Chris Carmichael and CTS Team “Going Pro” for the 2011 Amgen Tour of California
Colorado Springs, CO – Carmichael Training Systems has partnered with AEG, presenter of the Amgen Tour of California, to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience for serious amateur cyclists. A select group of 22 athletes and four CTS Coaches, including CTS Founder and CEO, Chris Carmichael, are “going pro” for the 2011 Amgen Tour of California with the introduction of The Amgen Tour of California Race Experience. Participants in the The Amgen Tour of California Race Experience will, under the supervision of CTS, ride all 800 miles of the Amgen Tour of California route in 8 days.
The CTS Amgen Tour of California Race Experience will put amateur cyclists on the start line of every stage of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California a few hours before the professional peloton departs. This is not merely a cycling tour; the CTS team must work together as a cohesive unit and fast enough to stay ahead of the approaching professional peloton. If they do not, either as a group or individual riders, they will be forced off the race course by the pros.
Carmichael, who raced the 1986 Tour de France with the iconic 7-Eleven Team and directed US National Cycling Teams at some of the world’s biggest races, said, “This is an opportunity that amateur cyclists just don’t get. These athletes will ride an 8-day stage race with professional-level support from team vehicles. They’re going to live and ride like professional cyclists for the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, and they’re going to leave with a very different perspective on what it takes to be a professional.”
But the Amgen Tour of California Race Experience goes well beyond the bike. The race organization will provide the CTS Team with similar accommodations, meals, and amenities as the pro teams competing in the event. And just like the pros, riders will be required to live out of one team-supplied duffel bag, have professional mechanics on the route with them, and professional massage therapy after each stage. “We’re very excited that AEG has provided us with such unprecedented access to the biggest professional cycling event in the United States,” commented Carmichael. “They’ve helped us create a truly unique experience for devoted amateur cyclists.”
“The Amgen Tour of California Race Experience is the first event of its kind, and we are excited to be a part of it for its inaugural run,” said Andrew Messick, president, AEG Sports. “The fact that this experience was fully booked in just two days is a testament to the appeal both of cycling in the U.S. and for the kind of big challenges that CTS helps athletes tackle.”
The Amgen Tour of California Race Experience is one event in the newly created “Chris Carmichael’s Epic Endurance Bucket List." Others events on the list include the Leadville 100, Trans Andes, La Ruta, the Triple Bypass, and King Ridge GranFondo. These epic events target the adventurous endurance athlete and feature various packages of CTS coaching, camps and race support. “There’s a hunger out there for big challenges,” commented Carmichael. “The demand is there as well. We filled the Amgen Tour of California Race Experience to capacity in two days, just by reaching out to individual athletes we already knew.”
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