Laguna Beach, CA (October 1, 2002) – As the bicycle industry prepares to converge on Las Vegas' Sands Expo and Convention Center for the 21st annual Interbike trade show this week, several of cycling's top stars are winding down from a busy race season, hanging up their bikes and helmets, and heading to the show to embrace the industry that supports them. So if big names like Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Alison Dunlap, Dave Mirra, Tyler Hamilton, Axel Merckx (and his father Eddie), Phil Liggett, Ryan Norquist, and Dave Wiens make you want to jump on your bike and get after it, then Interbike is the place to catch up with some of cycling's top stars. (Please note Interbike is a trade show – not a consumer show open to the public)
Without question the world's most popular cyclist, Lance Armstrong plans to make an exclusive appearance at the Trek booth (#1351) at 10AM – 11AM on Tuesday the 8th. Spectators and autograph-seekers who make a donation to one of the expo's many bicycle advocacy groups become eligible to win a Lance Armstrong autographed Trek OCLV or an Armstrong jersey. You won't want to miss this one. The top US finisher in last year's Paris-Roubaix race and one of the strongest boxcars in the US Postal Service 'Blue Train' at the 2002 Tour de France, George Hincapie will sign autographs on a new Graham Watson Tour de France poster in the Carnac booth (#2935) on Sunday and Monday from 1:00PM – 3:00PM. Additionally, the voice of the Tour de France and one of the biggest draws in cycling, Phil Liggett, will be making numerous appearances during the show and can be found most easily by visiting the Sinclair Imports booth (#2935) on Sunday from 10:30AM – 12:30PM. “This is the second time we've had Phil Liggett in our Interbike booth and we've hosted just about every big athlete that we've sponsored over the years,” said Lance Donnell, of Sinclair Imports. “We think it's a great opportunity to introduce our retailers to these celebrities, it puts them in touch with some of the more exciting aspects of the sport and brings them a little closer to our company focus,” said Donnell.
Other notable road cyclists who will make an appearance at Interbike 2002 include Tyler Hamilton and the father-son-duo of Eddy and Axel Merckx. Both Eddy and Axel will be on hand to greet people and sign autographs at the Eddy Merckx booth (#2959) on Monday from 2:00PM – 3:00PM. On the off-road front, there will be several appearances by some of mountain biking's biggest champions. One party not to be missed this year at Interbike is the RLX Ralph Lauren and Litespeed South of the Border Party – which will celebrate the RLX Mountain Bike Team Championship season on Monday October 7th from 5-6:30. And never one to short the freestyle vibe, Interbike also plays host to the BMX Zone, where exhibitors like Nirve (booth #1139) will be featuring Stephen Murray, the 2002 Gravity Games Champ and Kyle Bennett, the 2002 World BMX Champ. Murray and Bennett will both be on hand Monday and Tuesday for autographs. Other BMX celebrities at Interbike 2002 include Dave Mirra, Ryan Nyquist, Chad DeGroot, and Josh Herrington, who will be in the Haro booth (#637) on Monday at 1:00PM to sign custom posters and autographs. For the first time in the history of Interbike, attending retailers will also cast votes for the other stars of the show, the products on display.
By completing ballots found in either the Show Daily paper or at the IB Concierge kiosk, retailers will be able to choose the best of the best from over 1000 brands. As an incentive for completing the best product ballot, Interbike is promoting 3 free nights of lodging for Interbike 2003 to the voting retailer whose name is drawn on Monday. The exhibitor who gets the most votes for the best product will receive an award at the Bicycle Industry Awards Celebration on October 7th, 2002 at 6:30 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Held once a year, Interbike is North America's largest cycling trade show, attracting over 20,000 attendees from around the world. Prior to the show, Interbike hosts a one-day Outdoor Demo allowing buyers and media a chance to test the latest in bikes and cycling equipment. Interbike is produced by VNU Expositions, a full service event management company. The next chance to see the future of the bicycle industry will be at Interbike in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 6 – 8, 2002. The Outdoor Demo will be held October 5th in Blue Diamond, Nevada. For more information, please visit www.interbike.com