September 11, 2003 – The following are four opportunities to meet some the smaller teams racing in this year's T-Mobile International, to be held this Sunday, September 14, in San Francisco. After all, it was one of the smallest teams in the race that produced last year's winner.

The first event will take place from 3pm-5pm on Thursday, September 11 at Lombardi Sports in San Francisco. The Saturn Cycling Team, which has dominated pro cycling in the US this season, will be taking part in a small media session – followed by a public session – with a focus on race tactics for the T-Mobile International. This will include points such as why breakaways may succeed or fail, when and how deals are made between riders on opposing teams, and what the main strategic points will be during the race. Riders will include Chris Horner, Trent Klasna, Eric Wohlberg, and Mark McCormack. Lombardi Sports is located less than 2 miles from the hotel where the media center will open at 2pm on Thursday.

Friday, September 12 at 10am, members of the Webcor Pro Cycling Team will be visiting the Bike Station, a new, free, bicycle parking facility at the Embarcadero BART station in downtown San Francisco. This appearance will emphasize improving the links between competitive cycling and bicycle transportation issues, as well as the team's preparation for the race itself. It's a different angle from pure athletics, but that's not unusual for the Webcor team. Their roster inlcudes Steve Larsen, who has competed at the world championships in five cycling disciplines, as well as Dario Falquier, a first-year pro at age 31 who holds a Ph.D. from Stanford in Applied Physics.

Also on Friday the 12th, at 6:30 pm, San Francisco's Ofoto-Lombardi Sports team as well as other pro riders will be attending the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Bicycle Bash & Benefit concert at the Great American Music Hall. This will be a very colorful event with three live bands and what's sure to be an interesting crowd.

Ofoto/Lombardi Sports will also hold a public team ride on Saturday, September 13 at 8:30 am. The will depart from the San Francisco's Marina, near the foot of the Golden Gate Bride, and cover the 40 mile 'Paradise loop' through Marin county. It may be possible to arrange return transportation for anyone who would like to ride directly to San Rafael for the race there on Saturday.