Clif Bar Blog

Clif Bar Blog 2008-07-23T16:47:19Z Copyright (c) 2008, Cassie tag:clifbar.com,2008:07:23 Out with the old… 2008-07-23T15:18:00Z Cassie webmaster@clifbar.com
Everywhere I went, people laughed and were shocked and they told me to get rid of it because it was big; so ugly; because it didn’t flip or have a camera…what happened to making calls and receiving them?

Yes, I know I could have recycled it, but as you can imagine, it was in pretty bad shape. As my boyfriend used to say, what do you need the numbers 1,2 and 3 for anyway? That was before I lost 4 and 7, too.

Here comes the kicker…a few weeks ago, I dropped my phone into a cup of water. Yes, I opened it up and dried it out but it just wasn’t the same.

I got a new one and I’m still adjusting; it’s not easy. Maybe I’ll keep my old phone to remind me of the good ol’ days when cell phones were big and heavy and worked for a really long time. Like a dinosaur—that’s what the AT&T lady called it.

Here she is, in all of her glory. Note my favorite chapstick and a camera case for scale.

Before you get any ideas, I know I don’t NEED a phone and I know this may sound like whining, but this is just me sharing. Actually, this is a good thing, because the more I learn about this sustainability business, the more I try to make wiser choices and understand the impacts of the things I buy and use.

I’m not perfect and for now, I’m ok with that, just as long as I keep trying to get better.
]]> Christian Vande Velde Staying Golden 2008-07-22T19:48:00Z Le Sensation American webmaster@clifbar.com Today’s Stage 16 of the Tour de France didn’t go quite the way Christian and the Garmin-Chipotle team had hoped it would.

Christian ended up fighting back to within 35 seconds of the lead group as the race climbed over the Cime de la Bonette at 9,193 ft (France’s highest through-road). But on the ripping 22km decent down to the town of Jausiers Christian took a tumble in one of the upper corners. So when it was all said and done Christian lost 2:36 to race leader Frank Schleck of the CSC-Saxo Bank team and now sits in 6th overall at 3:15 back.

Sure, losing some GC time is a drag. But in the big glass-half-full picture, it sounds like Christian didn’t get badly injured in his fall and he still sits in a fine spot on the leader board. Tomorrow the race ends with the climb up L’Alpe d’Huez after cresting both the Galibier and the Croix-de-Fer. That’s three truly sinister climbs all packed into one mighty challenging day of racing. And on Stage 20 there’s the crucial time-trial from Cérilly to St. Amand-Montrond. A whole lot can (and will) happen in this final week so I believe we’re in for quite a show.

Here at Clif Bar & Company, we believe in Christian and the whole Garmin-Chipotle squad in a BIG way, and the truth is, to us as sponsors of the team and fans of the sport, it really doesn’t matter where the guys finish in the GC. From Will’s amazing 2nd place finish on Stage 3, to Danny’s jaw-dropping ride for 3rd on Stage 15, to the hard work the whole team staff puts in every day, to Ryder’s sweet mohawk, to all the many significant team efforts on and off the bike that never make the highlight reel, we’re completely enthralled with the efforts these guys are making. The team is leaving a very memorable mark on the roads of France.

So regardless of what happens during the last week of the Tour, we’re enjoying every minute of the team’s Tour de France efforts. The team is racing with class and style. There’s a reason we’ll be highlighting this squad in the How Do You Play? program that launched this month.

As Johnny told Dally in The Outsiders and as Dave Towle and I occasionally sign off our emails…

“Stay golden Ponyboy.” No yellow jersey required to stay golden.
Photo credit: Team Garmin-Chipotle ]]> 100 and Counting 2008-07-22T14:17:00Z Guest Starring webmaster@clifbar.com Star, Pace Leader for the CB Pace Team, weighs in on what it means to complete her 100th marathon— yeah, you read that correctly...

Marathon runners love numbers. We define ourselves by distances—we scoff at the 5K and 10K as just a warm-up, use the half-marathon as "tune-up." We know our marathon times, probably each one of them, to the second. We speak in our secret language of miles, meters, repeats and Yasso 800's.

And so here I was, on May 4, 2008, about to complete my 100th marathon. Quite a number. I certainly felt a sense of accomplishment, but not necessarily the need to trumpet it. Strangely enough, for a girl who spends most of her time on auto-rant, I actually became rather reflective.

I've been asked how I'll know when I've had enough. I’ve thought about it for many years but didn't have an answer until this past weekend. And it all came down to numbers and ego.

The grand spectacle of my one hundredth marathon came down to me thinking about everyone but myself. In that moment, I could have cared less about 100, 200 or 500 marathons. I just wanted my "kids" to get under that finish line.

