Name Games: Slipstream Sports and Garmin Joined by Sharp

Title sponsors are big business in the world of sports, and this is very apparent in the world of professional cycling. This week Slipstream Sports, which had been competing in professional cycling races including the Tour de France as Gamrin-Barracuda will become Garmin Sharp.

While Barracuda Networks will continue as an important co-title sponsor, and team materials as well as the website will refer to the team as Gamrin-Sharp-Barracuda, the official UCI-registered name of the team will be Garmin-Sharp (GRS).

TV and electronics maker Sharp is celebrating its 100 years in 2012 so we see this as a fitting way to draw some international attention. Continue reading Name Games: Slipstream Sports and Garmin Joined by Sharp

Quiznos Pro Challenge Announces Five Top Pro Teams for 2011

And now there are five, as in the first five teams to sign on for the inaugural 2011 Quiznos Pro Challenge professional cycling race that will host as many as 128 professional cyclists from 15 teams.

Today race organizers officially announced the first five teams, which include Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) pro teams: Team RadioShack (USA), Liquigas-Cannondale (Italy), HTC-Highroad (USA), Slipstream Sports/Garmin-Cervelo (USA), and BMC Racing Team (USA). 

Among the racers that are confirmed include seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, world champion Thor Hushovd and former world champion Cadel Evans; along with team directors Johan Bruyneel and Bob Stapleton. 

“It’s exciting to see that the Quiznos Pro Challenge is already considered one of the most important races in the United States,” said Ellen Kramer, General Manager of the Quiznos Pro Challenge.  “Our goal is to connect new audiences in America with the sport of professional cycling; having several of the premier international teams already signed up is a huge step in that direction.”  Continue reading Quiznos Pro Challenge Announces Five Top Pro Teams for 2011

Garmin Offers New Edge for Tour of California

Going off for a long bike ride can be enjoyable, even if you’re not sure of your final destination. But there are times when knowing where you are going is crucial, and for those times a reliable GPS device is a must. To help you on your way Garmin has introduced the new Edge 500, a new nuvi navigation device that features designed inspired by the iconic orange and blue patterns of the Team-Garmin-Transitions.

The new Edge 500 in both argyle and black and white versions will be introduced at the Tour of California this year, while the argyle nuvi models will sold exclusively during the race from May 16-23. The Edge 500 ($349.99 MSRP from the official site) is ideal for racers or just those who want to keep their bikes as light as possible. The device is a mere two ounces, but still features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver that needs no calibration, and thus can be easily swapped between bikes. It connects wirelessly to third-party power meters, and can track speed, distance, time, GPS position, elevation, calories burned, and even climb and descent. This info can be displayed and reviewed post-ride at Garmin Connect.

The device further uses a barometric altimeter to pinpoint changes in elevation, and it can further be paired wirelessly with Garmin speed/cadence sensors. It features 18 hours of battery life, so it will probably be going long after most of us have called it a day as well!

And finally for the pro wannabes, in April Slipstream Sports and Felt Bicycles will be giving subscribers to Garmin’s fitness newsletters a chance to buy a team replica Felt F1 (the model the pros will be riding this season), completely built by the team mechanics and packaged with the argyle Edge 500.

Team Garmin-Transitions
Slipstream Sports