Team Launch 25-26th January
DAY 1
Saturday 25th January 2014
The weekend just gone by, i had my Team Launch for my brand new team of 2014/15 Bike Pure - Lemond - Aspire Velotech Women's Team. This was all located down in sunny, South Wales.
The first location, for a early Saturday Morning get up, was at Bristol Bike Science. Here, was where I had first Meetings of my team manager… Karl Nielsen. Also, meeting all my new team members for the coming couple of years racing with them what I have got to come. We all arrived in synchronised timing slots, hopefully this will happen during the racing! When everyone had arrived, we got together welcoming each other, getting to know each other a bit more. Luckily, all us girlies knew each other from racing against ourselves in the past season. So we didnt have much introducing to do, just a catch up on goss we missed!! ;-)
However, we got on with what we were there to do! We started on with our professional bike fits, from our great sponsors Bike Science. Andy, did all the hard work for us girls, by setting us up properly. Adjusting our positions from left, right and centre. Even one of the girls had a new pair of Bonts out of it! It was approaching dinner time and it was interview time. We had a lady from the Women's Cycling Magazine here with us, promoting women's cycling. Keep a look out for our individual interviews with all the team members 2014/15, from the team in the great magazine!
Afterwards, it came about 1.30pm and we all just wanted food! So, we travelled across the road in our new lycra kit, as you do, in to this very indivdualised cycling specific cafe! Best looking cafe i have ever seen, I would defiantly give it an award for the most thoughtful and authentic cafe going. After we were all finally over our mesmerised sights by this cafe, we sat down and got a bite to drink and eat. We were all chatting along, having a small chat about what we want out of each other and the team! When we had filled out bellies and finished, we all headed back over to the Bike Science building and finished off with the rest of the bike fittings.
The time was getting on and it was being late afternoon, we headed out into the cold, windy, wet weather for a quick photo outside our sponsors building. All holding on to our bikes, ensuring we don't get blown away! Us all, smiling under our freezing cold bodies, trying to pose like models. When the photos were complete, we were all relieved and hurried back in to the warm, dry building and getting changed out of our lycra kit. As training time, is chamois time!! ;-)
It was time to head back to our Premier Inn, in Newport Wales.
We dismounted our cars, got into our rooms, changed and back out we were for a team meeting and an evening meal. All us girls, were just so hyped from the day we had so far and couldn't wait to find out the inns and outs about our new team. In our meeting, we considered about all the races we will be entering and any concerns any of us had about what was happening. It was very successful! Finally, we were able to have our late evening meal. You can tell when people are happy to get their food, the whole table goes completely silent. After our mains, us cyclists ordered our puddings and seeing who can eat the quickest desert… However, we all were completely full to our rims for our next busy day ahead. It was time for bed!
DAY 2
Sunday 26th January 2014
The sun was rising and it was time to meet for our final day together at the launch, for our photoshoot. All looking fantastic in our matching kits and trying to pretend we were all models! (future job, maybe?) ha ha!
Anyway, we started off with our serious portfolio shots and edging towards our team shots throughout the morning. Topping them off, with our fun shots, which we invented our ideas ourselves and had great fun out of it. Whilst this was going on, the weather was awful! It just never stopped raining, all morning.
After the morning session shoot, we headed out to a different venue @ Celtic Manor.
After this, we all went back inside in to the warmth and casual saw a Ferrari chilling inside the hotel. Mental!!
When we had finished at the Manor, it was time to head out in to the countryside for some moving shots and 2hour 30mins ride for some team bonding. This ride showed a lot about ourselves, as the course we went round had a bit of everything init. We all stayed together and helped each other, we seemed to bond as a team as riders very quickly. Throughout our ride, we got use to having our shots taken and literally, swimming through the puddles we came upon.
After our nice bonding ride, we got back to the Premier and all jumped into a nice hot shower!! We really needed it, get all that dirty mud of us.
The day came to an end, and it was time to say fare well to our fellow team mates and our team manager! For sure, seeing them all very soon!!
Please check out our official write up on our team's website…
http://bikepure.org/2014/01/team-bike-pure-lemond-aspire-velotech-launch/