This year's Flying Pig course was .25 miles longer than normal—there was a fire the night before the race, necessitating a last minute course diversion. Those of us back beyond the 3:50 finish time didn't hear that announcement. I paced an accurate and precise race—right up until the 26-mile marker, when I realized I had 50 seconds to cover the last .2 miles and wasn't going to make it.

My husband had met me at mile 25 to run in with me. As we crossed mile 26, he was elated: "This is it, baby, 100 marathons! Way to go!" And I was despondent. I was thinking about Blair, the first year neurosurgery resident who somehow found the time to get two Ironman finishes under her belt during medical school. I was thinking about Emily, the prosecutor from New York with the red ponytail, who put up an unbelievable fight from mile 21 on and never let me get away. The girl in the white shirt whose name I had forgotten because we're all tired at mile 26 and the guy who had told me he had never been able to run every hill without walking until this year.

I was thinking how relieved I was that my "kids," all those runners that had trusted something as sacred as their race to me, were ahead of me. At that moment I realized that the numbers didn't matter after all. Don't get me wrong, I love my numbers, but what mattered most, after 10 years and 100 marathons, were the people.

So to Darris and Catherine and Kira, to Tom and Tim and Bill and Dan, to Darrin and Brent and the Scotts, to Chris, Jack and Matt and all those I don't have room to list, thank you for being what matters, for sharing the trials of miles and miles of trials. As long as you matter more than the numbers, as long as those 5:30 am runs are the best part of my day, as long as we all forget the numbers as soon as we speak them, my life is abundant. If ever the numbers start to matter more, that's how I'll know I've had enough.

And that, in sum, is what 100 marathons have taught me. ]]> Thai Day in the Kitchen 2008-07-21T19:22:00Z Morgan webmaster@mediagirl.com Once a month, the Clif Bar R&D team has a culinary education day in which we step outside of our day-to-day product development routine and expand upon our true love for food. This month we had Chat Mingkwan, a local chef and author, come in to teach us a little about Thai cooking.

The menu for the day included Beef and Pork Satay, Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Salad, Chicken and Mushroom Galangal Soup, Pad Thai with shrimp, Red Curry with Seafood, Coconut Custard with Fresh Mango. Everything was accompanied with Jasmine Rice and Thai Iced Tea.

The R&D team was broken up into groups depending on what we wanted to cook. I was in the Mushroom Galangal Soup (without chicken) group. I have attempted to make a very similar dish to this one at home, but used ginger instead of galangal; every time I made this soup, I couldn’t figure out what was missing. Now I know…galangal!

Turns out galangal is a very important ingredient in Thai cooking and it should not be substituted with ginger when cooking Thai soups. Galangal is a root very similar in appearance to ginger and can be found in most Asian grocery stores. I would recommend using fresh galangal over the powder form.

Due to the addition of galangal, our soup turned out great and it was one of the highlights of the day. And as an added bonus, I got to spend the day in the kitchen cooking food with friends.

Below is Chat’s recipe for Galangal Chicken Soup, Tom Kha Gai just in case you’re interested in trying it out.

You can also check out Chat Mingkwan’s website for more info on Thai cooking.

Now for the recipe...

Galangal Chicken Soup Tom Kha Gai (Serves 6)

Galangal provides such a unique flavor that it cannot be substituted. It is widely available in fresh, dried, and frozen forms in Asian grocery stores. This recipe highlights the best and most popular use of the herb, paring it with coconut milk and chicken meat. The combined aromatic creamy soup with its refreshing sweet and sour taste makes the dish one of the top ten choices of both Thais and lover of Thai food.

3 cups chicken stock

6-8 pieces thinly sliced fresh galangal kha, about 2 x 2-inch

2 stalks lemongrass ta-krai, cut into several 2-inch-long pieces and bruised

5 whole kaffir lime leaves bai makrood

1/4 cup diced shallot, 1/4-inch cubes

2 cups diced boneless chicken breast, 1/4-inch cubes (1 pound)

3 cups sliced mushrooms of your choice, bite-size pieces (1 pound)

2 cups coconut milk kati

1/4 cup fish sauce nam pla, more to taste

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon chicken base or bouillon cube

1/4 cup lime juice, more to taste

2 tablespoons finely chopped Thai chilies, more or less to taste

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

1/4 cup very thinly sliced green onion (green and white parts) for garnish

In a pot, bring the stock to a boil and then add the galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir leaves. Cook until the broth is reduced to 1/2-1/4 the original volume, about 20-25 minutes. Discard the solid herbs or leave them in for a stronger flavored stock. Add the shallot, chicken, and mushrooms; cook until the chicken is done, about 3-5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, and chicken base. Bring the mixture to a boil one more time and remove from the heat. Just before serving, add the lime juice and Thai chilies (over boiled or cooked lime juice will mar its refreshing taste). Adjust the taste with more fish sauce and lime juice. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with the cilantro and green onion before serving.

