February 16, 2007 — Pedal caught up with Team CSC at their official camp press opening as they prepare for the upcoming Tour of California 2007. We’re at the Hilton Garden Inn, home of the mighty CSC pro cycling team in training, and as we could see, this was not Solvang, last season’s quaint Danish hideaway in central California.

The team has just returned from another training ride deep in the gorgeous Gilroy hills, 35 miles south of San Jose. Just another calm and sunny morning in a sleepy *Garlic-champ town.

Following the riders about ten seconds behind, a silver van sweeps into view, full throttle thru the parking lot. I immediately tensed up imagining a scenario with some scorned lover bent on road rage revenge, but in fact it was David Zabriskie (and his model-pretty wife, Randy), roaring in for another three-point landing, hitting the brakes and squealing, sliding perfectly into his parking space, cowboy-style cool.

And that’s how yesterday’s CSC’s camp felt – a bit wild, and almost whimsical.

Both Ivan Basso and Giovanni Lombardi are gone, CSC’s Italian gruppetto, huge keys to major successes for CSC, with Basso signing with Discovery Team, and the latter recently retired, sporting a new career as an agent (for Basso and Carlos Sastre). Indeed, a hectic year for Pro cycling and CSC, but don’t tell that to the defending World ProTour Team Champions – they have greater mountains to move.

Not wasting any time in the first three minutes of introducing CSC’s 2007 team, Sport Director Bjarne Riis quietly paved the way for his vision of transparency, both in his goals for the team and in his anti-doping model.

Riis: “It might be hard to beat Discovery as they are very, very motivated (Tour of California)”¦but our goals are the same as always – to be the best team in the world again. And our health program (anti-doping) has been put into test, and in fact we have used it more times in the last two months than the anti-doping agency in Denmark have tested all year.”

Riis’ decision to let Basso go was painful, and his launching of a so-called “health program” will better ensure his riders don’t go down the path of future doping allegations. This is his way of building a better insurance plan.

Riis then opened up the floor to the media, and I began:

Pedal: Before we get to the Tour of California, what about CSC’s notorious annual winter grueling test of endurance in the outback (in South Africa)?

A pregnant silence filled the room, as most everyone looked down or away – and I thought this would be a fun ice breaker. Finally, again, Z-Biskit (David Z) came to the rescue.

David Z: “We had a scarcity of food, so we had to fish, I devoured everything over the campfire”¦(general laughter)”¦but the biggest thing was to see how we’d react to this pressure”¦”

Riis interjects: “This year was different, it wasn’t as hard for the team because the team was better prepared, they came as a team more, so it was hard to challenge them””but it will be harder next time”¦”

[DZ mock-winces.]

Next we asked for Riis’ assessment of their GC front runner at the Tour of California and he wisely replied: “I support all of them”¦we’ll see how it unfolds and we’ll play our cards accordingly with each stage.”

With such a deep and versatile team like Fabian Cancellara (2006 TT World Champ), Jens Voigt (Tour of Germany winner “˜06), Bobby Julich (Paris-Nice, etc.), and their latest weapon, JJ Haedo, a twenty-six year Argentine who won two stages with Toyota-United at ATOC last year, CSC has leverage.

Likewise, the Schleck brothers, Frank and his twenty-one year younger brother, Andy, are examples of CSC’s future that fits in with their family of tough love and unparalleled ethical codes.

Lastly, we heard from other team riders that make up the backbone of CSC’s 2007 team:

Bobby J: “”¦when you have a guy who is favored to win the Tour (de France), you got that entourage”¦sponsors are always there, VIPs sometimes get in the way”¦ that’s made us concentrate”¦there are a few riders here who in the future will be podium or even winners of the TDF; we have to build from the ground up”¦I won’t name names”¦(pause)”¦Jens!

[General laughter]

Jens (shrugging off the compliment): “Yeah, sure the tactics are more open now, we have more possibilities to try to do many things, not just with one rider”¦we can go to the Giro more relaxed now”¦”

Did Jens really think CSC had a chance at the TDF? His eyes opened (and ever the modest gentleman) he affirmed: “We have Schleck and Carlos! We are contenders, of course!”

*Gilroy is the garlic capital of the world.