The inaugural TOC/USAPCG-SP-GMNGLPI&PS was conducted in the grass on the Timberline Condominium grounds outside the Garmin team rooms. For the interviews we borrowed lawn furniture, for the portraits we used a brick wall. Garmin provided snacks and mineral water. Rider visitations were scheduled in ten minute increments and were supervised by Slipstream’s Mark Zalewski. We asked each rider the following questions:
- What astrological sign are you?
- What’s your current favorite song, what’s on your iPod/iPhone/etc.? What do you listen to while you warm-up? How do you get P&J’ed?
- Let’s say, like in an alternate universe, that you were a professional athlete, any kind of professional athlete EXCEPT a cyclist. What would you be? And why?
- Who is your nemesis? Friendly or otherwise. Or, who won’t/can’t you let pass you on a climb, like who do you have to beat on principle?
- Let’s say you win some races, you become famous and you make millions and millions of dollars. What’s the first thing you do with all that paper?
TOM DANIELSON
1) PISCES. I DONT CARE ABOUT THAT KIND OF THING. 2) EDX - BREATHIN'3) MOTOCROSS. 4) EVERYONE. 5) I'D SPEND ALL MY MONEY AND TIME ON MY KIDS. I DON'T GET TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME WITH THEM AS I WOULD LIKE. I'D BE EVERYWHERE. I'D BE A SUPER DAD.
JANIER ACEVEDO
1) SAGITTARIUS. 2) SOCCER, #BECAUSECOLOMBIA 3) COLOMBIAN MUSIC. 4) ALL OF THEM. 5) I'D BUY A BUGATTI VEYRON.
BEN KING
1) IS THAT SERIOUS QUESTION? DO YOU WANT ME TO GOOGLE IT? 2) DONT BE A HATER. SERIOUSLY DONT HATE. I'M REALLY HESITANT TO SAY THIS, BUT, I'D BE A TRIATHLETE. THERE, I SAID IT. 3) JOSH TURNER - NO RUSH 4) UNLESS I'M RIDING FOR GC OR I HAVE SOME OTHER REASON TO PUSH, IT DOESN'T MATTER. IF YOU'RE RACING FOR 50TH YOU'RE A LOSER ANYWAY. 5) I'D BUY A MOUNTAIN. AND A RIVER. IN VIRGINIA.
GAVIN MANNION
1) I THINK I'M A VIRGO BUT I'M NOT SURE. MY BIRTHDAY IS NEXT SUNDAY. 2) I'M NOT REALLY GOOD AT ANYTHING ELSE. OKAY. I'D BE A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER. FOR THE CELTICS, JERSEY #14, I'D PLAY CENTER. 3) THE AVETT BROTHERS - JANUARY WEDDING. I DONT LIKE EURO-TECHNO-POP. 4) LAWSON CRADDOCK. ON HILLS I LIKE TO STAY AHEAD OF HIM BECAUSE HE'S FAT. IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK. 5) I'D OPEN A RESTAURANT. A BOUTIQUE SITUATION. I'D SERVE FOOD FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THAT SAID, I LIVE IN AUSTIN AND I'M PARTIAL TO BARBECUE. NO, I DON'T KNOW WHO JOHN "PROLLY" WATSON IS, BUT HE SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD DUDE. BONUS: 6) [RE: CRASHING AT THE TOUR OF UTAH] LATER WHEN I WATCHED THAT VIDEO I WAS LIKE, "OH MY GOD. AM I OKAY!?!?!?!??"
ALEX HOWES
1) UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT. 2) UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT. 3) UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT. 4) UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT. 5) UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT.
THOMAS DEKKER
1) VIRGO. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE THIS IS THE KIND OF THING YOU TALK TO GIRLS ABOUT. 2) SOCCER. NUMBER TEN. 3) FLEETWOOD MAC - EVERYWHERE 4) THE PROBLEM IS, I DON'T HAVE ONE ANYMORE. I NEED ONE. 5) I'D LIVE MY LIFE LIKE DAN BILZERIAN. "I'M MORE THAN A CYCLIST."
PHIL GAIMON
1) AQUARIUS, YEAR OF THE ROOSTER. I DONT THINK IT MEANS ANYTHING. IF ANYTHING, I THINK IT SIMPLY MEANS I WAS BORN ON JANUARY 28TH, 1986. SIDENOTE: I WAS BORN APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS BEFORE THE SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER DISASTER. 2) I'D BE A CROSS COUNTRY SKIER. I'VE GOT GOOD LUNGS AND LONG ARMS. MY LONG ARMS ARE USELESS IN CYCLING. OR I'D BE A PROFESSIONAL CHESSBOXER. 3) I DON'T LISTEN TO MUSIC. WHEN I TRAIN I LISTEN TO PODCASTS. I LIKE TO BE EDUCATED WHILE I RIDE. MUSIC IS NOT SOMETHING I LOOK FOR OR NEED BUT IF YOU NEED A REFERENCE, HOW ABOUT GRATEFUL DEAD - BOX OF RAIN? 4) KIEL REIJNEN. BECAUSE HE'S STRONG AND HE'S FUN TO RACE AGAINST AND BECAUSE HE'S A SPRINTER—IT'S NOT COOL TO LET HIM PASS ME ON A HILL. 5) PORSCHES ARE COOL BUT I'D RATHER DO SOMETHING PHILANTHROPIC LIKE MAYBE FEED A VILLAGE IN AFRICA OR SIMILAR. AND/OR I'D PURCHASE AN ORIGINAL, FULL-SIZE CALVIN AND HOBBES ILLUSTRATION.
2014 USA Pro Challenge – Pre-Race
To practice and calibrate and whatnot. And because it's meta.