]]> Racing for the Girls 2008-07-18T15:49:01Z Eric webmaster@clifbar.com What do you do when you train hard and travel a long distance to a race only to find out that your competition can’t race? Well, if you’re a pro…you do what the pros do and race anyway!

Pro mountain biker and Team Clif Bar athlete Joanna Petterson traveled all the way from Boulder, CO to the Catskill Mountains of New York State to compete at the Windham dual slalom, downhill and super D races, only to find out that most of her competition for the dual slalom didn’t make it. “Unfortunately, the turnout for the dual slalom was slim and Leanna Gerrard and I were the only women in attendance. I knew we could have a good race, though,” Joanna said. “The top half of the dual slalom track began just above the shaped half-pipe walls and then dropped in between, running the length of the walls.

This was a great idea because the half-pipe walls were lined from top to bottom with spectators—all getting a great view of each race.” Much to Joanna’s dismay, though, Leanna took a spill in downhill practice and was unable to compete. At that point, it would have been easy for Joanna to take a break, not chance an injury and simply forego her dual slalom run. Or not. “I didn’t want to let all the great little girls who were watching think that girls couldn’t do what the boys were doing,” she said. “So I took a run down and was awarded 1st place. Despite being a race against myself, I got tons of cheers and lots of compliments afterward from people who were just excited to see a woman race!”

After the awards presentation, Joanna made the day of a young female fan by giving her the podium flowers she earned for her victory, making the 7 year-old fan smile from ear to ear. And if that weren’t enough, Joanna plans to donate her cash winnings to the Tara Llanes’s Road to Recovery. “Racing one’s self is never really a noble pursuit, and Tara has always inspired me to ride and to always improve,” Joanna said. “It was a fun weekend and I love when I can feel like I'm not just riding for myself. Inspiring young people to follow their dreams is something I aspire to.”

And for the record, when Joanna raced against a large and competitive women’s downhill field the following day…well, she won that, too.

Can you say made for T.V. movie?

Nice job out there Joanna. You make us real proud! ]]> Quite a Transformation 2008-07-17T16:52:01Z Guest Starring webmaster@clifbar.com

Let’s take a moment and bear witness to the transformation running has had on Starshine, veteran Clif Bar Pace Team leader. We all hear about the benefits that running can have on our lives and overall health. But here is the shocking and dramatic imagery to prove it.

The image on the left is from when Star began running many moons ago. “My life was boring and predictable. I couldn’t get over that flat and lifeless feeling. Like reading the latest FDA recommendations on health and nutrition,” says Star.

Now let’s fast forward 7 years. “I met the man of my dreams, got bit by the running bug and joined the Clif Bar Pace Team as a Pace Leader.” Notice the sparkle in her eye, the bounce in her hair, the joie de vivre with just a touch of attitude.

Wow, Star! Way to inspire!!
]]> One, if by land; two, if by Susan 2008-07-15T22:10:00Z Ryan webmaster@clifbar.com As you’ll remember from your 6th grade history class (shout out to Mrs. Charnley back in Hotlanta!), those Bostonians sure know how to spread good messages. One can’t help but recall the most famous of all Beantown messengers, Mr. Paul Revere, and his fateful midnight ride to alert the country folk of the British advancement on our hallowed shores. The Brits weren’t aware that Paul was his day’s version of “Twitter,” and he was able to get the word out in time for our faithful patriots (before Tom Brady’s time, I’m afraid) to be at the ready for a battle that began our American Revolution. Of course, you know the rest: we won our independence and then shortly thereafter a man by the name of Gary went on a bike ride in celebration of said independence and came up with the idea for the delicious and nutritious Clif Bar. My how we love our American History!

Anyway…we have our own 21st Century Paul Revere right here at Clif Bar & Company (only she has very few complaints about the Brits, save for their superfluous usage of the letter ‘u’ in words like color and harbor). Like Paul, she hails from Boston, but she prefers to be called “Susan.”

Susan is here this week with a couple of interesting news items that we wanted to share with you, our fine friends.

Firstly, we wanted to spread the word about an event we’re involved with in conjunction with some of our friends at the Life is Good clothing company. They have initiated some great family festivals all across the country this summer (check out the schedule here) to “spread good vibes and help kids who face unfair challenges.” Life is Good Festival in Boston happens this Saturday, July 19th at Boston Common that includes the “World’s Greatest Backyard Athlete” competition. Check out the video for it here. We love what they’re doing out there for the kids through the Life is Good Foundation, and we’re happy to be part of their events this summer across the country.

Be sure to be on the lookout for us at our shiny new CLIF Kid booth where you can; as always, come by for a free CLIF Kid ZBaR sample and free hilarious stories from Susan and our Boston Clif Crew.

