Toshiba-Santo Professional Cycling Team presented by Herbalife Training Camp 2008
February 12, 2008
After a strong showing at the JAR Tour of the Bahamas and Winston David notching the team’s first win in Gainesville, Florida, the TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife headed north to the Georgia mountains for a week-long training camp outside the city of Dahlonega.
“Dahlonega’s a great place to train. Beautiful roads.” says Gustavo Carrillo, the team’s new directeur sportif. “(Normally), it’s kind of a roll of the dice with the weather in February. You can get anything up here. But we’ve been real fortunate to have great weather. We’re really happy to have chosen this great location.”
Throughout the week’s agenda of long rides, photo shoots, media training, sponsor meetings, team meetings, and dialing in new equipment, new teammates spent a good portion of their time bonding with the squad’s veteran riders and support staff. All told the team logged nearly 600 miles on the road, capping the week off with an ascent up the epic climb of Brasstown Bald.
“We came up here (specifically) because of the mountains.” Carillo continues. “We’re going to scope out some of the Tour De Georgia routes.”
In preparation of racing in this year’s edition of the Tour de Georgia, training in and around Dahlonega gives the team them special insight to some of the terrain they’ll be facing when the Tour De Georgia kicks off on April 21st 2008.
Local headquarters for the team while training in 2008 is the Hiker Hostel (www.hikerhostel.com). Nestled 1980 ft. above sea level and just 6.5 miles from downtown Dahlonega, the Hiker Hostel is a 4000 ft. plus log house on 3.5 acres run by the husband and wife team of Joshua and Leigh Saint. The hostel can accommodate approximately 20 guests in it’s bunk room style lodging.
“It’s our home away from home.” said team Managing Director Ravi Rajcoomar on behalf of himself and the rest of the team. “It’s a place for these guys to come train throughout the year too if we have other smaller camps later on.”
Testing their early season legs along with the rest of their teammates were new additions Andrew Talansky and Daniel Vaillancourt . Vaillancourt, originally from Saco, Maine, appreciated the relaxed and open the team’s staff and management created for the riders.”
“This has been great. There are common spaces where we can hang out and get to know each other. Whereas if we were at a hotel everyone just goes back to their own hotel rooms and watches TV.”
Vaillancourt who placed 8th overall in last year’s Tour of Virginia, is looking forward to the diversity in the Toshiba-Santo race calendar for 2008.
“I want to be a solid teammate and I’m excited about the racing we’ll do in South America. It’s some really tough racing. There’ll be some eight and 10-day races which are uncommon in the U.S.”
For his part Talansky, the former 2006 Florida State Road/Criterium Junior Champion who is turning pro with the Toshiba-Santo squad, is also ready to dive into the deep end of the racing season.
“One of my goals…” Talansky said fresh from the day’s first training ride. “…is to participate in as many races that are over my head, where the guys are better than me and where it will be a struggle for me to do well and finish those races. I think that will help me to be a better cyclist. And also, while doing races like that, I’ll hopefully be able to help out our more experienced teammates like Alex Hagman, Predrag Prokic, and Mark Hekman.”
Hekman, who comes to Toshiba-Santo as the defending Athens Twilight Criterium Champion, is glad to be back on the bicycle after a protracted absence from racing due to his injury last year at the USA Cycling National Criterium Championships in Downers Grove, Illinois.
“I shattered my heel in four places and had to take two months off the bike. But in the grand scheme of things, it may have been a good thing. It was forced rest, and has left me more motivated than ever. I’m so happy to be on this team. It’s so well run and this training camp has been so much fun.”
New international riders John Fredy Parra and John Durango, childhood racing friends from Colombia and Aussie standout Tommy Nankervis were also right at home by week’s end, albeit a little tired. “We looked forward to our trip to Argentina in the next few days to represent the team and sponsors and kick off the season with a bang “, stated Nankervis.
From here the Toshiba-Santo presented by Herbalife team heads to Argentina’s Vuelta Mendoza from February 14th-22nd. And later on the month, the team will also be participating in the Dominican Republic’s Vuelta Independencia (February 23rd though March 2nd).
Team Contact: Joe Silva PR@Swagger.us
