Posted: February 16, 2005

Cycling: Carmichael Training Systems Partners With The Union Cycliste Internationale

Partnership Exposes UCI Golden Bike Participants to the Benefits of World Class Coaching

Colorado Springs, CO - Chris Carmichael, president and CEO of Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) and Hein Verbruggen, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the international governing body for the sport of cycling, jointly announced today that February 2005 marks the beginning of a relationship between CTS and the UCI, which will expand the offerings UCI passes along to participants in the UCI Golden Bike events. First established in 1999, the UCI Golden Bike Series consists of eight races across Europe, South Africa and North America, are organized as “Cycling for All” events with the intention to increase international participation and the cycling experience in cycling events. “Cycling for All” events are geared towards cycling athletes of all levels and have succeeded in drawing in over 100,000 participants in total in the UCI Golden Bike series alone (www.ucigoldenbike.com).

As a part of their relationship with UCI, CTS will be offering a 30-day Classic Coaching package at no charge and on a trial basis to all cyclists participating in the UCI Golden Bike Series. Having made a year-long agreement, CTS and UCI will succeed in bringing this offering to cyclists at all the eight 2005 UCI Golden Bike events: Toerversie Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands), Tour of Flanders (Belgium), Riderman Cycling Festival (Germany), L'Ariégeoise (France), Pascal Richard (Switzerland), Quebrantahuesos (Spain), Gran Fondo Felice Gimondi (Italy), and Cape Argus Pick'n Pay Cycle Tour (South Africa).

“It is both an honor and privilege to be working together with UCI and to help the UCI Golden Bike Series enhance the experience of all their participants,” stated Carmichael. “Regardless of the event in which an individual is participating, CTS has developed a system and methodology to guide each rider to their most successful UCI Golden Bike experience.”

The President of UCI, Hein Verbruggen said, “The UCI is convinced of the extreme importance of the Cycling for All concept, and the ongoing development of the UCI Golden Bike Series is creating one of the strategic bases of this vision. The collaboration with Carmichael Training System can only help to develop the possibilities offered to the participants of the UCI Golden Bike events: The work that we will undertake together will then be very valuable for the cycling in general and we look forward to our ongoing dealings."

Holding common goals to reach cyclists of all levels, UCI and CTS have succeeded in building a relationship that clearly makes sense. Exposing UCI Golden Bike participants to CTS world-class coaching will succeed in meeting these common objectives: to communicate and deliver the benefits of coaching to cyclists in order to encourage the further saturation of a cycling-oriented lifestyle on an international scale.

Founded by former Olympian, US Olympic Committee Coach of the Year, and bestselling author, Chris Carmichael in 1999, Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) is a community of athletes and coaches dedicated to improving the lives of active individuals though enhanced fitness and nutrition coaching programs. Providing guidance, education, and programs for individuals of all abilities, CTS has also paved the way for some of the world’s greatest athletes including six-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong, 2000 Olympic Time Trial Silver Medalist and World Champion Mari Holden, Montreal Canadians Captain Saku Koivu, 2001 Mountain Bike World Champion Alison Dunlap, and Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer Ed Moses. CTS is also the official coaching authority of the US Postal Service Cycling Team and the official coaching service for the US Paralympic cycling team.

Source: www.trainright.com.