Lastly, Susan shares a heartwarming-yet-competitive story coming out of the Philadelphia Women’s Triathlon from last weekend.

You gotta love them LUNA chix! Our staff included three regular crew members who are also triathletes. They were pumped to race but, as always, good sportswomanship, good times and good cheer are first and foremost with Team LUNA. Early into the ride, Crew Member Jen noticed a racer ahead of her who was at the side of the road with a flat, watching helplessly as rider after rider sped by her without stopping.

Jen to the rescue! Not only did she stop and sacrifice her own PR, she gave away her bike pump and ONLY extra tube. The woman found Jen after the event to return the pump; she was so grateful that she didn’t have to quit the race she’d trained so long and hard for. And she couldn’t stop gushing about Jen’s generosity and sportsmanship.

Just goes to show you—LUNA bars provide women with that essential daily nutrition, folic acid, calcium and a healthy dose of good karma for when the chips are down and you flat on the final leg of your Tri!

Great job, Jen; thanks for sharing the stories, Susan. ]]> Fast Freddie Predicts the Green Jersey 2008-07-14T20:48:00Z Le Sensation American webmaster@clifbar.com Hope you’ve all seen the Tour stage today or will be watching it tonight. In the event that some of you might be recording it to watch later I’m not going to say a peep other than “Wow!” It is definitely worth a look.

And while the GC battle raged on the biting slopes of the Tourmalet and the double-digit grades of Hautacam, Freddie Rodriguez checked in to share his thoughts on my favorite competition of the Tour de France—the tussle for the oh-so-stylish & coveted Green Jersey.

I have to go with Thor. Thor is one of the most experienced of the contenders for this year’s Jersey.

I would have normally voted for Robbie but since Lotto has put all their efforts into Cadel that has left Robbie with no support. Robbie has to be the rider with the biggest punch in the mass sprints, but without one solid lead-out man to get him within those last 300 meters it will be difficult.

I would say Freire has the most talent but after being teammates with him for some years I know he can be hard to predict. You never know when things could go south with him. I would think if he finished he can win, but he also lacks support from his team. He tends to survive out there on his own without his team’s help.

Eric Zabel seems to always be there and is one of the hardest and toughest guys in the group, but he doesn’t have the finish he had back in the day.

Canvendish has been getting stronger and stronger in the last year, but he still lacks the endurance to have a chance for the jersey. That said he might have more wins than the other sprinters in the easier stages.

Steegmens seems to be having some trouble... (Some teams) seem to rally very well under a strong leader but lack the motivation to give it a 100% when the leader is not a confident win.

Robert Hunter is a solid sprinter and very motivated competitor but probably needs a little more to be in the running. He does have a great lead-out man with Baden Cooke that on his own day could win another tour stage. He has won the green jersey before so knows how to be there for himself or Hunter.

Thor seems to be the strongest in the general stages so he will pick up points through the easier to harder stages. He should also get stronger as the tour goes on. He has complete support from his team as he is their only true card in the tour, but they don’t seem to be able to put together a strong lead-out that in my opinion would serve Thor's style and help him win more stages.

I do love a good GC mountaintop finish, like the show that was put on today. But nothing gets my heart pumping quite like a 40+ mph madcap bunch-sprint dash to the line!

Thanks Freddie, for sharing your thoughts on this year’s Green Jersey competition. ]]> Garmin-Chipotle in the Feed Zone 2008-07-14T13:45:01Z Le Sensation American webmaster@clifbar.com Those guys in argyle eat a lot. Significant amounts of Clif Bars, Shot Gels, Bloks & Shot Drinks are needed to keep Garmin-Chipotle rolling during an entire race season. In Garmin-Chipotle’s case the team ended up being invited to all sorts of races this year—probably more than anyone ever expected!

Definitely good stuff for the team—but let’s just say I’ve been in a couple meetings here at the office speaking to folks about how I’m single-handedly sinking the ’08 product budget. Sorta an infamous claim to fame, but what fun is life without a little infamy. Keeps things fun and just a tad odious, with a subtle sprinkling of sinister. And around here, without at least a hint of sinister the office dogs just don’t completely respect you.

Turns out I’m off the hook in terms of the product budget, because in a recent post-race report David Millar fessed up to being the true culprit behind the disappearing Shot Bloks:

"So anyway, back to the race. I had Allen Lim in the car behind me with our Kiwi mechanic Kris. I basically had them…handing me up Clif Bloks nonstop. I found out later…I went through a packet every 25 minutes. I was determined not to blow. This meant I was still feeling good in the final."

