to get in there and see what it was like. Race day was much different because now instead of just 6-7 teams out at the track at one time, there were 48 teams. The entire infield was packed with teams, coaches and managers and everyone was cramped up in there little allotted spot trying to warmup on rollers that were practically touching the guy next to them. It was cozy for sure, but we figured it out and made do with what we had. We were seated next to all of the teams we had been training with in the days preceding the races. bob from melbourne (see below) was a great help to us, he was there supporting jennie reed but helped us out in his free time.

Photo: Bob from Melbourne




First up on Friday morning was the individual pursuits. Kele was our only team member who would do the event, but rising start Taylor Phinney was representing the U.S. team for the men's race and finished in 9th overall. Not bad for a first world cup and a senior in highschool. That kid is amazing and probably one of the coolest young cats I've met in a while.




Then it was time for Dave to race his 60 lap points race qualifier. Both the women and the men would have 3 qualifying heats each with full fields in each heat for both the Scratch and the Points Races. Of about 22 riders, only 8 would qualify for the final. It was not easy to qualify and, in fact, many well-known and world-class riders did not make the final.

Dave scored early in his heat and even scored again on the second sprint lap, but it wasn't enough to get him into the final. Too many riders had gone up a lap and even though scoring points in two sprints normally would have secured his spot in the final, these world cup races are a different ball game all together.

Having seen the way the men raced and then watching the 2 preceding qualifying heats for the women's scratch race, I knew I had to race the qualifier as if it was the final. Our Scratch race heats were only 20 laps with the first 8 to cross the finish line moving onto the final. My teammate, Kele, rode a strong first race and just missed out on making the final. Each of the heats were playing out differently. Some of them were slow and steady with riders just seeking better position the entire race and others were fast tempo with attacks and riders going off the front and lapping the field.

After all the waiting and gearing up for this one event, it was finally here and it was my turn to get onto the track and race my first World Cup Track race. In that moment, I truly felt like I was living my life to it's fullest. It was like the calm before the storm and I was genuinely happy. I have always dreamed of competing with the best women in the world and here I was, living the dream. It was a moment I will never forget.

That night I raced with confidence. I trusted the fact that I had done the work to get me there and I was ready to compete. My race stayed together for the entire 20 laps and as it started to speed up for the sprint, I found myself in great position. I was about 8th wheel going into the last lap and I saw a hole in the field where I could make my move and start my sprint for the line early in turn 1. As soon as I decided to go, the hole collapsed on me and for a split second, I thought I was going to crash and my race was over. But experienced riders will not go down if they can help it, and the two girls that collapsed into me just seemed to bounce right off. Unfortunately though, in the couple seconds that I hesitated to keep it upright, the field ahead had pressed on and were now rounding turn 3 for the finish line. I found myself in 8th wheel again and thought I had done enough to qualify, but a girl came underneath me on the line and took that final qualifying spot away from me. The field was tight when it crossed the line and I was nervous to push too hard into another hole. That is where I lost the race. In the end of a race, when it's just you and the line ahead of you, you have to just go for it. I did not and I regret that. However, it was a great experience and I was still confident that I could hang with the pace of the other women. Now it was time to start thinking about the Points Race the next day.