And Sandra, Team Garmin-Chipotle Soigneur recently posted some info on what’s in the riders’ mussette bags that are passed out in the feed zones during a Tour stage:

The feed zone is a designated point at about midway through the race. Normally two soigneurs wear a team long-sleeve jersey or a vest so the riders recognize us. We hand off a mussette to each one with the following inside:

2 bottles of Clif electrolyte mix or one water and one mix on hot days

1 Clif bar

1 Mojo/Luna/Z bar

1 Clif Bloks

1 Clif gel with and one without caffeine,

1 little sandwich made with ham and Philadelphia cream cheese

1 special rice cake made with egg and rice

1 tiny can of Coke.

We also prepare extra bottles for the directors’ cars on hot days and have extra ice on the ready to keep bottles cool.

During the Tour we leave before the riders to get to the feed station called the ‘ravitaillement.’ It’s nice as all the roads are closed…no stress! After the riders have all taken their feed bags, then it gets stressful. We are behind the race and the roads are no longer closed for us so we have to find an alternative route to the finish. But we still have to follow all the traffic rules and enter in the same route as the riders but at a designated point. With so many roads blocked with barriers and so many fans it’s nice to know that once we arrive near the finish, we can reach the bus before the riders. Again, it’s well organized.

Yesterday we had 9 riders so I took 5 mussettes and walked 100m behind Josep who carried 4 mussettes. The director announces over the radio 5 km from the feed where we are located—e.g start or finish of feed zone—so the riders have time to move over to the right hand side and grab their bag! We stand apart so riders who miss the first one of us have have an opportunity to do so. Or if all 9 riders are in a long line, it’s not easy for us to hand them all off that quickly if it’s at a high speed!

Good to know that Sandra’s out there literally putting the CB&C product in the riders’ hands. You can follow Sandra’s ‘The Feed Zone’ reports from the Tour by visiting the Team Garmin-Chipotle site. ]]> Bike Racing, Teamwork and Milkshakes 2008-07-10T13:44:00Z Le Sensation American webmaster@clifbar.com Sadly, even with my legit French last name and my French family heritage, the TCB Cycling squad once again received no invite to the la grande danse. So just like last year, the year before and all the other years that came ahead of those years, the team opted for racing stateside during the 4th of July weekend. So instead of laits frappes we enjoyed milkshakes—an oh-so-impressive amount of post-race milkshakes to be exact.

“Why milkshakes?” one may ask. Two reasons: Milkshakes are absolutely delicious on a hot day after climbing the same hill 30 times while inhaling smoky air from a large fire that apparently is burning most of California; and Milkshakes are even more delicious when they’re on Velo Promo’s dime. Yup, we won milkshake money. And to think some folks wonder why we risk our necks racing bikes. At the Vacaville GP the team ended the weekend with a very solid effort, Mark Superhara raced like a champ, and when we left Vacaville we left Vacaville with some bigtime milkshake money in our poches.

Here’s the scoop from Superhara...

District Criterium Championships, Vacaville CA
Clif/Shot Summary: 2 Cola Shots, Double Expresso Shot (A.K.A. Hercules)
Race Report:

Tired from Leesville, I was encouraged by Dylan and David to race Sunday in Vacaville for the District Criterium Championships. It was hot and hilly. Before the race Doran and I picked out the riders to look out for. Jackson Stewart and Mike Sayers from BMC and all the guys from Cal Giant (AKA Strawberry) were on our list. During the race our team did a great job of representing the various escapes. That alone was a success; we were represented in every key break. First Doran, then Dylan, followed by David,…I'm sure there were others but after that things got blurry and at one point I wasn't coherent when I was trying to talk to Eric. All I can remember is that I chased a couple of riders who took off about half way through the race. There were about ten of us in the group and the team was doing an exceptional job distancing the chase from our lead group. I could see Clif Bar controlling the lead whenever we would pass the middle of the course, where the figure eight shaped course would intersect. The sight of that and hearing Georgina yell in turn 1 made each lap more comforting.

David ‘Sister Quistain’ Quist had this to say:

Mark's group of around ten started rolling off the front past us. Everyone started looking at the pros to do the work, but they weren't ready. And no one took initiative right away.

I thought this was the move we wanted, and stayed on the front and rode tempo for much of two or so laps. I was running out of gas so I dropped back, finding Dylan to let him know Mark was in the breakaway. We both made our way to the front and controlled the race for almost a lap. Dylan stayed up as I dropped back on the hill and then found Eric, then Doran to let them know Mark was up there. They both went up and rode tempo at the very front for a few laps, giving Dylan a break. It was awesome to see such team coordination. Eric and I gave in to Father Inferno about 10 to go. By then Mark's group had 40 seconds. The gap would fluctuate between 30 and 50 seconds but never below, and with four to go it was pretty clear the group would stay away. The eventual winner from Lombardi was chugging a big gear about 30 seconds ahead of Mark's chase group but looking solid. Webcor tried to bridge but only lasted about a lap out before blowing up and coming back to Mark's group. Mark took 5th in the breakaway sprint for 6th.

I was really stoked on this team effort where EVERYONE pitched in and had a role in the outcome. Chapeau!

Nice job out there fellas! I’ll race with you guys anytime—and I’ll get milkshakes with you even more often than anytime. (That last sentence would probably make more sense in French.) ]]> DZ Predicts… 2008-07-03T22:41:00Z Le Sensation American webmaster@clifbar.com Here at the office, DZ fans are a special breed, just like the rider they root for (Dave Zabriskie). DZ fans zip through the halls competitively trying to get to their next meeting first; they drink way more than their share of the coffee; they laugh with just a touch of "crazy;" they willingly wrestle with Ginger the bulldog (who happens to be just slightly unpredictable enough to make things interesting); and they cheer for Dave every time he does something noteworthy on or off his bike. Years ago, Dave showed up at a TCB Media Center event and took the stage as a special guest to tell us all about how he won stage 11 of the ’04 Vuelta a España in an oh-so-impressive 162km solo breakaway to chalk up his first Grand Tour stage win. He handled the last-minute, surprise request to take the stage like a true pro—even weathered the goofy intro music we played for him like a champ.

I met Dave through a teammate of mine years ago who used to race with DZ back in Salt Lake City. I’ve heard a lot of stories about how a young Zabriskie used to come out and beat up on folks at the Utah races. It’s unfortunate that Dave won’t be duking it out with other riders on the roads of France this month—a tumble in the Giro left him a little worse for wear and he’ll be sitting it out for the Tour de France with his focus now turned on the Olympics in Beijing. Congrats to Dave on the Olympic Team selection. Some shiny Olympic jewelry would certainly look sweet with that moustache.

But like any TCB athlete worth his weight in CLIFShot Bloks, Dave might be down with an injury but he’s definitely not out of the TdF mix. I’ve asked Dave to send his TdF thoughts our way from time to time—bike racing can be pretty tough to predict, but I can confidently predict that Dave’s educated guesses will be worth a look:

Happy July 1. It's the final countdown to the start of the tour on July 5. Most of the riders are probably traveling to the race hotel today or tomorrow. Out of the 4 Americans doing the tour the one that would bring a few fireworks for the 4th would be VandeVelde; he loves fireworks and I can see him knocking on Hincapie’s door on the 4th saying, “Come on, dude, let's go celebrate our independence!” or something. I see the 4 of them and some American staff walking around the corner of the hotel… when they run into Millar and say, “Hey, come join us,” but he doesn't know what he's in for and when the fun starts he gets a big titty-twister and a slap because he's British and that's who we had to fight for our independence. Oh, man, that sounds like the best 4th ever; it's a damn shame I won't be there.

The race is so close now. You can start checking the weather for the area of the start; as of this morning, it looks like they might get a little weather. If the roads are wet it stresses the peloton out more than they already are so it could be a very nervous first stage. As far as the race itself goes, it looks like there should be some good field sprints—my favorite for those is Cavendish; he can kick it really fast, he should win at least one stage. Julian Dean, Magnus,Thor, Steegmans, Zabel, Cancellara, Friere and Hunter are the other names that come to mind at the moment. For the GC, I have to agree with everyone else that Valverde and Evans are favorites but a lot can happen at the tour. Menchov should be up there in the overall, too.

I think it will be fun to watch the battle for the white jersey especially if it comes down to a battle between Andy Schleck, Ricco and Trent Lowe. I know Andy is young, but he is my dark horse pick for the Tour and, if not this year, it's only a matter of time before he wins the race someday. For team Garmin, I think the plan would be to be aggressive and go with the breaks, keep Millar and CV out of trouble until the first TT. If things go well maybe they could get the jersey for a few days; that would be huge for the team so I know they will be gunning for it.

And lastly, a couple other things that are worth a look:

Dave happens to hold the claim to fame of being the first pro cyclist to ever pose with The Clif Bar Bird. How many pro cyclists wish they could say that?

Dave has started the Yield to Life campaign. Yield to Life is a non-profit organization devoted to creating a safer environment for cyclists and, by so doing, encouraging more people to ride for their own health, the good of the environment and the well being of society. He says, "We all travel life’s roads. I stand before you to ask for your cooperation in providing safe space for cyclists. When you see a cyclist on the road, please, yield to life."

And for all you riders out there who don’t want to yield to a saddle sore, check out DZNuts. As Dave would say, “Protect your Junk!” Because, let’s face it, Ginger the slightly unpredictable bull dog probably can’t protect that kind of junk.

]]> Ever want to swim near a castle? 2008-07-02T18:37:01Z Amy, Ms. Web Gal aguittard@clifbar.com

This here castle is considered pretty modern, by UK standards (think, 19th century). If you ever fancy swimming near a castle, you may want to consider racing in the Eastnore Castle Triathlon, over in Herefordshire, England—just a hop, skip and jump from Berkeley, CA.

You do a quick 1.5km swim around the castle (a nice view when you come up for air) and then ride and run through the surrounding grounds.

Pretty darn scenic if I shall say so myself. ]]> Colorado Athletes are standing on Podiums and Getting it Done! 2008-07-02T18:20:00Z Guest Starring webmaster@clifbar.com Colleen, our Colorado Field Rep, shares a few words about some pretty stellar athletes she supports.

Since National TEAM Clif Bar is oober-packed with super stars, my role as Clif Bar & Company Field Marketing Rep for the Boulder/Denver region took a new angle and I decided to dabble in a new game called “Athlete Sponsorship.” So in addition to developing fun Clif Experiences with Race Promoters, I get to work with some inspiring athletes to help them spread “Clif Love.” And may I say that I have done so without regret! Keeping it small, I have two pro triathletes and one US wildwater team member, and they have ALL served as amazing Clif ambassadors!

The kayaking season is coming to a slow end as the flows slow, but Jeremy Rodgers (US Wildwater team member and Clif athlete) has been working hard to give back to his community by volunteering at races, like the Real Deal Adventure race—a two-day race across the rugged Colorado terrain on bike, foot, kayak and ropes and navigated all by map and compass. This, however, wasn’t an ordinary adventure race as teams were comprised of 5 racers, 2 of whom had significant physical disabilities. Jeremy prepped some of the less-abled teammates for repelling adventures, coaching them before they attempted to navigate their way down the 70-foot clif—pretty awe inspiring given the disabilities some of these athletes have. They definitely didn't let it stop them from taking on such a great feat.

Here’s what Jeremy had to say about the experience:

I've done over 60 adventure races to date and never have I seen an entire group of newbie rappellers stand confidently at the top of a line and just go for it. Several paraplegics even swam back across the class 2-3 rapid wave train to speed up their teams departure rather than waiting for the raft to pick them up from the 400 foot zip line.

On the other hand, the triathlon season is in full swing and Kylie Ramsey and Cameron Dye are busy juggling training schedules and peaking for their key events.

On June 7 Kylie raced the Highlands Ranch Triathlon—okay, so she didn’t just race, she CRUSHED IT! Here is what the fabulous and fast Kylie had to say about her race:

“What a fun race! Known for its fast course, I was looking forward to seeing if I could break the current course record. The bike was almost flat with gradual inclines and declines that made for fast speeds. The run was an out and back with a downhill on the way out and an uphill on the way back. I smashed the current course record by over 7 minutes and was the first overall female with a time of 1:05."

Ummm… YEA… this girl is going places --- FAST!

And to keep things interesting she stepped up to the Half Ironman distance for her first time in Kansas and “played” with some serious pros! Keep your eye on this gal because she is one FAST Coloradoan! Speed on, Kylie, and keep making us proud!

Meanwhile, another Colorado Tri Star, Cameron Dye, took on a few races of his own, including Escape from Alcatraz. Although the currents weren’t as promising as the race directors had hoped, Cameron got lucky with the unusual burst of sun that happened to hit San Francisco for race weekend. He ended up grabbing third out of the water, finished the bike in 7th place and managed to run well enough to finish 11th overall.

These three are not only OUTSTANDING athletes with stats to prove it but they are flat out super genuine folk that you just want to hang with! They have each provided some race updates and if you ask me—we really need to keep an eye on these two because they are rocking the tri scene!
]]> Garmin-Chipotle’s Wild RideBuckle Up! 2008-06-30T19:45:00Z Le Sensation American webmaster@clifbar.com

2008 has offered quite a wild ride with the Slipstream-Chipotle squad that will now be known as the Garmin-Chipotle Pro Cycling Team. And with the Tour de France right around the corner things just keep getting more exciting.

So as the team prepares to storm yet another figurative castle, we want to show our thanks and appreciation for the effort the riders have made by ‘Bucklin’ Up’.

We’ve worked with this team from the get-go, watching the organization grow from the TIAA-CREF junior development program only a few years ago to a Tour de France contender in ’08. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve experienced some truly “entertaining” rides in the team car—and through it all we’ve witnessed some mighty fine bike racing.

Garmin-Chipotle certainly has collected its share of outstanding race results. During the ’08 Giro d’Italia, the team left its mark in a wonderful way by winning the Team Time Trial to get the whole party started. Was it a surprise that this cast of cycling characters could pull off such an impressive accomplishment? Nope, not really. Those of us who follow the team know that the squad is loaded with all sorts of talent. So seeing the team on the stage at the Giro, with Christian sporting the leader’s jersey, wasn’t really a surprise. But it definitely did rock—in a very large way.

The program has no doubt been on a tear this season—but to Team Clif Bar the true beauty of it all is that the team’s success is about so much more than just race results. Garmin-Chipotle is making a sincere & significant effort to run a clean program where riders race with only the organic efforts & abilities each rider brings to the table. It is sport the way sport should be—clean, pure and still very competitive but far from the ‘win at all costs’ attitude that focuses solely on results and the finish line.

Complimenting the team’s forward-thinking approach to racing at the elite level of professional cycling is the team’s stylish presentation. From JV’s strangely sharp sweaters & scarves, to Dave’s & Steve’s handsome facial hair ensembles, to the spanky argyle riding kits, the team has been in the news on the cycling fashion front as well.

So, with the intro of the Argyle Buckle, Team Clif Bar would like to say “Thanks!” to the squad for all their efforts in ’08—and we’d also like to do our part to assist with the team’s future on the catwalk. Cuz let’s face it, all bike racers know that when it comes right down to it looking good is approx 73.4% of the battle. And as we all know, a sharp après-race outfit is only as good as its buckle. So play hard, play fair, and always play with oodles of style.

Here’s to the Garmin-Chipotle Pro Cycling Team. We’re loving the ride and are eager to see it continue through France. Buckle up. ]]> 2 Mile Challenge 2008and they’re off! 2008-06-25T17:57:01Z Ryan webmaster@clifbar.com As you faithful readers well know, we here at Clif Bar like to get out and about on a multitude of adventures whenever possible. One of the most epic adventures ever, happened last Fall when we set out on the 2 Mile Challenge tour.

If you recall, the 2 Mile Challenge encourages people to replace one car trip under 2 miles with a bike once a week. Simple, right? Save some money on gas, do something good for your health and the environment—everyone wins!

Well, we’re strong believers that one good turn deserves another, so we got our old bus ‘Sugar Booger’ out of storage and back in action with a few new stylin’ features, tracked down three of the finest bike ambassadors we know and set out on a 10-week tour around the country to talk to people about joining in on this adventure that we call the 2 Mile Challenge.

It’s my pleasure to introduce to you our new 2MC team, Matt, Chris and Shannon, who check in with us following their first week on the road. Keep it tuned here on the Clif blog all summer long as they check in from time to time on their summer adventure!

Hello Clif World! We’re checking in finally after a crazy first week on the road. Our epic story begins in a large field in the middle of Tennessee in a little place we like to call, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. What a time it was at The ‘Roo! We joined up with some of the Clif Bar family from Seattle, Colorado and Texas along with about 100,000 of our closest neighbors as we braved the heat, the rain and the muddy wilds of one of the biggest summer music festivals known to man. You have to live it to believe it, trust us!

Ultimately, we had the opportunity to meet a lot of cool people, talk about bikes and our program on how to reduce our dependency on the car and get everyone all dialed into the bike; we had a pretty prime location out among the people in the Green Pod on 3rd Street and people were really psyched on the bus and taking the 2 Mile Challenge, even when it rains!

After the days in the Green Pod were done, we got the chance to check out some of our favorite bands (highlights included Groupo Fantazmo, Willie Nelson, My Morning Jacket, Jack Johnson, Yonder Mountain String Band, Pearl Jam, one of the best shows EVER!, Widespread Panic, Allison Kraus and Robert Plant featuring T-Bone Burnett, and our new friends from Canada, The Duhks!). It was easily the largest crowd we’ve ever seen, and we’re told the largest crowd that the bus has ever seen in one place!

Before departing the Southeast, we stopped in for a night in Music City (Nashville, to you and me!) where we hosted a Ride-in Movie screening of the mountain bike epic, Seasons. All proceeds from the night went to support the local grassroots alternative transportation efforts of Walk/Bike Nashville. It was a fun night for all!

To wrap up the end of our first week, it was only fitting that we stop by the Windy City to join up with our close pals from New Belgium Brewing Company at their annual right-of-bike-passage, the Tour de Fat. What a blast it was cruising around in our stylin’ Electra bikes and the Soulful Xtracycle (pedal-powered beats!) with so many wild bike-loving people. It was inspiring, to say the least, to see someone give up their car for the cause. THAT is walking (or biking?) the talk, friends. The crowd was surely receptive to the related 2 Mile message, and despite a little rain shower, we had an incredible time getting people involved in that movement away from the car. Pedal power to the people!

Overall it was a fantastic, memory-filled start to the tour. Look for us this weekend in Indianapolis at the N.I.T.E. Ride and next week when we join up with some Midwest Clif Family at the Rothbury Music Festival in Michigan. Until next time…

Love from the road,

Shannon, Matt, & Chris

Hop on over to flickr.com to see more photos from the road. ]]>